St. Kitts – the unknown – Basseterre

The last island of our cruise was the big unknown for me, because before the trip I had never consciously noticed the name St. Kitts. It is all the more astonishing that this island is actually considered a “Caribbean mother colony” and that many other islands were settled from here. St. Kitts and its sister island of Nevis have only been independent since 1983.

On the way to St. Kitts, we first passed Nevis, which can be reached by ferry from St. Kitts. Nevis is very small and by car you can easily get around the island in an afternoon. Mount Liamuiga, the 1,156-metre-high volcano that is one of the landmarks of St. Kitts, is also clearly visible on the approach.

Our ship, the Norwegian Dawn, anchored at the pier of Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts. To get to the city center, you first have to cross the Pelican Shopping Mall. But it’s worth it, because Basseterre has some pretty colonial buildings. Worth seeing is “The Circus” with the clock tower of the Thomas Berkley Memorial. Next to it there is a pretty park and a really nice church. We were pleasantly surprised by what Basseterre has to offer.

After the short city tour, we made our way on foot to the south of the island. This half of the island has less rain than the more tropical northern half of the island and has some beautiful bays with partly black sand (due to the volcano). You won’t get very far on foot (the distances should not be underestimated), but you will soon be rewarded with a beautiful view towards Basseterre and towards South Frigate Bay / White House Bay. I also found it exciting to walk past all the strange villa buildings (see photos). If you would like to travel longer distances, I recommend taking one of the many taxis.

If you want to experience the island in a very special way, you should take a ride on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway (also known as the Sugar Train). This train has its origins in the era of the large sugar cane plantations, where the infrastructure for transporting sugar cane was needed. Today, you can swing around the island on a double-decker train for about 50 kilometers and get very different insights into the different facets of St. Kitts. Personally, I find this train ride an absolute highlight.