Historically, St. Kitts is noted as being the first successful British colony in the West Indies, having been settled in 1624. [For perspective, this is the same year that many of the Dutch were settling New Amsterdam (New York) in the U.S. area].
The next year (1625) it became the first colony of the French in the West Indies, when the island was split between the two world powers.
Both the English and the French used St. Kitts as a base to expand their explorations and conquests throughout the Caribbean.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation on Earth to ever host a World Cup event; it was one of the host venues of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
St. Kitts and Nevis are popular island destinations on the cruise circuit, and features many water oriented activities.
This lens is one of a series that the author is providing on over twenty cruise destinations in the Caribbean. Each lens will include general information on the destination, suggested shore excursions, and video and photographic illustrations where appropriate.
Map of St. Kitts And Nevis
A Few Suggested Shore Excursions
Remember that you can always see the rest on your NEXT cruise to St. Kitts. I am listing a few of the shore excursions listed by Carnival cruise lines below. The full list of fifteen plus excursions can be found HERE.
Brimstone Hill Fortress & Gardens: 3 hours. This memorable island tour includes Brimstone Hill National Park, Romney Manor Gardens & Caribelle Batik Studio and drive through Basseterre. Take a drive through the capital city of Basseterre following your visit to the gardens. View old churches, West Indian cottages, traditional French architecture and Victorian structures before returning to your ship. Continue with a visit to Romney Manor Gardens and Caribelle Batik Studios. Tour the stunning 12-acre garden setting where local artists produce the fabric and apparel for Caribelle Batik. Explore Brimstone Hill Fortress, a 300 year old fortress perched on a 40 acre hilltop 780 feet above sea level.
Historic Walking Tour: 2 hours. The Capital of St. Kitts is the charming West Indian Town of Basseterre, rich in history and architectural character and named in 1625 as the then French Capital on the island. Meet your guide who will lead you at a leisurely pace from the ship to the St. Christopher Heritage Society Offices and the National Museum. Stop for a brief visit and then continue your walk past Pretoria Gardens and Berkeley Memorial, a clock tower modeled after London's Picadilly Circus. Continue across Liverpool Row to St. Georges Anglican Church with its 17th century unique volcanic stonework. Visit Independence Square, formerly a slave market, now a park surrounded by distinctive traditional French architecture and Victorian structures. Bodering this landmark is the Catholic Co-Cathedral Church. Relax in the historic Independence Square (seats provided) and enjoy light refreshment, quizzes and fun as you savour the heart of Basseterre.
Plantation Tour-Off The Beaten Track: 3.5 hours. Travel off road into the heart of the island in your 4X4 Land Rover Safari to explore the rainforest and old sugar plantations. Board your vehicle at the pier and head inland traveling through fields of sugarcane and unpaved roads into the lush tropical rainforest. Stop along the way at several former sugar plantations and tour their estates and beautiful gardens. Be provided a naturalist/guide who will give you a glimpse into life on a plantation and the evolution of the sugar industry in St. Kitts. Enjoy fresh fruits, island juices, coconut rum and pastries that will be waiting for you following one of your garden walks. Return to Basseterre along the scenic coastal road as you travel back to your ship.
St. Kitts Scenic Rail Tour 3.5 hours. Board the St.Kitts scenic Railway for a memorable journey around this beautiful island. Travel along the Northeastern coastline where fields of sugarcane stretch from the shoreline up to the mountains. Roll across tall steel bridges and wind through small villages and farms. See the entire island from the comfort of double-deck railcars where all guests have a seat on both levels of the railcar. Enjoy the upper level's spacious open-air observation deck with panoramic views. Ride in air-conditioned comfort in the lower level as you gaze through the expansive vaulted windows. Feel the island ambiance with comfortable rattan furniture, complimentary specialty drinks and snacks, island music and a colorful narrative history of the Caribbean. Take a scenic drive along the Southern coast where you will enjoy excellent vistas of Brimstone fortress, Middle Island, and the neighboring island of Nevis.
