Saint Kitts and Nevis

Visited: November 2017

Duration of visit: 3 days

Capital city: Basseterre

Population: 53.000 (2017)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

• Staying in a simple house with my great host Kennrick, who drove me around St. Kitts island and explained about local lifestyle.
• Beautiful view to the surrounding volcanos.
• Arriving with one day delay due to the flight cancelation in Puerto Rico.
• Kitts and Nevis are known for their beautiful beaches, pristine tropical forests and friendly locals.

Saint Kitts and Nevis were among the first islands in the Caribbean to be colonized by Europeans and the first English colony in the Caribbean. The first European to see it was Christopher Columbus in 1493, although it was already inhabited before. It was also the first stop during my 2017 Caribbean islands trip.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is actually the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, both in area and population.

It is also the most recent British territory in the Caribbean to become independent, gaining independence in 1983. Since the population is so small, a lot of the territory is still pristine and not developed.

There are many tourist facilities – mostly all-inclusive hotels, restaurants and nice areas with bars and nightclubs. Until now, the impact to nature and local lifestyle has not been as huge as in other Caribbean islands.

Nevertheless, there are some multi-million projects to develop the existing infrastructure and build resorts on the best beaches on the island. In recent years, the government has sought to diversify the economy via agriculture, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing and especially offshore banking, which has brought a lot of income and development to the country.

I arrived a day later than planned, because the original flight from Puerto Rico was cancelled.

My host Kennrick picked me up from the airport and brought me to his home, which was located just a few blocks from Basseterre downtown. At first glance, I was a little disappointed with the size and infrastructure of Basseterre, but after visiting most of the islands in the Caribbean, I realized the scale in this area is very different than in Americas mainland countries.

Many picturesque wooden houses and old churches reflect the colonial influence, some modern building with fast food restaurants and port terminal with souvenir shops, plaza and boutiques are dedicated to attract international visitors, who arrive mainly by cruise ships.

Walking around Basseterre, I noticed, that people are used to foreign visitors.  The majority are of African descent; the primary language is English. People were friendly and willing to help me, when I was asking for information. Also, they knew I was not a cruise tourist full of money and desperate to use a few hours landing break to take some of the tours around the island, buy souvenir or head to the beach by taxi.

Each year, St. Kitts attracts over one million tourists, predominantly from cruise ship arrivals.

So, it is a big difference on a day when a few thousand people flood Basseterre in the morning. The main tourist attraction, St. Kitts Scenic Railways, offers spectacular views of the mountains, beaches, and plantations: the route is 29 kilometers long by rail and an additional 19 kilometers by bus, which makes a complete 48-kilometers circle of the island.

Naturally, I did not spend my time traveling on the Scenic Railways, as I am a backpacker and did not journey this far to engage in activities typical of tourists who visit an island for only three hours. I asked Kennrick to give me a tour of the island in his car. His mum joined us, and we explored the island in the afternoon. Roads are in good condition, traffic is light, driving is pleasant.

We stopped at the best viewpoint on the island to observe Mount Liamuiga stratovolcano, which forms the western part of the island of Saint Kitts. Rising up to 1,156 meters, the peak is the highest point on the island of Saint Kitts. Towards the southeast the view to Verchilds Range and Olivees Range volcano peaks was spectacular as well.

We descended to the southern part of the island through a narrow stretch, where the most attractive beaches are located. The last stop was a vacant beach, where I could enjoy swimming in warm, clear water.

At night, Kennrick took me to the area of South Frigate Bay, where the number one hot-spot on the island is located. The Strip is a collection of beach bars, restaurants and dancing clubs along a lovely beach for daytime sunbathing, that transforms into the party place at night.

Many restaurants offering international cuisine complete the offer with traditional dances, live music or performances in the evening, as well as sports bars, live entertainment, street food and DJs to keep the dance floor hopping well into the wee hours. Especially when there is a cruise ship in town, the place is packed with daily visitors.

The next day, I visited the island of Nevis – a smaller and less explored island, separated by a shallow 3-kilometre channel known as The Narrows. The ferry from St. Kitts docks in Charlestown – the capital town of Nevis island.

Not much to do or to see there. A few banks, businesses and restaurants. I walked to the closest Pinney’s beach and found a friend John, who I had met two days before at a bar on San Juan airport in Puerto Rico. He invited me for a beer and we started to talk. He has been running a restaurant in a nearby all-inclusive hotel and had a day off. Not too many options to have fun or relax. Bar and the beach or bar on the beach. He has been there for two years and is looking for new challenges in other parts of the globe.

Life in Nevis can be monotonous and options for relaxation are very limited, so I can understand that perfect beaches and sunshine, on the long term, require alternatives. It is easy to explain why many residents of St. Kitts travel very often to the United States, where they have family and friends. Kittitians can travel to the US on a direct flight and without visa.

One of the interesting facts about St. Kitts and Nevis is that it operates the world’s oldest CBI Programme, which enables wealthy foreign investors and their families a route to second citizenship, once donating to the Sustainable Growth Fund.

St. Kitts and Nevis passport includes visa-free travel to nearly 160 destinations in the World, including all European countries, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Since 1984, more than 20,000 applicants have received passports. The fee for this privilege is 150.000 US$ to 200.00 USD$ per family.

The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis were the first stop (after Puerto Rico) on my Caribbean trip in 2017. Small islands with no frills, but a peaceful atmosphere, are well organized and provide a quality lifestyle for locals and a comfortable stay to the visitors, who mostly arrive by cruise ships. Staying with a local friend, I was able to explore the island through the eyes of my host.

Perfect beaches, bars and nightlife can be boring after sometime, therefore, the most popular holiday break for locals is the mainland US, where they can access without limits. The country has been trying to diversify the economy beyond basic agriculture and tourism with offshore banking and attracting wealthy foreigners through the world’s oldest CBI Programme.

So far, the St. Kitts and Nevis has successfully balanced the impact of tourism on the local community, and I believe that with a smart policy, they will be able to continue bringing benefits to Kittitians in the future as well.