Image: St. Kitts sign at Port Zante in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Highlights
– Our experience and impressions on spending five nights in the country of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Time of Visit: January 2026
Duration of Visit: St. Kitts – 2 nights, Nevis – 3 nights
Description
St. Kitts and Nevis is a tiny two island country in the Eastern Caribbean. It was a former British territory that gained its independence in 1983. St. Kitts is the larger of the two islands and where the capital, Basseterre, is located. The country has a tropical feel and a mountainous interior. Mount Liamuiga is the country’s highest peak at 3,793 feet, and is located in St. Kitts.
Not to be outdone, Nevis Peak in the center of Nevis island stands at 3,232 feet. This dormant stratovolcano’s peak is most of the time shrouded by clouds.
St. Kitts and Nevis is volcanic in nature. The beaches are primarily dark. The water does not have the bright turquoise color because most of the ocean floor is not covered with white sand. Still the country has something to offer for the casual traveler. Here we describe what we were able to see and do during our stay. We also provide our opinion if St. Kitts and Nevis should be in your itinerary.
Activities
St. Kitts
St. Kitts is the larger of the two islands. There are many hotels and resorts located in Basseterre. There are also many amenities such as fast food chain restaurants, large supermarkets and tour companies. Here we describe where we went: beaches, Black Rocks, Brimstone Hill Fortress, Caribelle Batik, shopping at Port Zante and Timothy Hill Overlook.
Beaches
The nice beaches are primarily located at the south end of the peninsula which are Carambola, Cockleshell Bay, South Friar Bay and Turtle. Our favorite is Turtle Beach because it is secluded with calm water. There are also fishes that hide around the abandoned wooden dock. The only issue with Turtle Beach is that there is limited parking and there are no bars or restaurants.
Cockleshell Bay Beach would be our next favorite. This beach is long and there are bars and restaurants scattered along the crescent shaped beach. There are also chairs and umbrellas for rent. Carambola Beach is also nice but the chair and umbrella rentals are the most expensive that we encountered between the two islands. South Friar Bay has a few bars and restaurants and cabanas for rent.
Over at Basseterre, South Frigate Bay is probably the best beach. There are many bars and restaurants along the crescent shaped beach. There are also picnic tables at its northern end. During the weekend, it becomes a party scene according to locals. Its counterpart, North Frigate Bay was rather disappointing. The water by the beach was murky with seaweed and most of the beach is fenced off by private properties and resorts.
Black Rocks
The basalt rock formations are located at the northeast coast. These were formed when lava from Mount Liamuiga was abruptly cooled by the water and were sculpted by erosion. The rock formations contrast nicely with the blue sea. You will also find a handful of local merchants selling souvenirs here.
Brimstone Hill Fortress
This fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located at the island’s west coast. It is often referred to as the “Gibraltar of the West Indies” due to its imposing, steep-sloped design. It was built by African slaves for the British in the 17th and 18th centuries. The fortress is well preserved and provides commanding views.
Caribelle Batik
Caribelle Batik’s location was once the settlement of King Tegreman, a Carib Indian leader. The place was later claimed by Sam Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s great, great. great grandfather. Part of the estate was later sold to the Earl of Romney and became Romney Manor. Now known as Caribelle Batik, it is here where local artists and craftspeople create almost anything that can have a batik design. These batik products are for sale.
But the real draw of Caribelle Batik, in our opinion, is the small but beautifully landscaped garden and ground. It is so peaceful and quiet here whenever there are no large tour groups. There is also a 400+ year old tree that would have a lot of stories to tell if only it could talk.
Port Zante
Port Zante is where the cruise ship lands and where cruise people roam around to shop. This is the place to be if you are looking for souvenirs. Surprisingly, the prices are affordable but do require going from store to store to look for the best deals. Even with a couple of cruise ships docked at the port, the place did not feel crowded at all during mid-morning.
Timothy Hill Overlook
When it comes to views, Timothy Hill Overlook provides the best one on the island without having to break a sweat. The overlook has a “#stkitts” sign too.
Nevis
Beaches
The beaches in Nevis are sandy but not white because of its volcanic nature.
We visited Herbert’s, Lovers, Oualie and Pinneys. Herbert’s is not far from the airport and is a bare beach. There are no services around. There is a barrier reef a couple of hundred meters from shore so the water does not have big waves even though it was windy. Herbert’s Beach has the nicest water color among the four beaches. Herbert’s Beach was empty when we visited it. There were a lot of seaweeds that had washed onto the beach.
Lovers Beach is the hardest to reach among the four. Getting to the beach requires driving about 200 meters on a rough dirt road that ends in a small parking lot that is big enough for two vehicles. The beach is long, bare and has seaweed just like Herbert’s. You have to bring whatever you need.
Oualie is just north of the water taxi pier. Access to it is through the Oualie Beach Resort. There are chairs that can be rented. This is the shortest beach among the four.
Pinneys is probably the best beach. There are bars and restaurants near the beach. There are also cabanas, lounge chairs and umbrellas for rent. It is the place to see the sunset as it directly faces west.
Alexander Hamilton Birthplace
Alexander Hamilton was one of the founding fathers of the United States. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington and his face is on the US $10 bill.