Tour Video of St.Kitts
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Brief Review Of St. Kitts
Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Together with the island of Nevis, Saint Kitts constitutes one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The island is situated at , about 1,300 miles (2,100 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, in the United States. It has a land area of about 68 sq. miles (168 km²), being 18 by 5 miles (29 by 8 km).
Saint Kitts has a population of around 35,000, the majority of whom are mainly of African descent. The primary language is English, with a literacy rate of approximately 98%. Residents call themselves Kittitians. Author Neil Strauss gained citizenship with St. Kitts while writing his book Category: Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life - .
Saint Kitts is one of the historic centres of the Caribbean. The first successful British colony in the West Indies was founded on the island in 1624, and the island was subsequently used as a base to settle most of the neighbouring islands for Britain. It also became the site of the first successful French colony in the West Indies (with Britain and France splitting the island between them) in 1625, and was then used to settle other Caribbean territories for France.
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the largest fortress ever built in the Eastern Caribbean. The island is also home to the Warner Park Cricket Stadium, which was used to host 2007 Cricket World Cup matches. This made St. Kitts and Nevis the smallest nation on Earth to ever host a World Cup event.
The island is also an education centre, with the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine [http://www.rossvet.edu.kn], Windsor University School of Medicine, and Robert Ross International University of Health Sciences.
St. Kitts & Nevis Island Tour
St. Kitts & Nevis Island Tour
Visit the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis in this short video and see what these two beautiful islands have to offer!
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Check Out The Weather In St. Kitts/Nevis
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The Federation of St. Kitts And Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis),Both the names Saint Christopher and Saint Kitts are given in the Constitution of Saint Christopher and Nevis. located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, in both area and population.
The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is Basseterre on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows".
Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward Islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, which currently has an active volcano (see Soufrière Hills.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis were amongst the first islands in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean.
St Kitts Carnival Parade New Years Day 2008
St Kitts Carnival Parade New Years Day 2008
This is the New Year Carnival Parade on the beautiful island of St Kitts
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Further Helpful Sources For St.Kitts & Nevis Information
Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call (Frommer's Complete)
The ship is only half of the cruise experience--the other half is the time you spend ashore. Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call offers the most complete guide to all the ports, with a critical, insider's look at all the organized shore excursions offered by the cruise lines themselves, Since it usually makes more sense to explore on your own, we'll take you to all the best beaches, golf, water sports, shopping, dining, and casinos--the attractions and activities that can easily fit into your limited time, starting from the cruise docks. You may only have a few hours, but we'll make sure you know exactly how to hit the highlights on your own. You'll also get a complete rundown of all the major ports of embarkation and maps of each destination.
Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 07/06/2009) 
Caribbean Migrants: Environment and Human Survival on St. Kitts and Nevis
Amazon Price: $20.50 (as of 07/06/2009)
Adventure Guide to the Leeward Islands: Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, St. Kitts & Nevis, Antiqua & Barbuda (Serial)
From a reader's review:
I wish I had met this book before I went to St. Kitts & Nevis for the first time. It tells you everything about them and you can count on it. Very easy to find out what to do, where to go, stay and eat. Very organized and easy to read. Many pictures in this book.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Out of Crowded Vagueness: A History of the Islands of St. Kitts, Nevis And Anguilla
A studied, yet extremely readable history of St Kitts, an island which has changed hands several times over its turbulent history. This is the first full length history of the island, from first human settlement up to independence and beyond.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean (Vol. 2) Anguilla, St Maarten/Martin, St. Barts, Saba, Statia, St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua, Guadeloupe
Diver Magazine, October 1998, Brendan O'Brien
"The Complete Diving Guide - The Caribbean (Volume 1) is exactly what it professes to be. Intended to be the first in a series, it looks at the southern islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Each chapter starts with a short island introduction followed by a very specific description of the dive sites, operators and hotels.
The write-ups of the dive sites are full of interesting personal experiences. The rest of the chapter provides just the sort of information you need, such as which operators have english speaking dive guides and which recognise the depth limitations of BSAC rather than PADI.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
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Nice lens - thanks for joining the Everything Caribbean Group!
Posted September 26, 2008
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