5 Things to do in St. Kitts

BEST ST. KITTS ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES

Small, but infinitely beautiful, St. Kitts is a Caribbean destination worth ranking on your beach bucket list. One half of the island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis, it promises wild adventures around unreal tropical landscapes warmed by a Caribbean climate and the hospitality of its people. Here’s what to see and do in St. Kitts!

Tuck in

If there’s something Kittitians love, it’s good livin’… and good eatin’. On St. Kitts, fiery island flavours blend with European culinary traditions. On the menu: authentic Caribbean classics like goat water (goat stew), rotis, johnnycakes and Jamaican-style jerk dishes, but also anything fresh from the sea, like lobster and conch. Don’t leave without tasting the national dish: stewed saltfish with coconut dumplings and spicy plantains.

Many restaurants around St. Kitts enjoy prime seaside settings, which is where you want to be to also sample locally distilled rums, like Brinley Gold Shipwreck or Belmont Estate. Stand-out dining out options include upscale Serendipity and farm-to-table favourite The Kitchen.

Go wild

An off-the-beaten-path Caribbean destination like St. Kitts bursts with beautiful, untamed nature to discover. Adventurers will want to lace up their hiking boots and take on the summit of Mount Liamuiga, a rainforest-covered dormant volcano. If you prefer flying over the jungle rather than trekking through it, ziplining above the treetops is always an option, as is cutting through verdant, tropical lands aboard the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. Either way, keep an eye out for soursop and banana trees and the island’s beloved vervet monkeys. St. Kitts is also a paradise for birdwatchers with species like the Antillean crested hummingbird and the magnificent frigatebird flying around.
 

Learn the history

Like many Caribbean islands, St. Kitts has a complicated history, especially considering its location in the West Indies, west of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola Island. It was a strategic spot often prized by European explorers and settlers. Learn all about it at historically significant sites like the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built for the British military centuries ago. Since sugar was a prized resource on the island, there are many former sugar plantations to discover, including the Wingfield Estate, with the adjacent Romney Manor worth a visit too. Other historical sites to take in? The Indigenous Carib petroglyphs along Wingfield Road and Stone Fort River, the Old Treasury Building, and Independence Square.
 

Go limin’

Locals love a laid-back lifestyle so much, they even have their own word for it: limin’. It means kicking back and relaxing, leaving your routine behind to fully soak in your moment in paradise. Get limin’ around Frigate Bay’s The Strip, a locally beloved area lined with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. A favourite here is Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack, where you might find live music and a DJ, or a bonfire and a fire-eating show (or all of the above). But hey, you’re limin’, just go with it. Here are a few more local expressions you might hear while on the island: “Me Aarmm” (Really?!), “Wuk up!” (a dance to soca music) and, our personal favourite, “Donkey ears” (A long time).
 

Be beachside

Save the best for last, they say. St. Kitts truly shines by the sea, from lively beaches ideal for water sports and family fun to secluded, romantic spots you won’t want to share. Take in views of neighbouring Nevis from Cockleshell Bay, home to the legendary Reggae Beach Bar, or sink your toes in volcanic black sand along Dieppe Bay Beach. Party people will want to check out South Frigate Bay, while serenity seekers might prefer the tranquil shores of Banana Bay or Sandy Bank Bay. Looking for snorkelling around colourful marine life? White House Bay is your go-to.
 

What’s Next

Start planning your vacation by looking into our selection of vacation packages in St. Kitts! Plus, find more info on the island and its sister island, Nevis.