Activities

Nevis

Going to Nevis for a day-trip is a must. You can take a passenger ferry here from Port Zante in town. You can take a car ferry from the southern tip of the island. Or you can schedule a catamaran or boat trip there.

The only thing you must do in Nevis is go to Sunshine’s on the beach, next to the Four Seasons. And order the Killer Bees. According to that 1000 Things To Do book, drinking this potent rum cocktail is an essential lifetime experience. All I know is that after drinking two, I dove into the ocean where it was a little too shallow and almost got a concussion. Also, the food here – especially the chicken wings – is great as far as casual beach barbecue goes. (The shrimp curry at Chevy’s next door is pretty impressive too.)

Definitely walk along the beach, check out the Four Seasons, drive around the island, check out Charlestown (the quaint capital city here), and visit Alexander Hamilton’s house. If you’re feeling fancy, have dinner at Nesbit Plantation. Or, even better, go to Miss June’s, which is basically in the chef’s home.

Shipwreck

Drive over the hill, then take a right at the sign that says Shipwreck. There’s a little bar and grill here that’s popular with expatriates, a small beach, and a little book exchange. The food is good for beach food, and on the hill just above there’s a little habitat for monkeys and mongooses. It’s a decent place to snorkel, especially near the rocks on the right or the reef out to the left (beware of sea urchins there). The bar rents snorkeling equipment if you didn’t bring any. And also on the beach most days is Purple Turtle Tours (869-661-0477), where if you’re too lazy to snorkel, you can rent these strange glass-bottomed slow-moving jet-skis.

Caribbean Side Beach

Just a short walk or drive from the St. Christopher Club. It’s the most popular beach on the island, lined with small wooden bars and grills. Jet-ski, kayak, and other rentals are available here. There’s decent snorkeling around the dock, and to the left of the dock. Also, the beach bar nestled in the far left-hand side of the beach has the best rum punch on the island, and serves good beach fare. The covered restaurant nearby, in front of Timothy Beach hotel, is also a decent place for lunch. And the Monkey Bar also serves a decent lunch.

Atlantic Side Beach

Just step outside, walk to the water nearby, and you’ll have a long stretch of beach all to yourself. The waves and the current can be strong (especially compared to the glassy Caribbean), but I swim in them every time and haven’t drowned yet.

Sandy Bank Beach

As you explore the south side of the island, you’ll find many gorgeous deserted beaches. However, there’s a secret spot in particular that’s known by locals as the most beautiful and isolated in the Caribbean, with shallow warm water to wade in and not a soul in sight. It’s called Sandy Bank. And it’s about a quarter-mile before the turn-off to Beach House, on the left-hand side of the road. There’s no obvious marker or sign on the road, but it’s the second left after a white house on the left and just as you start to see the salt pond on the right. You’ll see a small parking lot to turn into, with a low stone wall and a sign saying the area is a turtle nesting ground.

Cockleshell Beach: Reggae Bar and Spice Mill

For a more populated beach experience, Cockleshell Beach (on the same side road leading to Beach House) is the best there is. You have your choice of two places. More downscale is the longtime local favorite the Reggae Bar, where you can swim out to a little wooden raft, eat a good meal, and, most importantly, play with the tame monkey, a goat (on whose back the monkey loves to ride), and one-ton blind boar named Wilbur. Definitely a unique experience. For a slightly more upscale beach day, try the newer Spice Mill, where you can lounge on a cozy daybed, eat an amazing burger, drink a first-rate cold blended cocktail, and get a great view of Nevis across the ocean.

Seatrek

This is one of the newest attractions on the island. And it’s a must if you’ve never scuba-dived before. You basically put on a big helmet, then sink to the bottom of the ocean floor and look at the fishies. There are tons of them – everywhere, largely because they’re used to getting fed there by the Seatrek people. Snapper, trumpetfish, rays, wrasse, and those triangular bumblebee-colored ones. No scuba diving experience necessary. In fact, you can even do this if you can’t swim. It’s that easy, fine for anyone from age 8 to 80, and the guides are incredibly nice. For more info, seatrek.saintkitts@hotmail.com or call 1-869-662-3105 or 3104.

