St.Kitts has really upped their game since we were last here, over 30 yrs ago. As expected there had been a lot of development, but overall, the island planners seemed have done a great job of retaining the beauty and friendliness that we remembered. Compared to some other smaller islands, the roads were in great shape, and it was easy to navigate around the island in a rental car. Even with all the cruise ships docked, the roads and attractions were not overly crowded. However, we did take a tip to travel counterclockwise around the island so that when we arrived at the major sites the cruise ship folks had mostly come and gone. In addition, we did not drive around Basseterre when the cruise ships were unloading.
For this part of our journey, we were buddy boating with SV Andira and crew, Ad and Sue. We both set sail from Antigua on January 24 in 3–5-foot seas with 10-15 knots of winds from the stern. So, it was a wing-on-wing slow slough, but the day was beautiful, and we did get a glimpse of a whale which Ad and Sue saw up close and personal.
We arrived outside Christophe Harbour around 1630 and anchored in 15 feet of water with a sandy bottom. We were to relish how well we were dug in as the wind blew almost incessantly for several days, sometimes gusting to 38 knots. While the wind was fierce as it flew across the salt flats by the marina, the water was relatively calm which helped when getting in and out of the dinghy.
We were very surprised the next day when we went into the marina to check into customs, that all the storefronts were closed. The marina office indicated that they closed during COVID and had not reopened. This was interesting considering how many super yachts were berth in the marina. At $3.75 US a foot, we certainly wouldn’t be coming into the marina anytime soon!
Things went smoothly with customs and immigration after the marina office receptionist assisted in completing an additional form that was not online. In fact, it turned out that the immigration officer’s son had a rental car business. So with her assistance, we rented a car for two days. The cost was reasonable at $65 a day with no other fees except for a $25 local driver’s license that we had to purchase at the police station. TJ made the process simple and efficient and he even helped us get a car when we went to Nevis. Be sure to give him a call at What’s App 1-869-667-3446 if you find yourself in need of a car.
Island Driving Tour Day 1
By Tuesday the wind had laid and TJ’s dad met us at 0830 and drove us to the police station to buy the license. Then Ad, Sue, Ben and I set out to explore this lovely paradise.
Black Rocks
Our first stop was on the NE side of the island at Black Rocks. The area was definitely a tourist destination, but it was tastefully set up with vendors on one side and a designated parking area. The lawn was manicured and there was an observation deck to observe the waves crashing on the rocks.
Dieppe Bay: Brews Lookout and Arthur’s Bar and Grill
As we negotiated the north side of the island, we arrived at Brews Lookout which was an overlook of the north coast with Eustatius and Saba in the distance.
As we looked down the coast towards an elongated peninsula, it reminded us of place we had visited 30 years ago. Thus, we backtracked a bit and ended up at Authur’s Bar and Grill. It wasn’t opened yet, but the security guard was very helpful in identifying the now closed Golden Lemon that we had visited before. The view from the reef bank was spectacular of the sea and beach backdropped by the rainforest mountains.
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
Again, the city planners had put thought into the logistics of this very popular tourist destination. The road up to the fort was extremely narrow. So to keep traffic moving, including large tourist vans, workers were stationed along the way to assist vehicles in getting around the switchbacks without causing a major traffic jam. At the top of the hill, there was plenty of parking and someone was even grilling chicken for the tourists.
This is one of the best-preserved forts in the Caribbean, as it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort, high up on a hill, was manned with cannons positioned 360 degrees at the land below. The site provided the fort’s history and information about the life of men stationed there as well as others who worked to provide for the soldiers. It was a big community. For more information see the link above.
Railway Bar and Grill
We had a very interesting lunch at the Railway Bar and Grill. One of the cruise line excursions was to travel on an old sugar cane train partway around the island and then a bus back to the starting point. We had considered this excursion for ourselves until we discovered it was over $100 a person!
