Secrets To Cruising To St Kitts and Nevis.

Secrets To Cruising To St Kitts and Nevis.

1. Visit secluded beaches such as Majors Bay, tips on enjoying this beach to the maximum are below.

2. Scuba Diving is a must; some of the most spectacular diving is in the waters surrounding St. Kitts.

3. Shipwreck Beach Bar & Grill has excellent food, drinks, beach, sun loungers, and local hospitality; what more could you want? See below for more info, including the monkies.

4. Should you visit Nevis when your ship docks in St. Kitts?  Good question; see below it depends.

5. Saint Kitts is Joan Armatrading’s residence and many more famous or notorious people.

   

Not such a secret is the beautiful Majors Bay

Situated on the very end of the southeast peninsula. If you want some peace, this is the beach for you.  The only downside is it’s not commercialised; you will not find any bars or restaurants.  But you can take a packed lunch and something to drink from the ship.  Keep an eye on the time, and secure your return journey with a taxi driver, so you get back to the ship in good time.  But this beach is lovely and worth a visit.  More below about how to get here and what to take with you.

Scuba diving is fantastic in St. Kitts.

Book a diving tour through the cruise line or book yourself; there are a couple of great Dive Centers around the island:

Pro Divers St. Kitts Scuba here is a message from Margot and Auston Macleod

“Let us help you discover the underwater world around the beautiful island of St Kitts. We have been scuba diving here in St Kitts since 1981 and we are still thrilled to be showing our divers the marine life. We are a family-owned and run business and we take great care to offer you the best scuba diving experience on the island”.  For cruise ship passengers we now have official authorisation to offer you diving services.  You do need to pre-book but otherwise, we are back to the new normal.

St. Kitts Kenneth’s Dive Center – is super friendly company

They will arrange a fantastic diving trip for you.  There are so many excellent dive sites around St Kitts.  Because the sea is warm all the time, there is always time for diving.  Here is an excellent video of a Turtle minding their own business.

Great place to eat Shipwreck on South Friars Beach

A cool rustic beach bar serving food and drinks all day until 6.30 pm and has free sun loungers on the beach.

Enjoy the authentic Caribbean spirit at Shipwreck Beach Bar and Grill while sipping an icy cold beverage or indulging in a Caribbean-style meal.

• Delight in the beautiful beach with palm umbrellas and superb snorkelling (rentals available)
• The bar is open for liquid refreshment from 10 am to Sunset.
• A diverse variety of local cuisine is available daily from noon to 6.30 pm, with our acclaimed “best fish tacos ever” well worth sampling.
• Relish an up-close experience with monkeys and mongooses.

Should you visit Nevis or stay in St. Kitts?

This is the question many guests would ask me when I worked on Cruise ships.  It depends if this is your first time cruising to St. Kitts; even if it is your 2nd or 3rd.   You really should explore St. Kitts first. This island has got so much to offer.

Gorgeous beaches, snorkelling, diving, and restaurants, explore the island on a sightseeing tour. The island is volcanic and surrounded by lush forests—worth exploring the island of St. Kitts before venturing over to Nevis.

However, here are some surprises on Nevis if you are interested.  You can get a boat over to this island in plenty of time to explore and be back before your ship sets sail.

Nevis offers something different:

1. Nevis Peak is 3,232 feet at the summit, from the top on a clear day you can see Antigua, Montserrat and other Caribbean islands.  It’s a great hike, you’ll be surrounded by ferns and fauna.  Cascading waterfalls.  You may even see vervet monkeys and wandering wild goats.  It’s a 5-hour round trip.  It can be slippy and steep you need a high level of fitness and be used to hiking as it will be hot and humid.  Make sure you get a guide see below. 
2. Hiking with Earla, a guide and herbalist with Earla’s Eco Tours provides a window into how Nevisians have long used botanicals in their daily lives. A one-mile, mostly rainforest trail is replete with lessons in how the locals value plants for more than just their aesthetic beauty.  For more information on Earla’s Eco-Tours.
3. Botanical Gardens of Nevis five acres of colourful landscaped gardens.  More than two dozen Asian artefacts, including a Ganesh statue from India.  Footbridges and winding paths course past water lily ponds where birds cluster, a many-hued orchid collection (considered one of the largest in the Caribbean), and a tropical fruit garden growing everything from passion fruit to tamarind.  Hummingbirds hover above the blossoms and colourful cascades of other flowers.  Built in the style of a Nevisian Great House, there is a restaurant with a scenic veranda to enjoy a view of St. Kitts.
4. If you are into history, there is so much evidence of the past in Nevis. For example, Alexander Hamilton, one of the United States’ founding fathers, lived until nine.  On the property of Charlestown, his birthplace is a small restored wooden building with the original limestone foundation.  The museum itself, a two-story restored stone building, may have been where the Hamilton family lived. Inside, recreated artefacts represent his legacy, including a writing desk with a feather pen. 
5. You can take a self-guided walking tour that follows the route that young Hamilton would have taken from his home to the Jewish school he attended.  Passing the ruins of the slave market and following a narrow path referred to as Jew’s Alley.

Saint Kitts is the larger of the two islands that make up the tiny Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean and thus has been titled “The Mother Colony of the West Indies”. St Kitts and Nevis are also the most recent British territory in the Caribbean to become independent, gaining independence in 1983.

The capital city is Basseterre, located on the larger island of Saint Kitts. Basseterre is also the main port for passenger entry (via cruise ships) and cargo.

Saint Kitts and Nevis are separated at 2 miles (3 km) by The Narrows Strait. Both are of volcanic origin, with prominent central peaks covered in tropical rainforests. The majority of the population lives in flatter coastal areas.

The population of Saint Kitts and Nevis is around 53,000 and has remained relatively constant for many years. Approximately three-quarters of the population live in Saint Kitts.

English is the official language, but Saint Kitts Creole is also widely spoken.

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