Alexander Hamilton was born in what is now Charlestown. The home still stands but now serves as a museum. You will also find his bronze statue in the museum grounds and informative plaques.
The Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden is located not far from the Montpelier Plantation. It is privately owned. The garden has a collection of different plants and trees from different parts of the world like the wild mahogany from Madagascar, palm trees from Malaysia and the wild almond from New Zealand. The wild almond seed pod is interesting as it starts as bright red and takes the shape of a heart when it dries and opens.
There are many colorful orchids sprinkled throughout the garden as well as colorful plants. It is very peaceful to stroll through. It normally takes less than an hour to see everything.
The place is not worth the price of admission if you are not into flowers, plants and trees.
Try Local Food
Also not far from the Montpelier Plantation but in the other direction of the Botanical Garden is the Passion Bar and Grill. This place is colorful and serves local and flavorful dishes at a lower price point than other restaurants. There are a lot of locals who eat here.
Another place to get good food at reasonable prices is Mojo’s Bistro, Bakery and Bar. It is located on the road leading to Pinneys Beach. It serves breakfast and lunch food that are tasty. There are also healthy choices. And if you want your carbs, you’ll get your fix here with their cakes and pastries.
How To Get There
Customs and Immigration
We completed and submitted an electronic travel authorization (ETA) before going to St. Kitts and Nevis. The ETA approval took less than 24 hours. By completing the ETA, our passport information was already in the system and allowed us to skip the immigration officer through facial recognition.
The ETA has a customs declaration section. A QR code is generated which the customs agent scans before you are allowed to leave the airport. We declared our prescription medications (considered as pharmaceuticals) and our dietary food. The dietary food did not have to be declared as the customs agent said that they were only interested in fresh food. The prescription medications need to be in its original bottle/packing to avoid further questioning.
St. Kitts
St. Kitts has Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, code SKB. We took the short twenty minute flight from St. Martin to St. Kitts. There is also a ferry boat that runs between St. Kitts and St. Martin. However, it does not run every day, takes pretty much all day and costs about the same as the airfare.
Nevis
Nevis has the Vance W. Armory International Airport, code NEV. We found that the flights to this airport are limited compared to St. Kitts. For us, we took a taxi from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport to Reggae Beach at the southern tip of the peninsula. The ride took about 20 minutes. Then we rode the short 10 minute water taxi (more like a ferry) to Nevis.
Travel Between Islands
There are three ways to travel between the two islands which are passenger ferries, car ferry and water taxi. The passenger ferry travels between Basseterre and Charlestown regularly. The 30 minute car ferry operates between Major Bay on St. Kitts Southeast Peninsula and Long Point on Nevis.
As mentioned earlier, water taxis operate between Reggae and Oualie Beaches. There are two water taxi companies – Islander Watersports and Blue Waves. One way and round trip fares can be purchased. Round trip tickets are valid for four days, meaning you have to use the return leg on the fourth day after buying the ticket.
Where To Stay
We stayed at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel (in St. Kitts) and the Mount Nevis Hotel (in Nevis).
Royal St. Kitts is a wonderful place to stay and within walking distance to grocery stores and restaurants. It has nice amenities such as a large gym and swimming pool. Our studio apartment was roomy and had a fully equipped kitchen.
Mount Nevis Hotel is about a 10 minute drive from Oualie Beach. It sits on an elevated area which provides a nice view of the coast. The hotel has nine units (building) with each unit having four rooms. It has an on-site, but pricey restaurant. There are no stores or restaurants nearby.
How To Get Around
There are minibuses (or minivans) that serve as public transportation on both islands. To tell if a minivan is a minibus, look at its windshield and its license plate. The destination would be displayed behind the windshield. In Nevis, the minibuses only travel on the island’s circumferential road so there would not be any destination sign. Instead, look at the license plate. If the license plate starts with an H or HA, it is a minibus.
Taxis are another way to get around. But taxis can be expensive. A taxi’s license plate would start with a T or TA.
Renting a car is the most efficient way of getting around the island. Just remember to drive on the left and park only in designated places to avoid getting a ticket. In Nevis, watch out for goats and donkeys on the road. Our car rental said that your two day vacation may turn into two months if you get a parking ticket because you have to wait for the court to hear your cases.
Expected Expenses
Taxi from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport to Reggae Beach – $41 (rates are standardized across the island so you do not have to worry about being scammed)
Water Taxi Between Reggae Beach and Oualie Beach in Nevis – 60 Eastern Caribbean Dollar (or about $22) for roundtrip (good for 4 days)
Taxi from Oualie Beach to Mt. Nevis Hotel – $15
Pinneys Beach lounge chair rental – $10/chair. Pelican Beach Chair Services (look for the blue beach umbrellas) charges $5/chair after 3PM and is one of the few that stays open until sunset while others close at 5PM.
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Summary
St. Kitts and Nevis is a two island Caribbean country that was once a British territory. It is volcanic in nature with a prominent mountain jutting into the sky on both islands.
Its beaches are not the best among the Caribbean islands – neither white sands nor bright turquoise blue water. But if you seek secluded and almost empty beaches, this two island country may have what you are looking for.