Saint Kitts and Nevis

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Basseterre

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Nationality

Kittitian, Nevisian

Population

38,950

Languages

English

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Currency

East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)

Calling Code

+1869

Time Zone

UTC-4

Contributors

• Utrecht (60%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
• Hien (22%)
  from World Adrenaline
• Peter (15%)
  from My Shout

as well as dr.pepper (3%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

nevis boats

© All Rights Reserved bektrek

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, also known as Saint Christopher and Nevis, are an undiscovered duo of supreme beauty and languidness, where the main tourist activity is gawking. Being forced to just enjoy nature as it is makes a Saint Kitts and Nevis holiday a profoundly moving experience.

Both islands are characterized by amazing tall peaks: Nevis Peak, once thought to be snow-covered; and Mount Liamuiga, on Saint Kitts, a dormant volcano who seems to have opted to sleep his days away and let rainforest cover his slopes. Hiking expeditions to these peaks can be arranged, but should be done with a guide. While winding through lush rainforest adorned with bright flowers and monkeys, the hassle of getting a guide will be well worth it. Saint Kitts and Nevis possess a compelling array of natural variety, beauty and colour.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 parishes.

• Saint Kitts: Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint John Capesterre, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point.
• Nevis: Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Figtree, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Thomas Lowland.

Cities and Towns

• Basseterre - The capital of the federation and of Saint Kitts.
• Cayon
• Charlestown - The capital of Nevis.
• Gingerland - The largest town on Nevis.
• Sandy Point Town - The second largest town in the country.

Sights and Activities

Horse riding

Horse riding is an activity you can undertake almost anywhere in the world, but on the island of Nevis it is a bit different. Most trips include long rides along the beaches, passing beautiful white sands, turquoise waters and hanging palm trees. Visit the Ride Nevis website for more details about tours, prices and itineraries.

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

Prince of Wales Bastion

© All Rights Reserved ambiz

The compound known as Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park dates back to the 18th century and was known as the 'Gibraltar of the West Indies' as it was once a major British garrison until it was abandoned in 1850. Since the 1960's there have been restorations and as a result much of the fortress has been returned to how it looked like before. It was designed by the British and built by African slave labour and the fortress is a testimony to European colonial expansion, the African slave trade and the emergence of new societies in the Caribbean and therefore is placed on the Unesco World Heritage List.
The Citadel on the main hilltop has 24 cannons and provides excellent views of Sint Eustatius and Sandy Point Town. Inside are old rooms displaying colonial history featuring cannonballs and swords Brimstone Hill itself is a volcanic cone named for the sulfur vents that you will undoubtly smell as you drive past the hill along the coastal road. For more information check the Brimstone Hill Fortress website for details.

Nevis botanical gardens

The Nevis botanical gardens cover about 3,2 hectares of land only and are only a few minutes' southeast of Charlestown. The gardens display a rare and stunning collection of tropical greenery, orchid and rose gardens, and a rainforest conservatory. All flora is marked with its common name, making it accessible to all. There are some fine giftshops and restaurants nearby as well. Visit the Nevis Botanical Gardens website for more information.

Other sights and activities

• Kitesurfing - Saint Kitts and Nevis are one of the best kitesurfing spots in the Caribbean
• Museum of Nevis History - in Charlestown
• Black Rock - a collection of black lava rocks on the western coastline of Saint Kitts

Events and Festivals

Weather

Saint Kitts and Nevis have a warm and humid tropical climate with temperatures usually around 30 °C during the day and around 23 °C at night. June to September is slightly warmer with temperatures above 30 °C at daytime and not dropping below 26 °C on average at night. Rainfall is spread throughout the year and possible in every month but July to November is the wetter time of year while February to May is somewhat drier.

Getting There

Being an island nation, the only way to get to Saint Kitts and Nevis will be by plane or by boat. Still, there are no regular ferries to and from the islands, although there has been some rumors about boats to and from Sint Eustatius, one of the Netherlands Antilles.

By Plane

Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) is on Saint Kitts. Windward Islands Airways (Winair) flies there from Nevis and Saint Martin while Leeward Islands Air Transport flies to and from Antigua and Barbuda. Connections to North America and Europe include Miami and New York by American Airlines, and London by XL Airways. There are also seasonal flights to Toronto and Philadelphia.

Vance W. Amory International Airport (NEV) is on Nevis with Winair flying to Saint Kitts and Saint Martin, LIAT to Antigua and Barbuda, while American Eagle has flights to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

By Boat

There are no regular boats serving the islands, though once every week or two there are boats between Basseterre on St. Kitts and Philipsburg in St. Maarten. Mainly locals go shopping for the weekend as the ferry returns the other day again. You might also be able to find a fisherman who will bring you from for example St. Eustatius but don't count on it.

Getting around

By Plane

Windward Islands Airways (Winair) operates flights between the two islands.

By Train

St. Kitts Scenic Railway operates a scenic tour on the island of Saint Kitts on an old railway track formerly used by sugarcane plantations. This tour runs on a 48-kilometre (30-mile) loop and takes about 3 hours to complete.

By Car

Renting a car is a good way to explore the islands, although not necessary. Taxis drivers will be glad to show you much of the island on a tour as well for a fixed price. If you do feel the need to have your own wheels, many of the international (hertz, avis) and local companies offer rental cars for reasonable prices. You can see much of Saint Kitts in a day or two and you will only need a day in Nevis.

By Bus

Bus travel is a good and cheap way to get around the islands and most trips don't cost more than a few Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC$). Buses can be flagged down anywhere along its route and also stop anywhere along its route to drop passengers.

Saint Kitts
On the main island of Saint Kitts, there are 5 bus routes which all originate and terminate at the capital Basseterre. They are:
Basseterre to Sandy Point travelling west, starting at the Ferry Terminal
Basseterre to Capesterre travelling west, starting at the Ferry Terminal
Basseterre to St. Peter's travelling north, starting at College Street Ghaut
Basseterre to Molyneux travelling east, starting at Baker's Corner
Basseterre to Saddler's travelling east, starting at Baker's Corner

Nevis
On the smaller island of Nevis there are two bus routes who both travel around the ring road of the island. Both routes orginate and terminate in the capital Charlestown.
Buses traveling north from Charlestown leave from the southwest end of D.R. Walwyn Plaza and buses traveling south from Charlestown leave from the northern end of Memorial Square.

By Boat

Six ferries operate between the islands of Saint Kitss and Nevis: the MV Caribe Queen, MV Carib Breeze and MV Carib Surf, the MV Mark Twain, the MV Geronimo and the MV Sea Hustler. The MV Mark Twain is currently inactive, but the other 5 vessels have a total of 15 sailings a day between both islands in either direction, between 6.30am (first sailing from Saint Kitts) to 7pm (last sailing from Saint Kitts). From Nevis, the first one leaves at 7am and the last at 6 pm. Crossings take about 45 minutes and provide an excellent way of travelling between the capital Basseterre on Saint Kitts and Charlestown, the 'capital' of Nevis.

Red Tape

Money

The currency of Saint Kitts and Nevis is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, or EC$. It has existed since 1965 and is used by 7 other states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States as well. Only the British Virgin Islands (the nineth member) doesn't use it, but uses the US$ instead. The EC$ is subdivided into 100 cents and has been pegged to the United States dollar at US$1 = EC$2.7 since 1976. The EC$ comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents and a coins of 1 dollar. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post