What You Will Do
Stunning Natural Beauty: St. Kitts is known for its breathtaking natural landscapes, including lush rainforests, volcanic peaks, and pristine beaches. The Scenic Escape tour takes you on a journey through these diverse landscapes providing panoramic views of the island's beauty.
Panoramic Views: The tour is designed to showcase the best viewpoints on the island. Snacks included.
Historic Sites: St Kitts has a rich history and the tour incorporates visits to historical sites. These may include ancient sugar plantations, colonial-era ruins, or the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brimstone Hill offering a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Local Knowledge and Commentary: To enhance the experience, the tour guides provide insightful commentary about the island's history, culture, and natural environment. They offer unique insights into local traditions, folklore, and the significance of the sites you visit making the tour both educational and immersive.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
1
The Circus
45 minutes
Prepare yourself as you begin your historical journey from your hotel or the cruise port. Our tour begins upon arrival into Basseterre the city with an informative drive around the city for approximately 45 minutes.
Basseterre: As the capital city of St. Kitts, Basseterre is home to several historical landmarks. Independence Square, formerly known as Pall Mall Square, is the heart of the city the Berkeley Memorial Tower Clock, and the St. George's Anglican Church. The Circus, a roundabout modeled after London's Piccadilly Circus was created after a fire destroyed the east of West Independence Square on July 4th, 1867. When Basseterre was rebuilt it was decided to widen the streets and design this roundabout for the ease of movement of fire trucks to avoid a reoccurrence. A clock monument featuring clocks and water fountains was erected and dedicated to a well-known legislator Thomas Berkeley in 1883.
The tour guide will pause for 10 minutes at the Circus Clock.
2
Independence Square
Independence Square; formerly Pall Mall Square, was renamed on the 19th of September 1983 to commemorate the birth of the new nation of St. Christopher and Nevis. Its layout was designed to look like a Union Jack and the streets and houses surrounding it once dated to the mid-eighteenth century. Time and the environment have damaged or destroyed many of them.
St Theresa Catholic Church CO-CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is an ornate church constructed out of grey stone. In the early years of the French occupation of St. Kitts, the Jesuits built a Roman Catholic Church and dedicated it to Our Lady, Notre Dame. It was burned in 1706 during the Anglo-French war and rebuilt later as St. Georges Anglican Church. In 1713 the English forbade public worship of the Catholic religion in St. Kitts. Wealthy Catholic families erected cupolas on the tops of their houses as a sign for other Catholics to come and worship. Only two such buildings remain in Basseterre both on Liverpool Row.
3
St. George's Anglican Church
ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH is the largest church in Basseterre. It stands at the head of Church Street and resembles an English parish church in style. The outer walls are of heavy andesite rock and the roof is covered in slate. In 1635, at the request of the directors of the Company of the Isles of America, the Provincial of the Capuchin Friars of Normandy assigned three men, Fathers Jerome, Marc and Pacifique de Provins to care for the spiritual needs of the French colonists and to attempt the conversion of the small Kalinago population that remained on the island after the massacre of 1627. In Basseterre they erected a place of worship which Rochefort describes as a fair Church able to contain a very great Congregation The Friars also had churches in Cayon and Capisterre but in 1646, Governor De Poincy felt that they were taking sides against him and ordered them to leave the colony. He replaced them with the Jesuits. In 1672 they built a church which they called Notre Dame
4
Bloody Point
5 minutes
Bloody Point is situated to the west of Challengers Village. It gets its name from the Massacre of the Kalinago that took place in the vicinity. One of their own, Barbs gave the English settlers information when the Kalinagoes will not be on alert and the settlers attack the tribe. It is said the river ran so red that it was eventually called Bloody River.
