St Kitts / Special Interests / Family

St Kitts is an ideal island for a low-key holiday with children if you are intending to spend time together as a family on the beach and out exploring. St Kitts is a delightful island to begin with, where children will receive a warm and friendly welcome. There are a handful of suitable beaches to visit and good snorkelling and other watersports. A good place to meet up with other children, especially locals on the weekends, is Frigate Bay south.

St. Kitts, together with sister island, Nevis, has an exciting new family programme called Kids ‘r’ VIPs. Designed to offer added value for families visiting the destinations as well as provide a variety of new experiences for kids, Kids ‘r’ VIPs offers a range of activities and tours, fun learning, a chance to be an eco-kid and all-year round hotel and restaurant offers and discounts, all encompassed in one family programme.

Popular island activities include sailing courses for all the family, Zip-lining with Sky Safari, tours and hikes and activities that will allow children to immerse themselves into the culture and entertainment that St. Kitts and Nevis has to offer. Families can learn something uniquely Caribbean from batik or pottery making to steel pan playing or masquerade dancing and there’s even a chance to learn the art of Caribbean cuisine or, for budding cricketers, the game of cricket with former West Indian players.  Kids will also have an opportunity to discover all forms of wildlife and historic artefacts as they tour the islands as well as to do their bit for marine conservation with the St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network.

For older children there is horse riding, kayaking, maybe a hike into the rainforest or the ‘off-the beaten track’ tour where they can learn about all about sugar and visit old estate ruins. A great family way of seeing the island is to hop aboard the St Kitts Scenic Railway or the ‘sugar train’ as it is locally known. A day out in Basseterre could involve taking in the wonderful old buildings, some souvenir shopping and an educational trip to the National Museum and (if that will brighten their day) there is also a KFC, Dominoes Pizza and Subway within shouting distance. Artistic children might be interested in learning about the process of batik, so a trip up to Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik makes for another day out, which can be combined with another educational visit and some stunning views at Brimstone Hill Fortress. Built by British military engineers between the late 17th and 18th centuries, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The only resort currently with a dedicated children’s programme is the Marriot hotel and you might want to note that the Four Seasons over in Nevis has an excellent children’s club, worth considering if you wish to spend time on both islands. There are currently no playgrounds in St Kitts, though some of the new developments planned may change that. There are a number of large playing fields where children can enjoy a game of soccer, basketball or netball.