The twin-island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis is located in the northern section of the Eastern Caribbean, approximately 1,300 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.
The name St. Kitts is a shortened form of its official name, St. Christopher, given to it by Christopher Columbus when he first landed there in 1493. There is some controversy about whether it was named for himself or St. Christopher. In any event, it is commonly referred to as St. Kitts and the inhabitants call themselves Kittitians.
Nevis is named after the Spanish word for snow–not because there is any!–but because of a white cloud surrounding the island’s single peak.
St. Kitts became Britain’s first colony in the West Indies with the founding of a settlement in 1623. In 1983, the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis gained independence as a two-island nation within the British Commonwealth. Today, St. Kitts & Nevis is developing a distinct style and culture, although, not surprisingly, British influence is still strongly evidenced in many traditions.
The islands’ history is long and bloody. The French and English settled here early in the 1600s and subsequently fought with, and then annihilated, the local Carib people. For the following 200 years the islands and their vastly valuable sugar trade were an important pawn in the European struggle for supremacy of the seas and the new world. England ultimately won out over France (and then Spain). These islands played important parts in new world events during that period: at the height of their power, Nevis was considered “the richest jewel” of the Caribbean and St. Kitts was known as the Mother Colony and “cradle” of the Caribbean. Today’s population of 45,000 is mostly descended from African slaves brought to the islands to work sugar and tobacco crops and indentured servants and small farmers who stayed on after the world drop in sugar prices in the mid-1800s made plantation farming less than lucrative.
St. Kitts & Nevis has a subtle personality that comes from its unspoiled natural charm and the quiet, easy pace of life here. Often referred to as “the secret Caribbean”, both St. Kitts and Nevis feature some of the region’s most spectacular panoramas, and offer visitors the chance to experience traditional hospitality in historic inns and hotels, many of which are restored plantation houses.
Visitors come to enjoy the islands’ warm beaches and cool forests, quaint towns and authentic architecture, and its many tranquil, private pleasures.
It is delightfully easy to enhance the pleasure of a visit to either island with a day trip to the other. The two-mile distance between the two islands can be traversed by a 6-minute air taxi ride or 45-minute water ferry ride.
St. Kitts is larger than Nevis and has the more varied terrain, with volcanic peaks covered with lush green forests, cane plains, and the arid southeast peninsula which is ringed with coves of black, mink-brown and white sand.
Nevis is distinguished by its large volcanic central peak ringed with cloud and surrounded by green hills with tropical gardens, secluded lodgings, picturesque manor houses, and edged with lovely beaches.
The islands enjoy a pleasant year-round climate with an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity is low and constant northeast trade winds keep the islands cool. The annual rainfall averages 55 inches, but, there is really no marked rainy season.
The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis offer a surprisingly diverse range of cultural and recreational activities.
Perfect sandy beaches and warm clear waters surround a treasure trove of historic sites, exhilarating music, colours and food. More adventurous visitors can continue on into rich tropical forests and up cloud-topped volcanic peaks.
Like other Caribbean nations, St. Kitts & Nevis celebrates with a colourful and lively Carnival each year. The ten-day party officially opens on December 24th followed with traditional Caribbean celebrations into the New Year including Calypso King and Queen competitions, the Miss St. Kitts beauty and talent pageant, the regional Caribbean Queen Show, as well as various nights of youth talent and calypso contests.
But, this is only the beginning. Year-round happenings include fishing tournaments, the Caribbean Cup multi-island bicycle race — the St. Kitts leg is called the Cane Road Classic — sailing regattas, music festivals, the Nevis Culturama and much, much more.
The First St. Kitts Music Festival was a smashing success last year, marking its debut in Carnival Village to a packed house and the strains of Chinese traditional folk melodies. The celebration continued with salsa, soul, soca, samba, reggae and jazz and concluded five days later with a joyous open-air gospel revival. The 1997 festival is scheduled for June 26-29.
In July, the Nevis Culturama offers a parade of costumed troupes, arts and crafts, talent shows, beauty pageants, calypso competitions and a local food-fair in Charlestown.
If history is more your interest, take a walk around Brimstone Hill. This massive fortress, dubbed the Gibraltar of the West Indies, covers 38 acres and rises almost 800 feet above the sea. Roam the carefully restored and preserved fortifications or just gaze seaward. While you’re dreaming of pirates and tall ships, you can often catch a glimpse of Montserrat, Nevis, Saba, St. Barts, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten.
For shopping buffs, island artisans are noted for wood carvings, coral, coconut-shell and seashell crafts, woven goods and sea island cottons. Not to be missed are the colourful batiks of Romney Manor or the bold visions of Caribbean painters.
Island dishes are generally spicy and offer an unusual combination of flavours. Banana, coconut, mango and passion fruit are used with spices and freshly picked herbs to create marvellous sauces for beef, chicken, pork and fish. Goatwater, a soup of stewed mutton or goat, and souse, another piquant stew made of assorted parts of the pig, are local favourites.
Public holidays are:
New Year’s Day
Carnival Day (Last Lap)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Labour Day
Whit Monday
Queen’s Birthday *
August Monday
Culturama (Last Lap)
Independence Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
* Her Majesty’s Birthday Is Celebrated On A Date To Be Officially Determined