Exploring the Enchanting Landscapes of St. Kitts: A Virgin Voyage Experience
Mar 15, 2024
Welcome to St. Kitts, a captivating island gem in the Caribbean known for its lush landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture. We arrived in St. Kitts on the fourth and final stop of the Sunsets in the Lesser Antilles Virgin Voyage. St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in the western hemisphere at just 106 square miles and gained its own independence from the UK on September 19, 1983. Fun fact: Nevis was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton!
Arriving in St. Kitts
We arrived in St. Kitts at 9 AM and had a scheduled 2 tank dive for the morning. We awoke to a notice that due to winds, the dive had been canceled! Bummer, but we had to think fast and call an audible. Luckily I had done some research prior and since the island is very small, it is easy to get around. I wanted to head to an area called Frigate Bay, which has a reef right off shore and some of the best snorkeling on the island. Plus they had a dive beach bar called Shipwreck, which is totally our vibe.
Once we walked out of the cruise terminal area there was an organized taxi service that negotiated rates for travelers to get to different areas round trip. We ended up sharing with another couple from the boat who was headed in the same direction and split the cost ($40 round trip for Will and I with tip for the driver isn’t bad at all). To our surprise, the driver stopped at the Timothy Hill Overlook (above), which provided some amazing views of the entire island!
Navigating your way to Shipwreck Beach Bar
The driver dropped us off at the Carambola Beach Resort (above left), which is a nice hotel with a beach club and restaurant. This was a great spot and we debated staying here due to the convenience but it was overcrowded and after waiting 10 minutes at the bar for a drink with no service, we headed down the beach as intended.
Travel More Tip:
The journey to Shipwreck is long, a 10-15 minute walk along the sand actually and would be difficult for anyone with disabilities or walking challenges, but it is worth it if you're up to it.
The bar was beat to hell with old loungers, ramshackle porches, vintage hats, team jerseys, and knick knacks that lined the walls as well as signatures like “Bob was here, 2019” that simply oozed nostalgia. We loved it. We grabbed a spot, ordered lunch and some drinks and enjoyed the views.
This is definitely a place the locals come to hang out ALL DAY LONG. In retrospect, we would have loved many more hours here, opened up a tab and gone back and forth from snorkeling the reef to the beach bar! The snorkeling was beautiful - crystal clear waters, tons of healthy seaweed like velvet horn. We have some great footage from St. Kitts (and some from Curacao) in the video below to check out! I spotted a huge puffer hiding under a rock formation that smiled at me, and another octopus creeping in a crack (I only saw his arm and eyeball!) I absolutely love snorkeling. I could do it all day. Something about the weightlessness of floating from above and being an “observer” of another world makes me feel small and grateful and relaxes the stress of my seemingly important worries away.
At 3 PM we met our taxi driver at the agreed upon spot back at Carambola and he took us back to town.
Shopping in the Main Town
St. Kitts had a great shopping and commerce area. We were pretty tired from being in the sun all day so we walked around and shopped for our souvenirs. Over the years, we have cut down on purchases when we travel and only bring home a few things that have a specific intention:
Christmas ornament. I love reminiscing as I put up our tree at the end of year.
Stickers. These are for our hard shell suitcases. When I was a child I was always intrigued by old suitcases with travel stickers. What type of magical, foreign adventures the person who carried them must have had. What stories and secrets the suitcases must hold.
Magnet and Key Chain. The magnet started a while back, it’s small, and also provides a daily reminder of the life we are choosing to live. Key Chain is a new one and is for my niece Haisley! When I was growing up, my Mimi and Granddaddy traveled the country and always brought me back a keychain with a story. I still have them and want to start the same tradition that will hopefully encourage her to get out explore and experience this world!
Local Artwork. We have a “travel wall” going up our staircase that showcases some of the awesome art we have found traveling. We didn’t see anything that spoke to us at the vendor shops, so all the more reason to come back! 😉
Future Adventures in St. Kitts
We will return to St. Kitts in the future to further explore its beauty and abundance of water activities, including diving and venturing to neighboring islands such as Nevis and Statia. There are a couple of resort options like the Marriott, Carambola, or the Park Hyatt, pictured below. This is the spot I’d like to return and stay with its great location at the end of the island, beautiful views of Nevis and historic features tied into the décor.
Ready to experience the beauty of St. Kitts and beyond?
Go to the “Contact” page now to easily schedule an initial discussion with us to get things started! Thank you for reading and following our travel adventures! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and to follow along @travelmorewithkristin on Instagram for the latest travel tips, tricks and our newest locations visited.
Thank you!
Kristin & Will
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