St Kitts & Nevis
These twin, but not identical, islands in the Eastern Caribbean have it all,
making them the ideal destinations for a two-centre holiday.
Look first at what the islands have in common. They’re green and lush, with rainforests and tropical flower gardens. They have unspoiled and uncrowded beaches for safe swimming and
they’re great vacation spots for divers and snorkellers.
Their two historic capital towns, colonial settlements built by the British, are among the prettiest and best-conserved in the Leeward Islands group. The islands have plantation houses and 18th-century forts. Both have an enormous respect for their common Caribbean heritage and put a special emphasis on offering the highest standards of hospitality and service.
But although they form one country, the islands have different characters.
Whatever your choice you’ll find the warmest of welcomes in two islands that have conserved
all of the Caribbean’s classic charms.
making them the ideal destinations for a two-centre holiday.
Look first at what the islands have in common. They’re green and lush, with rainforests and tropical flower gardens. They have unspoiled and uncrowded beaches for safe swimming and
they’re great vacation spots for divers and snorkellers.
Their two historic capital towns, colonial settlements built by the British, are among the prettiest and best-conserved in the Leeward Islands group. The islands have plantation houses and 18th-century forts. Both have an enormous respect for their common Caribbean heritage and put a special emphasis on offering the highest standards of hospitality and service.
But although they form one country, the islands have different characters.
Whatever your choice you’ll find the warmest of welcomes in two islands that have conserved
all of the Caribbean’s classic charms.
Capital: Basseterre.
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar, US$1=EC2.68 US Dollars widely accepted
Population: 43,000.
Area: St. Kitts covers 68 square miles (176 square kilometres)
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar, US$1=EC2.68 US Dollars widely accepted
Population: 43,000.
Area: St. Kitts covers 68 square miles (176 square kilometres)
Nevis 36 square miles (93 square kilometres)
Languages: English.
Economy: Sugar, tourism,
Languages: English.
Economy: Sugar, tourism,
Religions: Anglican and other Protestant churches.
Government: Independent state within the British Commonwealth.
Telephone Codes: - 1 – 869
Passport/Visa Requirements: Australian passport holders do not need a visa.
Health Certificates: None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.
Shopping Hours: Shops open on weekdays, 8.30am-noon, and 1pm-4pm.
Shopping Hours: Shops open on weekdays, 8.30am-noon, and 1pm-4pm.
Banking Hours: Monday to Thursday ,Banks are open 8am-3pm, Fridays; 8am-5pm.
On Saturdays 8.30am - 11am.
Time Zone: 14 hours behind Sydney (EST).No Daylight Saving Time is observed.
Electricity: 220 volts.
Weather: Temperatures generally range from the mid-seventies in the winter to the mid-eighties in the summer. Annual rainfall averages only 45 inches. The northeast trade winds are nearly constant, flagging only in September. Low humidity year-round.
History: Christopher Columbus was so enamored by St. Kitts that he anmed it after his patron saint. (The British later shortened St. Christopher to St. Kitts.) In 1967, St. Kitts, along with nearby Nevis (just two miles away), was made an AssociatedState of Britain. In 1983, the two-island nation was granted independence. Since its discovery by American tourists, it has become a lightly visited but very trendy destination; the Four Seasons resort on Nevis is usually ranked among the region's finest. Celebrities make up a chunk of the frequent visitors.
St. Kitts and Nevis has always been reslient despite hurricanes, fires and earthquakes. Some greathouses and windmills are now antique-filled inns. Churches are restored to their stately splendor.
The capitol of Basseterre is situated on the south shore of St. Kitts. Begin your tour of the city at the Victorian-style Berkeley Memorial Clock in the town square, called The Circus. A few blocks north, St. George's Anglican church is a fine example of the island's spring-back attitude. Destroyed four times, it was rebuilt four times.
West of Basseterre, Old Road Town, the site of the first English settlement, was the capital of St. Kitts until 1727.
DieppeBay on the northwest coast has charcoal-colored sand and a pier that can get busy. Watch the colorful sloops pull in with the day's catch. At Black Rocks frozen lava formations have been whittled by the waves.
Back at Basseterre, a sugar factory and brewery offer tours, but call ahead to confirm. Journey onto St. Kitts' peninsula, where the ambience is definitely deserted. Mongoose, monkeys and white-tailed deer frolic freely.
Across the channel, Nevis was the birthplace of statesman Alexander Hamilton and the wedding site for Lord Horatio Nelson and Fanny Nesbit.
Outside of Charlestown, you can find the ruins of the Caribbean's first resort: the Bath Hotel and Bath Springs. It opened for business in the late 1700s.
A number of fine beaches grace the shores of 36-square-mile Nevis, but Pinney's and Newcastle seem to be the all-around favorites.
Diving is becoming a favored sport; with more than 400 wrecks recorded from the 15th to the 19th century in the waters surrounding St. Kitts and Nevis, take a dive and see what you can uncover. Other activities include surfing, snorkeling, hiking, tennis and golf. Of course, afternoon tea is a must, as is watching cricket matches. It's all part of the traditional charm of this emerging hot spot.
The capitol of Basseterre is situated on the south shore of St. Kitts. Begin your tour of the city at the Victorian-style Berkeley Memorial Clock in the town square, called The Circus. A few blocks north, St. George's Anglican church is a fine example of the island's spring-back attitude. Destroyed four times, it was rebuilt four times.
West of Basseterre, Old Road Town, the site of the first English settlement, was the capital of St. Kitts until 1727.
DieppeBay on the northwest coast has charcoal-colored sand and a pier that can get busy. Watch the colorful sloops pull in with the day's catch. At Black Rocks frozen lava formations have been whittled by the waves.
Back at Basseterre, a sugar factory and brewery offer tours, but call ahead to confirm. Journey onto St. Kitts' peninsula, where the ambience is definitely deserted. Mongoose, monkeys and white-tailed deer frolic freely.
Across the channel, Nevis was the birthplace of statesman Alexander Hamilton and the wedding site for Lord Horatio Nelson and Fanny Nesbit.
Outside of Charlestown, you can find the ruins of the Caribbean's first resort: the Bath Hotel and Bath Springs. It opened for business in the late 1700s.
A number of fine beaches grace the shores of 36-square-mile Nevis, but Pinney's and Newcastle seem to be the all-around favorites.
Diving is becoming a favored sport; with more than 400 wrecks recorded from the 15th to the 19th century in the waters surrounding St. Kitts and Nevis, take a dive and see what you can uncover. Other activities include surfing, snorkeling, hiking, tennis and golf. Of course, afternoon tea is a must, as is watching cricket matches. It's all part of the traditional charm of this emerging hot spot.
The second largest fort in the Caribbean can be found on the little island of St. Kitts. The British settlers who designed and built the fort wanted to protect the 68 square miles that badly. And for good reason.
This whale-shaped island has fertile valleys and virgin mountains running down its back. The tail is blessed with opalescent beaches that look pink one day and gold the next. A dormant volcano, responsible for a dozen or so black-sand beaches, rises nearly 3,800 feet right where you'd expect a whale's blowhole to be.
This whale-shaped island has fertile valleys and virgin mountains running down its back. The tail is blessed with opalescent beaches that look pink one day and gold the next. A dormant volcano, responsible for a dozen or so black-sand beaches, rises nearly 3,800 feet right where you'd expect a whale's blowhole to be.