5
Wingfield-Phillips Rain Forest Nature Trail
15 minutes
Wingfield-Phillips Rain Forest Nature Trail Wingfield Estate is adjacent to Wingfield River in a lush rainforest located in Old Road Town, St. Kitts. The estate is set in the picturesque foothills of the island’s central mountain range, with elevations over 3000 ft. One of the unique aspects of this area is the Wingfield watershed. This is a natural resource that covers hundreds of acres, depositing water into Wingfield River. The watershed provides the island with more than ¾ of the island's water requirement. Wingfield Estate is one of four places on St. Kitts that has 17th-century Amerindian petroglyphs (a carving or inscription on a rock). The petroglyphs of Wingfield Estate are considered to be amongst one of the finest examples of rock carvings in the Lesser Antilles, and on St. Kitts, they are one of the Read more
6
Romney Manor
30 minutes
Romney Manor, set on approximately 8 acres, dates back to the 1600s. Prior to the island's European conquest, in 1623, there is strong evidence that Carib Indian Chief Tegreman’s village occupied the site. Petroglyphs located on the Wingfield Estate attest to the presence of Amerindians at some point during the property's history. Most of the activity on the property, has been growing & distilling sugar cane. Over the years, its owners have witnessed the crushing of cane by animals, water, and steam power. This all changed in the 1920s as cane processing became centralized in the nation's capital, Basseterre. The Wingfield Estate grew, harvested, and loaded sugar cane until the mid-2000s, that's 350 years! Romney Manor became a batik enterprise in the 1970s under the tutelage of its current owner. A favourite is our magnificent Saman tree, the largest living organism in St. Kitts. It is over 400 years old, 24 ft in circumference, and covers ½ acre. Imagine the stories it can tell.
7
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
45 minutes
Brimstone Hill Fortress, Gibraltor of the West Indies, A UNESCO Heritage Site.
It was constructed intermittently between the 1690s and 1790s, and is of singular importance as being the remains of a large, complete military community of the 18th century. As such, it is a veritable time capsule of international significance. The prominent Citadel is one of the earliest and finest surviving examples of a new style of fortification known as the 'polygonal system'. Brimstone Hill is nearly 800 feet high with steep and precipitous slopes. The walls of the structures are predominantly of stone, labouriously and skillfully fashioned from the hard volcanic rock of which the hill is composed. The mortar to cement the stones was produced on site from the limestone which covers much of the middle and lower slopes. The Fortress is virtually a man-made outgrowth of the natural hill. The physical location of the Fortress presents attractive panoramic vistas of forested mountains, cultivated fields,
8
Black Rocks
20 minutes
Black Rocks, also referred to as Black Stone, is the name of a notable rock formation on the northeastern coast of the island of Saint Kitts. Located close to the town of Saddlers, the rocks consist of lava flow from the volcanic Mount Liamuiga which dominates the northern half of the island of Saint Kitts
9
Timothy Hill
20 minutes
Timothy Hill is a popular lookout spot located a short distance from Frigate Beach, Timothy Hill provides a view of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean where it meets the Caribbean Sea. Within the two bodies of water you’ll see lush, green foliage and the gently sloping hills of the southeast peninsula of St Kitts from your vantage point above. You’ll even be able to see the neighboring island of Nevis in the distance.
10
Frigate Bay
20 minutes
As you descend the Timothy Hill, you will observe a panoramic view of the entire area which consists of extravagant homes, restaurants, villas, and hotels. It also has the stunning Frigate Bay Beach also known as Timothy Beach.
This area houses various beach bars and restaurants and is very active during the weekend when nightlife becomes livelier. Watersports is also accessible here so if you are staying at one of the hotels in Frigate Bay, then it's just a short walk away.
Golfing is also available at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. It is an 18-hole championship golf course and offers a challenging layout suitable for players of all skill levels.
The various beach bars and restaurants have a variety of restaurants, beach bars, and cafes where you can enjoy local Caribbean cuisine and a refreshing tropical drink. Many establishments offer waterfront views, allowing you to relax and take in the beautiful surroundings. The perfect area to relax and observe the sun setting.
11
Basseterre
1 hour
The tour ends at your hotel or a scenic drive back to the cruise port of Port Zante. You will have enough time to visit the shops on Port Zante if you arrive via cruise ship. This is an approximately 1 hour to drive and shop browsing.
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