Island Road Trip, Brimstone Fortress, and Romney Manor

Definitely take a drive around the North side of the island, where all the little villages are. It’s only about an hour and a half in total, and there’s lots to see. The stops on the island circle I usually make are:

  • Black Rock Beach – your first stop, midway up the island. Marked by just a small sign on your right. Turn off the road to your left and follow it to a cliff, where there’s a little wooden bar and an amazing vista of volcanic black rocks jutting viciously out of the ocean. Great for photos.
  • The Golden Lemon – Decades ago, this was the luxury hotel on the island. Now it’s fallen into slight obscurity. Again, look for a small sign on the road, and turn left down a narrow road. Park at the end of the road, then walk to your right across the hotel grounds and the cannons, and go down the beach. There’s a little sandbar jutting into the water here that’s great for photos, and just past that a bunch of fishing boats hauling up the day’s catch.
  • Kate’s Art Gallery and Rawlins Plantation – Sort of an anomaly, but Kate Spencer’s little art gallery is just to your right as you reach the top of the island. You’ll see a sign that reads “fine arts” pointing to a dirt road on the left. Drive up the precarious road, then park and enter. Afterward (or if it happens to be closed), walk to the backside of the gallery and head straight onto the adjacent property. This is Rawlins Plantation, and a good place to stop for a drink, a lunch buffet, a walk through abandoned plantation equipment, or some croquet on the lawn.
  • Brimstone Hill Fortress – After driving another fifteen minutes, you’ll come to the main tourist attraction on the island. Definitely drive up to the fortress, park at the canteen, and wander around for countless truly spectacular views. The exhibits here are a combination of great island history and just plain weird (like the scorpions in formaldehyde.)  The canteen serves amazing freshly made fruit juices (try the local sour sop), and – though few people ever think to try it – perhaps the best rum punch on the island.
  • Romney Manor and the Caribelle Batik is a turn-off just outside of Old Road. All that remains of the original home here are crumbling stone foundations, so the real attractions here is the Caribelle Batik. At the Batik, you’ll learn about and see the centuries-old wax dying technique done traditionally, and probably end up buying something. That said, what I like about the place is the grounds, which are kept up far more beautifully and comfortably than the plantation. In addition to the scenic views and wide variety of amazing tropical plants, you can pluck a ripe mango from a tree and just dig in. It’s also a good place to sit on a bench, and eat lunch or read.
  • Rainforest walk. On the same road to Romney Manor, if you follow the sign to Sky Safari, you’ll reach the zip line tour (see below). But as fun as the zip line tour is just following the path here through the rainforest that runs along the stream, full of little mini-waterfalls and refreshingly cool water filled with itty bitty fishes.
  • On the drive back, you’ll also pass Bloody Point. There’s a big sign telling the history of the point (where the British and French basically massacred the entire Caribbean population of the island), but it’s hard to spot since it’s facing the oncoming traffic.

Snorkeling in Shitten Bay, Aka Cocktail Bay

This is one of the best places to snorkel right off the coast of the island. Inquire at the Marriott about any boat trips here. Bruce (1-869-664-1978) can also get you fixed up with a boat there. This is also the same spot where the Seatrek people bring you to dive.

Scenic Railroad

These tracks winding through most of the island have been around since the sugar plantations, though nowadays they are a tourist attraction. On Saturdays only, you can take a three-hour tour along the thirty miles of track. It’s a steep $100 per person, and reservations can be made at (869) 465-7263.

Scuba Diving

I haven’t done it here, but the place to inquire is Kenneth’s Dive Center, 869-465-2670. As an alternate, there’s Dive St. Kitts at 1-869-465-1189.

Deep-Sea Fishing

I’ve never done this yet, but always wanted to. If you want to go out with a real fisherman (rather than a tour), Bruce is your man again, 1-869-664-1978.

Horseback Riding

Haven’t done this either, but it’s at Trinity Inn Stables. Tel: (869) 465 3226 / 9603. Cell: (869) 762-3098. Email: trinity@caribsurf.com

Hiking

There are a few cool hikes on the island: particularly the rainforest hike to the cave and waterfall, and the hike to the volcanic crater. Kriss Tours is operating less frequently than it used to, but Vandell who runs it is one of my favorite people on the island.

Rainforest Zip-Line Tour

The newest tourist attraction on the island is a series of zip lines that shoot you through the canopy of the rainforest. It’s fine for all ages, and easy and safe. Contact Sky Safaris at 869-466-4259 or 465-4347. You can find it on the same turnoff for Romney Manor. 

Port Zante

Personally, this place is everything I go to St. Kitts to avoid. But maybe it’s worth seeing. It’s the port where the cruise ships dock, and is full of souvenir stores, jewelry shops, cafes, and bars. It’s supposedly pretty at night though.

Tennis and Swimming

There’s a brand new court on the property of the St. Christopher Club, just outside the house. Feel free to use my rackets. There are also two swimming pools there to use.

Golf

The course at the Marriott is supposedly world-class. Buy your tee-time in the Marriott hotel, which is just a short walk or drive to your right when you exit St. Christopher Club.

Surfing

Yes, there is surfing on the Caribbean. The place to go is Sandy Point. Check the conditions first, because it’s a bit of a hike. Drive to the edge of the golf course at the St. Christopher Club, then walk across the golf course to the ocean. When you hit the beach, take a right. Once you round the point, if you’ve gone on the right day, you’ll see fast, rough head-high waves.