Christopher Columbus first arrived in St. Kitts in 1493, but Europeans did not colonize these lands for a long time. Only in 1623 did the British begin to explore the islands discovered by the Spaniards. The strategic location and sugar led to their rapid development. Amazing natural beauty, lots of sun, warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and white sandy beaches make Saint Kitts and Nevis one of the best tourist destinations in the Caribbean.
Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea in the West Indies. It consists of the islands – St. Kitts and Nevis, belonging to the Lesser Antilles. The total area of the country is 261 sq. km.
The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis are of volcanic origin, so it is not surprising that most of their territory is covered with mountains and hills. The population lives mainly near the coast, where there are fewer mountains. The highest peak is the Liamiuga volcano, whose height reaches 1,156 meters.
Numerous rivers flow from the mountains of St. Kitts and Nevis, providing local residents with fresh water. There is also one small lake on St. Kitts.
From June to November, hurricanes sometimes sweep over these islands. Some of them are very destructive.
Capital
According to simplyyellowpages.com, Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis. About 20 thousand people now live in it. Basseterre was founded by the French in 1627.
Official language of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The official language is English.
Religion
The majority of the population profess Christianity (belong to the Anglican Church, Methodists and Catholics).
State structure
According to diseaseslearning.com, Saint Kitts and Nevis is a constitutional monarchy. Its head is the monarch of Great Britain. The country is governed by a governor-general appointed by the English monarch.
The unicameral local parliament is called the National Assembly and consists of 14 deputies. True, only 11 of them are elected by the people, and the remaining three are appointed by the governor-general. By the way, the Governor-General also appoints ministers. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers are responsible to Parliament.
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 districts (nine on the island of Saint Kitts and the remaining five on the island of Nevis).
Climate and weather
The climate is tropical. The average air temperature during the day is +26C (lower temperatures prevail on the hills). Humidity is usually around 70%. Annual rainfall ranges from 100 to 300 mm. Winds are predominantly from the east and rarely exceed 19 km/h (with the exception of the hurricane season, which starts in July and ends in November).
The peak holiday season is from December to April.
Sea in Saint Kitts and Nevis
The island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is located in the Caribbean Sea. Both of these islands are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. The average annual sea temperature near the coast is +27C.
Culture
The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are known for their wonderful culture. The inhabitants of these islands have great musical and dancing abilities. The most popular local holidays are carnivals, of which there are a lot.
In January there is the Grand New Year Parade and Las Lap National Carnival, in March the Carifta Games, in June the St Kitts Music Festival, in July the Culturama (Nevis), in September the Capisterre Festival and in December the Christmas Festivities.
Each local carnival is accompanied by very colorful folk processions, music, dances, yacht competitions, equestrian competitions, parades, etc.
Cuisine of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The cuisine in Saint Kitts and Nevis is typical of the West Indies. The staple foods are rice, fish and seafood (especially shrimp and lobster). Meat people are most often prepared from goat meat. A lot of fruits, especially mango, papaya and bananas.
Typical local dishes are goat stew in tomato sauce (with breadfruit and papaya), “pelau” (stew with chicken meat, salted or dried cod and vegetables, served with rice and peas), and “roti” (flatbread with vegetables, curry and meat or shrimp), etc.
Traditional soft drinks are coffee, tea and fruit juices.
The traditional alcoholic drink is rum (Belmont Estate and Brinley Gold are the most popular varieties).
Attractions
There are not very many attractions on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, however, tourists will still be interested there. So, in Basseterre, be sure to visit Independence Square (there was a slave market there in the Middle Ages) and see the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
In the vicinity of Old Road Town, you can see the petroglyphs of the Carib Indians, as well as the ruins of the old Romney Manor sugar plantation, founded in the 17th century.
In Charlestown (Nevis) we recommend visiting the National Museum and the Horatio Nelson Museum (there are a lot of things that belonged to the famous English admiral).
In some parts of the coast of the island of Nevis, in particular, north of Charlestown, several medieval forts built by the British have survived to this day. The most famous of them is Fort Ashby, built at the beginning of the 18th century.
Cities and resorts
The largest city is Baster, which is home to about 20 thousand people. Other local cities are even smaller. Thus, the population of Cayon is about 4 thousand people, Monkey Hill – about 4 thousand people, Sandy Point Town – about 3.5 thousand people, and Middle Island – 3 thousand people.
Tourists come to the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis in order to relax on their amazing beaches. The expectations of tourists are justified – there they are waiting for some of the best beaches in the world.
In the southeast of St. Kitts, tourists are recommended to visit such beaches as Turtle Beach, Sand Bank Bay and Frigate Bay. On these beaches, the sand is very white and the water is clear. In the north of this island, numerous beaches consist of fine black volcanic sand. Of course, you need to see them, especially if you have never seen such beaches before.
The island of Nevis is famous for its long white sandy beach, Pinney Beach, next to which coconut palms grow. Other notable beaches on this island are Oualie Beach, Cades Bay Beach, Nisbet Beach and Lovers’ Beach.
The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis have excellent diving opportunities. More than 400 ships sank in this area between 1493 and 1825, but only about ten of them have been found so far. So divers are waiting for amazing adventures there.
Some of the most popular dive sites include Black Coral Reef, Blood Bay Reef, Booby Island, coral grottoes off the west coast of Nevis, Coconut Tree Reef, Monkey Reef and Nags Head.
Some of these sites are suitable for beginner divers. But there are also places (for example, Nags Head) where only experienced swimmers can dive.
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists buy handicrafts, dolls in national costumes, batik fabric, clothes, bedding, hot sauces, honey, rum.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Thurs: 08:00-15:00
Fri: 08:00-17:00
The National Bank is also open on Saturdays (from 08:30 to 11:00).
Shops:
Mon-Sat: 08:00-13:00/16:00
Visa
Ukrainians to visit the state of Saint Kitts and Nevis need to apply for a visa.
Currency of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (its international designation is XCD). One XCD = 100 cents. American dollars are also legal tender on these islands. All major credit cards are widely accepted.
Customs restrictions
Foreign and local currency, subject to its declaration, can be imported without restrictions. You can take out as much money as was declared at the entrance. It is forbidden to import non-preserved foodstuffs.
Antiques and art can be taken out only if there is a special permit from the local authorities.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
Embassy of Great Britain in Ukraine:
Address: 01025, Kiev, st. Tithe, 9
Phone: (044) 490-36-60
Fax: (044) 490-36-62
Embassy of Ukraine in the UK:
Address: 60, Holland Park, London W11 3SJ
Phone: (020) 7727-6312
Fax: (020) 7792-1708
Emergency numbers
Fire Department – (869) 469-3444/333
Police – (869) 469/5391/911
Ambulance – 911
Time
Behind Kyiv for 7 hours. Those. if, for example, in Kyiv 13:00, then in Basseterre – 06:00.
Tips
Tipping is usually 10-15% of the bill. Some hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill. Porters and bellboys are given 50 cents per bag, taxi drivers – 10-15% of the bill.
The medicine
Doctors recommend tourists to get vaccinated against hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria and rabies before traveling to this country.
Security
The crime rate in Saint Kitts and Nevis is lower than in many other Caribbean islands. there are not many tourists there. Most often, things are stolen from tourists, left unattended on the beach, in a car, or in a hotel room. Therefore, do not leave valuables unattended, keep jewelry and money in the hotel safe.
Now more than 250 video cameras are operating in the most crowded and tourist areas, thanks to which security in the country has improved significantly.
