00:10If you're looking for a Caribbean escape with all the sun, sea and rum you'd expect,
00:17yet with a richness of history and nature that few other islands can match,
00:23this is the place to have on your radar. In this episode of Travel Smart, we're exploring
00:29St Kitts, an island whose story goes back centuries and which has a volcanic interior packed with
00:37adventure, plus a food and wellness scene that will give you every reason to slow down.
00:53St Kitts sits in the Eastern Caribbean, part of the Leeward Islands and one half of St Kitts
01:01and Levis, the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere. Flights from the UK take
01:07around 10 hours and there are also plenty of connections via hubs in the US and the rest
01:14of the Caribbean. Once you land, you're just minutes from the capital Bastair and from there,
01:21the rest of the island is within easy reach, which means you spend less time getting between
01:27places and more time actually enjoying them. St Kitts is warm year round with temperatures
01:33temperatures consistently in the mid to high twenties. The driest months are between December and April,
01:40but the sunshine is pretty much constant whenever you visit. What hits you straight away is how green
01:47everything is. The northern half of the island is dominated by Mount Liam Uyghur, a dormant volcano
01:55rising to nearly 4,000 feet and wrapped in dense tropical rainforest. Head south and the landscape
02:03opens up to a narrow peninsula lined by golden beaches and lapped by turquoise water. A great place to get
02:12your bearings is Timothy Hill, where you can look out across both sides of the island at once. A Caribbean
02:20sea on one side, the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It gives you a real sense of the island's diverse
02:27landscapes.
02:31St Kitts has a deeper history than you might imagine. The island has been shaped by centuries of change,
02:40from its indigenous communities through to some of the earliest European settlers and the sugar trade
02:48that defined the Caribbean. Traces of that past are still visible across the island. Former plantation ruins
02:57dot the landscape and are slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. The capital, Bastair, is full of colourful
03:06buildings, churches and quiet squares that reward a morning's wander. The standout landmark is Brimstone
03:15Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's perched nearly 800 feet above sea level on the island's coast.
03:24It's one of the best preserved military fortifications in the Americas. From the top, on a clear day, you can
03:33see
03:33views stretching across to six neighbouring islands. It's a place you'll want to linger and really let its
03:41story sink in. For a different kind of experience, there's the St Kitts Scenic Railway, the last remaining
03:50sugar train in the Caribbean. It was originally built to transport cane, but now it's been transformed into a
03:58three hour sightseeing loop. You sit in an open air upper deck as the train crosses steel bridges and
04:06passes through small villages. It's an unhurried and relaxed way to take in the island.
04:16For somewhere so small, St Kitts has a surprising amount to offer outdoors. Around one third of the
04:23island is covered in lush rainforest and here's something most people don't know. It's one of
04:29the few places on earth where the rainforest is actually expanding. Guided hikes through the interior
04:37area take you into a completely different world. Trails wind between towering trees, over streams and
04:45through giant ferns. Local guides know the forest inside out. They'll point out medicinal plants,
04:53seasonal fruits and the wildlife all around you. Vervet monkeys are everywhere and if you're quiet enough,
05:02you'll hear them chattering in the canopy before you see them. If you're after a real challenge,
05:09you could climb Mount Liam Uyghur itself. It's a demanding hike to the crater rim of the island's
05:17sleeping giant, but the views from the top make all the effort worthwhile. Or for more of a rush,
05:24there are zip line courses above the rainforest canopy, as well as ATV and dune buggy trails through
05:32the mountainous interior. It's a side of the Caribbean that most people never see. The beaches
05:39on the southern peninsula of St Kitts are as good as you'll find anywhere in the Caribbean. Calm warm
05:47waters, soft sand and far fewer crowds than you find on the bigger islands. Out on the water, parasailing
05:55gives you a bird's eye view of the rolling mountain range, while sea cycles offer a quieter emissions-free
06:04way to enjoy the coastline at your own pace. Snorkelling and diving are also worth it, with the chance to
06:13explore underwater caves, reef sites and even shipwrecks. And if all of that sounds like a lot, well St Kitts
06:21does
06:22relaxation just as well. The island has a growing wellness scene, with outdoor spa treatments set
06:29against mountain and ocean backdrops, cacao ceremonies and spaces designed to help you properly switch off.
06:42Food in St Kitts is flavourful and closely tied to the land and sea. Freshly caught seafood is everywhere,
06:50whether that's grilled lobster eaten right on the beach or pan-fried snapper served with local vegetables
06:57and a spicy sauce on the side. And then there's rum. St Kitts is home to what's thought to be
07:04one of the
07:05oldest rum distilleries in the Caribbean, dating back to 1681. You can visit the ruins of the old
07:12sugar works and sample rum that's still produced and aged in bourbon casks on site. Or try your hand
07:21at blending your own by signing up for one of the island's rum tasting experiences. Come evening,
07:28the island's social scene centres on Frigate Bay, where a stretch of beach bars come alive with music,
07:35grilled food and cold drinks on the sand. Locals call it liming, just hanging out, watching the sun go
07:44down and letting the night unfold at its own pace.
07:52So that's our take on St Kitts, but there's so much more to this idyllic Caribbean island. The sunshine
08:00and the beaches are a given, but it's the history, the nature and the warmth of the place that really
08:07stays with you. For more travel inspiration and expert tips, head for independent.co.uk
08:15forward slash travel. See you next time.
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