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Caribbean island of St. Kitts
The island of St. Kitts lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern
Caribbean and is separated from its sister island, Nevis, by a channel two miles
wide. The island is 23 miles long and five miles wide, encompassing an area of
68 square miles. The population is 36,000. The Carib indians called the island
Liamuiga, meaning fertile land, and when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493
he named it after himself and his patron saint, St Christopher. The island was
founded as a British and French colony in the early 1600s and the name was shortened
to St. Kitts.
The middle of St. Kitts has a spine-like range of mountains with the towering Mount Liamuiga in the centre rising to 3,792ft. Lush rainforest surrounds this peak whilst vast fields of sugar cane cover the coastal plains, which are dotted with old sugar plantations.
Accommodation of great diversity is available here and St. Kitts also has some lovely beaches, good golf courses and a variety of watersports to enjoy.
St. Kitts has been an independent nation since 1983 but the links with old colonial England are there for all to see. The Georgian architecture of the capital Basseterre, the 17th century churches and the plantation houses in the country remain as monuments to the long history of this lovely island.
There is much to attract visitors to St. Kitts but for all the natural attractions that the island has it is the warmth and gentleness of the people which makes such a lasting impression on those who come to this lovely, unspoilt destination.
Click here to find out about our plantation house holidays in St Kitts.
Click here to find out about our hotel holidays in St Kitts.
Click here to go to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority website.