However, as we tried to find a lunch spot the Railway Bar and Grill seemed to be close to the next stops on or journey. So we stopped in. As we sat looking at the menu, the restaurant became crowded with folks from the train (at least we supposed that was what they had come from). We thought, “Oh no, we will never get our lunch now in a timely manner!” However, they were given rum punch, water and cake and within 20 minutes, or less, they were on their way. We ended up being the only eating customers. The food was basic and nothing to write home about, but it filled our empty stomachs and allowed us to get back exploring.
Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik with Gardens
Batik productions has grown considerably on St. Kitts since we were here thirty years ago. It is an ancient Indonesian process of decorating fabric. It is a lengthy process, but the end results are amazing. After a demonstration of how the batik fabric is decorated, we shopped a bit and then walked through the lovely gardens of the Romney Manor Estate.
After a very full day of sightseeing, we stopped by the grocery for a few provisions and headed back south to our respective yachts.
Driving Tour Day 2
We spent our second day in the rental car, exploring the southern part of the island and looking for a snorkel bay.
Our first stop was at Majors Bay which looked like it had once been a ferry dock. The nice concrete dock though had been abandoned. We were told this was a good bay to hide out in if the wind and swell was coming from the north.
The next road we took ended at Cockleshell Beach. This road was more like the roads we remembered from our prior visit. It was a dirt rutted track, but worth the effort to arrive at the gorgeous white sand beach. There was a hotel at one end and a ferry to Nevis at the other end. Beside the ferry dock was the Reggie Bar which we learned had taken the Turtle Bar’s place.
We found another road leading to where we thought the Turtle Bar used to be, but low and behold, we found the Turtle Bay subdivision instead with a concrete road that went to the top of the mountain. We drove, up and up and up the road past all the houses. It became a road to nowhere! Nevertheless, the views were stunning! Ben navigated the turnaround on the steep road with Ad’s help, whew! We made it back down safely.
Next, we made several attempts at locating a way to snorkel at Half Moon Bay. However, after coming at it from two directions, we concluded that the Koi Resort had totally cut off any pathway to the beach. We were disappointed as the beach looked beautiful.
All this driving around had made us hungry. So we stopped at Shipwreck Beach Bar near Frigate Bay. It was a typical beach bar, but the food turned out to be better than expected.
Since we had not been able to locate a good snorkeling beach, we decided to return to Cockleshell Beach to swim and relax.
On the way to the beach, we stopped at Timothy Hill Lookout. It was definitely a tourist “trap” with vendors and even monkeys, which much to my chagrin climb on my shoulders with the help of their owners. I played along but was glad when they took them away.
Once at the beach, we rented some chairs and enjoyed swimming in the clear blue water. We watch the small ferries zoom across the 2 miles of the Narrows over to Nevis and return. It was fascinating watching them jockey for position at the dock and then zip away.
As we returned to Christophe Marina to return the car, we stopped to take a few pictures of our little slice of heaven where Daggers Down and Andira were anchored.
We really enjoyed our two day driving tour!
Snorkeling at last!
One of our cruiser friends told us that we were anchored right next to a good snorkeling bay, Whitehouse Bay. So Ad, Ben and I took the dinghy over to give it a try. The shoreline of the bay was full of large boulders and even a shipwreck. It was home to schools of fish and a large spotted eagle ray! We had a fun time swimming and enjoying the cool water.
We returned to the boat to relaxed and reflect on how St. Kitts had developed and modernized over the years in such a tasteful way. While the economy level had been raised by the influx of tourists the island had used the funds wisely to invest in its infrastructure to ensure that it had kept its charm. St. Kitts was no longer poor and underdeveloped, it is Swanky. This was further seen in the real estate costs. Dang Ben and I should have bought property 30 yrs ago!
In the next few days we will hop over to St. Kitts’ sister island, Nevis to explore. So more to come!
Be sure to complete the form below if you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, because this season is nowhere near over!
