Nathan's Insights

Official Name: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Established: 19 September 1983 (Independence from the United Kingdom)
Population: 100,772 (2022 estimate)
Country Size: 261 square kms
Religion: 94.6% Christian, 2.6% No Religion 
Language: English, Saint Kitts Creole
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Capital: Basseterre
Order of Visit: Ninetieth
First Visit: 02 January 2025
Last Visit: 02 January 2025
Duration: 1 Day
Highlights: Enjoying rum and music on a catamaran trip around St Kitts. Sightseeing on the rustic and enjoyable St Kitts Railway train.
Cities: Basseterre
Saint Kitts and Nevis Journal Entry
Published 16 November 2024 | 01 April 2025

Location and Geography

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles.  The capital city is Basseterre, located on the larger island of Saint Kitts.

The islands of Sint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten and Anguilla lie to the north-northwest of the country. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda. 

St Kitts has a tropical savanna climate and Nevis has a tropical monsoon climate.

History and Culture

The first natives to live on the islands, as early as 3,000 years ago, were called Ciboney.  The first Europeans to see and name the islands were the Spanish under Christopher Columbus, who sighted the islands November 1493. Sir Thomas Warner arrived on St. Kitts on 7 February 1624 (with 15 settlers) and came to an agreement with the Carib Chief Tegremante to allow settlement. 

As the European population on Saint Kitts continued to increase, Chief Tegremond grew hostile to the foreigners in 1626. The Europeans reacted by getting the Indians intoxicated at a party later killing 120 in their sleep. Later at a site now called Bloody Point, with a ravine known as Bloody River, over 2,000 Caribs were massacred. 

Saint Kitts and Nevis suffered heavily from a Spanish raid in 1629.  By 1640, the remaining Caribs not enslaved on St. Kitts, Nevis, and Antigua, were removed to Dominica.

In 1724, the population of Saint Kitts consisted of 4000 whites and 11,500 blacks, while Nevis had 1,100 whites and 4,400 blacks. By 1774, the population on St. Kitts was 1,900 white and 23,462 black, while Nevis had 1,000 whites and 10,000 blacks.

Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, was born in Nevis.  By 1776, Saint Kitts had become the richest British colony in the Caribbean.

The Islands joined the Federation of the Leeward Islands Colony in 1871.  They then joined the failed West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962.  In 1967, the islands became an Associated State of Britain.  In 1983, the federation was granted independence from Britain, with a constitution that granted Nevis a large degree of autonomy as well as the guaranteed right of secession.  On 21 September 1998, Hurricane Georges severely damaged the islands, leaving nearly $500 million of damage to property.

In 2005, St. Kitts saw the closure of its sugar industry after 365 years.  Tourism has since been the focus of the economy.

What has drawn me to visit Saint Kitts and Nevis?

My focus for Saint Kitts and Nevis was enjoying the St Kitts landscape on a rustic train and exploring the coastline on a catamaran.  The train journey I’ve booked should hopefully be fun as was a unique experience take drew me to Caribbean trip as a whole. I’m hoping for a laid-back time.

What I experienced in Saint Kitts and Nevis

I found a green lush landscape and a magnificent coastline while visiting St Kitts Island.  The catamaran sailing was a little rough which made it even more enjoyable.  We rarely needed the engine as the wind in our sails allowed me to imagine a simpler way of travelling between islands.

The St. Kitts Scenic Railway was as good as I had hoped.  I managed to get a seat on the top deck with fresh air hitting my face as we slowly travelled 29-kilometre route.  At various points locals waved to us as we passed.  Local dancers came onto each carriage and got some passengers to dance to local music.

I found a beautiful island and had a very relaxing time.  A perfect experience to end my Caribbean Islands adventure.