St Kitts and Nevis

Activities

Scenic Railway – St Kitts

Sugar Train, St Kitts

Ride the Sugar Train

If you could do just one thing in St. Kitts, it should be to board the Scenic Railway – the last one in the West Indies. Built for the sugar trade in the early 20th century, today the train takes sightseers on an 18-mile journey. The double-decker carriages have open-sided top decks, so you can enjoy the breeze with your complimentary rum punch and the sounds of the train’s own choir.

Mount Liamuiga

The island is dominated by three volcanic peaks, the highest being the 3,792ft (1,156m) Mount Liamuiga. It is shrouded with rainforest and on the way up you may see vervet monkeys and wild orchids. Only the fittest reach the very top, where there is an impressive deep crater, but you can go part of the way or try a gentler nature trail on the slopes.

Mount Liamuiga, St Kitts

Jet Skiing in St Kitts

Watersports in St Kitts

Surrounded by warm blue seas, the island is great for all manner of water sports. Kiteboarding has become a key pursuit for thrill-seekers – there’s tuition if needed – and there are several places to hire windsurfers, sailing dinghies and the exhilarating Hobie Cats. For a less intense experience, glide across the sea in a kayak, which is also a good way to spot wildlife.

Music Festival in St Kitts

Music in St Kitts

Festivals play a big part in local life and the end of the year is celebrated in grand style. Sugar Mas takes place across the festive period and features live calypso music, fabulous costume parades and energetic parties. In June, there’s the renowned St. Kitts Music Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016, with reggae, R&B and more, while in October there is the Latin Festival.

Brimstone Hill

Almost every visitor to St. Kitts makes their way up to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. Crowning the hill at this Unesco World Heritage Site is a citadel that dates back to the late 17th century. After touring it and learning about its history, it is well nigh compulsory to take a selfie beside one of the old cannons on the ramparts with a wonderful Caribbean vista in the background.

Brimstone Hill Fortress, St Kitts

Nevis across the Narrows, St Kitts

Nip off to Nevis

Sister island Nevis lies just 2½ miles across the channel known as The Narrows – so close that every March there’s a swimming race between the islands that attracts competitors from around the world. Of course, you can just take the ferry. Nevis has its own volcano and waterfalls, hot springs, picturesque houses and more monkeys than people.