St. Kitts: Beyond the beaches – A Journey into the Soul of the Caribbean

St. Kitts also known as the ‘Cradle of the Caribbean’ is a destination that goes against type casting platitude of island vacations.

When it comes to nature, wonderful countryside, ancient history and rich culture, the curtain behind Australia’s beaches may seem much more interesting.

This is a Caribbean island for the que savvy, which swaps lounge languor for volcanic cloud forest treks, and fruity cocktails for a ‘Ting With a Sting, at a rum shop built into the beach wall.

A Historical Crossroads

St. Kitts was the pioneer British colony in the Caribbean thus earning the title of the ‘Mother Colony’. It incorporates an interesting piece of its history in almost every part of the island.

Brimstone Hill Fortress, now on the UNESCO World Heritage list, however, is not merely an icon of colonialism at its best but of the desire of a nation and its creative genius of the African people who developed it through the institution of enslavement.

Sitting on top of it, one can look down at the sea blue shade to the other islands, which is such a symbolic statement of the island of St. Kitts as the door to Caribbean.

Basseterre is an eloquent capital of the island that is actually filled with rich history. Visit the Independence Square historically known for slave sales this is now a complex denoting liberation and beauty of greenery.

Neighbouring it, The Circus has a unique architectural feature, an emerald clock tower copied from the Piccadilly Circus in London, which brings a colonial touch to the island.

Wild Interiors and Hidden Adventures

While many travelers never venture more than a few hundred feet away from the shoreline, St. Kitts’ vital pulse can be found in its rough core.

Overseeing the centre of the island is the inactive Mount Liamuiga volcano and, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the unaltered rainforest might as well be from another dimension when compared to the luxurious hotels.

Explorations here are done on foot and guided towards the Indigenous’ petroglyphs on stone, waterfalls, and the floor of the crater.

For the adventurers who want history as part of it, there is Greg’s SAFARI for the off-road tours that reveal abandoned sugar mill and wildlife infested canyons.

A Tale of Two Coasts

The two coasts of the island are quite different from each other. The side facing the Atlantic is a barren, rocky coast ideal for the lonely with cliffs that plunge directly into the sea.

On the Caribbean side there are pleasant and calm coves ideal for swimming, snorkeling, catamaran sailing and sunbathing.

St. Kitts Scenic Railway utilising the existing train that operated on the cane tracks is a good way of viewing both, the fields, and the rocky coast formations.

Food and Culture: Where Local Meets Luxe

St. Kitts’ embraces its ethnic Diversity through food. From the Sprat Net Bar & Grill, which can be described as a fairly barren shack that serves some of the freshest seafood accompanied by local tunes, to the snowy white Fisherman’s Village, a part of Park Hyatt property, the island has got its tastes right.

Part of the Orchid Bay Beach House group, this location offers tastings of Italian dishes while literally and figuratively eating dinner off the side of a cliff while gazing out at the phenomenal views of the tropical sunsets.

Staying with the flow, the nightlife is brightest at The Strip at Frigate Bay, where locals mix with tourists enjoying rum with their reggae tunes.

However, the island nurtures the creation of moments that require seeing something beautiful, such as the sun setting over Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort, nestled close to Mount Liamuiga.

The Spirit of St. Kitts

Stand out of all is St. Kitts’ ability to offer the best of adventure, history and at the same time be genuine.

Whether you’re surrounded by the rhythm of drums of Sugar Mas Carnival or strolling through an intimate rainforest trail on the island, the Caribbean is in its most primitive here. It is a place that would be remembered for a lifetime.