“Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the dual-island nation a picturesque sight of beautiful beaches, cloudy mountains, and old sugar plantation estates.
Home to the green vervet monkey, the dormant Mount Liamuiga volcano dominates the larger island of St Kitts and offers stunning hiking trails through its lush rainforest and crater lake.”
Two siblings both anchored by volcanos, St. Kitts and Nevis are a mountainous pair with the famous vervet monkeys which roam the less populated areas of the island; it’s thought the monkeys arrived in the 18th century, either with the British or the French. Aside from the geographical similarities, both islands have a rich history of sugar plantations and accommodation boasting a similar personality and character… but besides that, this pair clings to their own unique identities.
Nevis is the smaller of the two, has five plantation inns which are open for guests; while only one of them is located on the shore, the others are located around Nevis Peak which is arguably more exciting. The island has had a big focus on tourism since the 1960s, when it gave up its sugar cultivation and in 1991 the accommodation landscape was altered with the opening of a Four Seasons Resort; although more of the demand for tourists is now met, there is a distinct shortage of places to stay on a budget.
The famous Four Seasons Resort is located on Pinney's Beach which along with Oualie Beach are the main places to enjoy a whole variety of watersports. The island also offers mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, diving and snorkelling trips for the active traveller, while the local botanical garden contains one of the largest collections of palms in the region to explore. The Four Seasons golf course and tennis facilities are among the Caribbean's finest, however if you just want to relax, there are various beach bars to choose from like this stunning setting at Nisbet Beach Club Resort!
The island also boasts important historic sights: Nevis is the birthplace of American statesman Alexander Hamilton, and you can now explore his former home which has been opened as a museum. The British naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson met and married Nevisian Fanny Brice here in 1787 in Fig Tree Church where their marriage license was recorded.
St Kitts offers plenty to do and luxury places to stay, as well as being truly beautiful; quarter of the island is a National Park, with an expanding rainforest, surrounded by new and untouched dive sites, marked by massive beds of coral, teeming with fish of every stripe and colour.
On this island, you'll be surrounded by wildlife, from chattering vervet monkeys and scurrying families of mongoose, to the more familiar roaming cows, goats, and black-bellied sheep.
On St Kitts Island you can drive or hike through the Valley of Giants, zip line over the rainforest or climb up to sit yourself in the cradle of Sofa Rock which was once the very cap of a now dormant volcano that you can climb to the very edge of, then be guided right down to its steaming crater floor around 1000 feet below.
St Kitts dominated in 18th century battles and now, honours its past with careful restoration which makes parts of this island a living museum of historical exploration; the UN has designated The Brimstone Hill Fortress & National Park a World Heritage Site.
While on your St Kitts holiday, do as much as you can; there are so many new experiences and discoveries to make.
