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We were charmed by the island and its inhabitants. We only had to walk into the center, or The Circus, of Basseterre, St Kitts to experience their friendly 'hellos'. Wherever you go on this small island, you will find breathtaking views of the sea, mountains, cultivated fields and small villages. Both St. Kitts and its sister Nevis are fully aware of their heritage and care for their historical buildings.
Long ago, St. Kitts and Nevis were the pearls of the British Caribbean. It's value stemmed from the lucrative sugar plantations as well as the stronghold of Fort Brimstone.
The new train is intriguing but, having toured St. Kitts many times, we think that this is the only way to really know and appreciate this special island.
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Your first exposure to St. Kitts is at Basseterre, the capital. It is a small port but the largest town on the island. Founded in 1720, it was hit with earthquakes, hurricanes, and a destructive fire that destroyed the town in 1867. You will be able to see the French architecture and the Victorian structures that have filled the spaces left by this disaster. St. George's Church, Independence Square, and a former slave market, as well as a visit to The Circus will be part of your tour.
As you travel the west coast of St. Kitts, you will stop at Bloody Point, the site of conflict between the Caribs and the combined efforts of the French and English forces in 1626. Your guide will stop and tell you the history of the site and give you a moment for photos before continuing on to Wingfield Estate, a deserted sugar mill and the edge of the rain forest. Romney Manor Botanical Gardens and Caribelle Batik affords an interesting stop, where you can see batik fabrics in production.
As you continue on to Middle Island, you will see Sir Thomas Warner's tomb at the church of St. Thomas. It shares space with the tombs of other patriots memorialized here.
Next stop is the historic Brimstone Hill Fortress, where you will have time to tour and take in the view from this incredible point. If its clear, you can see 7 surrounding islands. Your visit to Brimstone Hill Fortress will confirm to you the important place that St. Kitts played in the Caribbean.
Continuing around the island, your next stop is Dieppe Bay, which is thought to be the first French Town. It has one of the only natural harbours on the island, and is protected by a barrier reef not far from a stunning black sand beach. This small fishing village was once a thriving port teeming with warehouses, which stored the sugar before it was shipped overseas during the colonial period.
One last stop before you complete your full circle tour around St. Kitts is the Black Rocks, a grouping of interesting rock formations left by lava flow and battered by the sea.
Now that you are full of knowledge and have your bearings, you can do a little personal exploring of the city of Basseterre with all its fine art galleries and shops or you can head back to the pier.
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This tour of St. Kitts reveals the rich soil that caused the Amerindian people to call this island Liamuiga, the Fertile Isle. The volcano that dominates the countryside now bears this same name in honour of the Pre-Columbian people who once lived here.
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Traveler Reviews
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| 9/26/2009 |
ST. KITTS...J Murney |
| The trip was great. we enjoyed it very much. |
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| 11/24/2008 |
ST. KITTS...S. Pugh - Travel Agent |
| The tour guides in St Kitts were absolutely fantastic. They were very professional, and made sure everything was covered. We were completely satisfied. |
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| 10/11/2006 |
ST. KITTS...S. Heck |
We had a wonderful private tour of St. Kitts. Our tour guide was fantastic.
She was a native of the island and provided a fascinating commentary during the entire tour. She let us spend as much (or as little) time at each stop as we wanted. At some of the larger stops like Brimstone, we ran into friends from the cruise ship. They were crammed into the busses like sardines. We had our own private tour "bus" - and for less cost that the cruise line tour!Thanks a million for the tour. Please keep our tour guide on your list - she was EXCELLENT! |
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| 2/27/2004 |
ST. KITTS...J. Heaney |
| We had a WONDERFUL time on the tour of St. Kitts (Basseterre to Brimstone)! We thought it sounded like a great tour, but it definitely exceeded our expectations. It was definitely the best excursion of our entire cruise! Our driver was professional, knowledgable, and friendly. He went out of his way to ensure that we had a great tour. We can't say enough good things about him! Once again, thanks for a great trip. We would gladly recommend your services to anyone! |
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| 2/13/2004 |
ST. KITTS...A. Price |
| This tour was just perfect - great timing, wonderful guide, beautiful weather. I can't think of any way you could improve on this already wonderful experience. My travel companion and I were delighted to find that we were the only ones our tour. Our guide was very courteous and friendly and I would definitely give him the highest praise. He told us many things about the island, the inhabitants and shared with us what life is like on the island. One of the highlights was stopping to eat some freshly cut sugar cane. Our guide allowed us all the time we wanted at each of our stops and stopped frequently for photos. I fell in love with St. Kitts, thanks largely to our excellent tour guide. I would definitely request him again. |
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