St. Kitts is shaped somewhat like a guitar – or, to be less glamorous,
a chicken drumstick. The skinny stretch is the Southeast Penin-
sula, a region that's largely undeveloped (at least for now; plans are in
theworks for amajor hotel tomake its home on these pristine beaches)
and the perfect place for birdwatching, monkey spotting and strolling
beaches with no sign of human life. Birders find the Great Salt Pond,
Little Salt Pond and Majors Bay Pond all good sites.
The Southeast Peninsula meets the main part of the island at steep
Sir Timothy's Hill, which is flanked by an excellent scenic overlooks
with views of both the Caribbean and the Atlantic at the same time.
Immediately below lies Frigate Bay. North Frigate Bay is on the Ca-
ribbean side, while Frigate Bay is on the Atlantic side. On this stretch
of the island are many hotel accommodations and guest services, as
well as the majority of the island’s watersports activities.
The road turns left to Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts. This
charming waterfront community bustles with activity on market
days and is home to many buildings constructed in traditional West
Indian style.
From Basseterre, the main road travels northwest through many
small communities and over many ghuts, natural troughs in the land
formed as heavy rains run offMt. Liamuiga and into the sea. The road
skirts the mountain and hugs the coastline, with turnoffs for attrac-
tions such as RomneyManor, the home of a batik factory with beau-
tiful grounds at the edge of the rainforest, and the Carib
petroglyphs.About two-thirds of the way up the island is the turn for Brimstone
Hill Fortress, one of the most formidable structures in the Carib-
bean and a mandatory stop on any island tour.
On the north side of the island lies Rawlins Plantation and the
Golden Lemon, a former plantation with a beautiful black sand vol-
canic beach. In this part of St. Kitts, long vistas across acres of crops
are common.
On the east side of the island, the views are often of the Caribbean
Sea. Here Ottley's Plantation Inn draws visitors and offers sweep-
ing vistas across historic grounds that back up to the rainforest.
A unique sight in St. Kitts is the Sugar Train, a narrow gauge rail-
road. A small engine pulls the open-air cars through the fields of
sugar cane, picking up the harvest and eventually delivering it to the
factory in Needsmust. Look out in the fields as you exit Bradshaw In-
ternational Airport for a peek at the train; it's also visible in the fields
at several points around the island.
