Islands in the Sun – St. Kitts
They stand out and clamor: Yes, I really was in Anchorage or Pompeii or St. Kitts. Yet, ironically, the more you travel the tougher it can be to fix those images. You can’t plan them, they just happen.
From St. Kitts, one of the images I’ll remember is the walk from the small plane to the equally small airport. I stopped and turned around to check my bag. Behind me were two nearby mountains, silhouetted, perfectly against the sky – a sky in rapid transition from twilight to dark. The mellow orange cast sinking behind those black mountains is an image I can visualize at will.
St. Kitts is a hilly, still somewhat undeveloped island. Your first clue is the number of free roaming goats, and the second clue is the lack of high-rise structures.
The guitar-shaped island, about an hour’s flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is gradually phasing out sugar cane production and will soon be concentrating on tourism. Marriott is building a major resort and other players in the lodging industry have expressed interest. Most everyone agrees, in five to eight years time, St. Kitts will be a different place. As with most islands in the Caribbean, it was bound to happen. Depending on your perspective it may be better or worse. So my advice – go soon to see the “before” version of St. Kitts.
Island officials are taking care with their future growth. Strict rules limit the height of buildings and they’re careful with their rainforest. In fact, the rainforest on St. Kitts is one of the few that’s actually expanding rather than shrinking. Let’s hope it continues to buck the general trend.
On Greg’s Safari’s, we bounced the morning away on a converted land rover. The back section was open with bench seating, affording swells of fresh air and extraordinary island views.
Part of the tour included time in the rainforest, and the thick canopy granted us some wonderful shade. Our driver/guide shared his expertise on the medicinal plants of this intensely verdant place. Included were two plantation stops and a refreshment break, where we gorged on fresh island fruit.
In the early days when the islands could grow wealthy from sugar, there were roughly 300 sugar estates in St. Kitts and another 100 on St. Kitts’ sister island, Nevis.
These estates, which are also referred to as plantations, are still in evidence. Several have been reincarnated as high-end lodgings. Ottley’s is situated on a nicely-sloped bit of property with mountains to the rear and ocean to the front. Ottley’s current owner, Art Keusch took time out to speak with us, during a brief rain shower.
Keusch said, “I’m often asked by prospective guests about the rainy season on the island. St. Kitts really has no specific rainy season, so I tell them it’s midnight to 8 a.m. It may sound like a joke, but it’s true. Most of the rain does fall in the night, with daytime showers lasting only a short time.”
He was right, the rain lasted exactly 15 minutes and we saw our third rainbow of the trip.
Most travelers find their way to the fortress at Brimstone Hill. This summit was dubbed “The Gibraltar of the Caribbean” long before tourists discovered the island. The British huffed and puffed the first cannon up the hill in 1690. The fortification today is an amalgam of contrasts. Serene now, where cannons once boomed, stark stone against a backdrop of leafy hills and voluntary visitors rather than conscripted soldiers. The view of neighboring islands alone is worth the climb. For some background detail, allow time to watch their orientation video.
Caribelle Batik is another popular stop on the tourist trail. Their grounds are especially lovely and tranquil. Housed on a 17th-century sugar estate, called Romney Manor, friendly ladies at Caribelle demonstrate the centuries-old art of batik, which utilizes wax to decorate fabric. Somehow I just couldn’t depart without a light blue batik caftan, as a memento of St. Kitts.
You’ll hear the name “Jefferson” bandied about often on this island. Romney Manor is part of Wingfield Estate, which was owned by the Jefferson family as part of the largest land grant in the Caribbean. They sold out to the Earl of Romney. However, one Jefferson grandson, Thomas, made his mark by becoming the third president of the United States.
In terms of beaches, St. Kitts has some of the most quiet and off-the-beaten track places I’ve ever seen. Turtle Beach is a cast-your-cares-to-the-breeze sort of spot. It sits on a cove on the Atlantic side of the island, in an area known as the South East Peninsula. The beach has fine views of Nevis and a totally relaxed atmosphere – not a cell phone in sight. When lounging in the sun gets humdrum, Turtle Beach has snorkeling and scuba diving, plus a bar with munchies. Be warned, the island monkeys (green vervets, not natives, but immigrants who multiplied) will steal your lunch if you’re not careful.
On the opposite end of St. Kitts, Dieppe Bay has a volcanic black sand beach and calm water, with a sheltering offshore reef. For privacy in grand style at Dieppe Bay, the attention to detail at the Golden Lemon will take your breath away. The Great House section of the Golden Lemon dates back to 1610. Go all-out and request a villa with a private plunge pool. The distinctive decor of each room has been produced by Arthur Leaman, the former decorating editor at House & Garden. Leaman made a point to ornament all the rooms with antiques he found locally.
Scuba divers and snorkelers might opt for a stay at the Bird Rock Beach Hotel, which has an on-site dive shop, and kitchenettes available. Dive boats leave from the hotel dock and diving sites are close. The Bird Rock is only a mile from the city of Basseterre.
