St Kitts / Special Interests

St. Kitts was a relative late starter in Caribbean tourism, only losing its last sugar production facility in 2005, but development has continued apace since then on several fronts as the country adapts to a radical change of circumstance. The all consuming sugar industry may have gone but its legacy and infrastructure are probably more immediately visible here than anywhere else in the region. A clutch of splendidly restored plantation houses  including Rawlins, Ottley’s and Romney Manor  remain a tribute to a bygone style and elegance while the only working railway in the eastern Caribbean, the old eighteen mile narrow gauge cane track wending round the island’s coastline, offers a tremendous three hour scenic perspective for any newcomer.

Brimstone Hill Fortress and National Park on the north west coast is over 300 years old and has rightly been accorded a World Heritage site, an evocative well maintained location, replete with massive stone buttresses, a plethora of cannon and the ghosts of slaves and legions of military who manned it. A great place for contemplation  and seaward panoramas.

Beach based holidaying is centred around  south Frigate bay, specifically at Timothy beach which has a bar, restaurant and watersports scene at “the strip” while kayaking is popular on the more demanding waters off the southern peninsula. Scuba diving has grown through the discovery of a number of interesting new wreck and dive sites.

The once undisturbed peninsula  region is now dominated by the ambitious St.Christophe Harbour, Marina and luxury villa resort, a magnificent 2500 acre low density development incorporating a championship golf course due to open in 2013; another is also due at Kittitian Hill in the north to complement the long established Marriott managed eighteen hole Royal St.Kitts Golf Club.

St.Kitts is a good hiking destination with Mount Liamuiga and its trademark halo of cloud the flagship trip; vervet monkeys can be seen in some locations, and it’s worth contacting the St.Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) ( recently awarded public charity status for their laudable beach clean-ups and environmental and outreach programmes) if you fancy some hands on turtle involvement.

There are wonderful floral gardens at Clay Villa plantation, the Fairview Great House and Romney Manor with a respected Music Festival an important date on the national calendar now in June. St.Kitts has close associations with North America and if partaking of the odd flutter is your thing, or even more serious gambling, then the Marriott is your place of choice with its mega casino.

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