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St. Kitts & Nevis
Original Official Site of the St. Kitts & Nevis
Department of Tourism

Exploring St. Kitts (Page2):

Brimstone Hill Fortress

By the late 18th century the sugar output of St. Kitts & Nevis was so high that the islands had become exceptionally prized--and equally coveted. In order to defend their possessions, the British built the enormous fortress of Brimstone Hill, a seemingly impregnable bastion situated nearly 800 feet above the Caribbean and surveying the waters all the way from St. Martin to Montserrat. In 1782, with the arrival of a great French fleet, Brimstone Hill became the site of one of the largest military conflicts in the Caribbean. Today the fortress has been painstakingly restored; the view, as always, is awe-inspiring.

Caribelle Batik

Located at Romney Manor, one of the island's most attractive estate houses, is this local artisans' centre. Working with locally-grown, exceptionally fine Sea Island cotton, the artists produce tie-dyed batik and hand-painted creations of all sorts.

Half Way Tree Village

Early in 1625, Thomas Warner's small colony greeted the unexpected arrival of a French ship, probably in the shallow bay on which Basseterre now sits. The French had suffered an unfortunate encounter with a Spanish warship, and they limped into St. Kitts in order to make much-needed repairs. The ship's captain, Pierre Belain d'Esnambue, must have been favorably impressed with what he found, as he returned shortly afterward with a small group of colonists. Warner and the English, like the Caribs before them, at first accepted the newcomers in friendship--or at least toleration. In order to avoid later disputes, the two groups of European colonists chose the great tamarind tree of Half Way Tree Village to mark the border between the French and British territories on St. Kitts. As the colonies grew and became increasingly prosperous, this border was sorely tested. War was narrowly averted during the first decade of the 18th century, for example, when it was discovered that the tamarind had thrown out new roots--and in theory extended to the British authority over many of the village's French houses.

Bloody Point

By 1626 both the British and the French settlements were expanding at such a rate that the Carib community began to perceive a threat to its very existence on the island. Joining forces with Caribs from a number of other islands, Chief Tegremare prepared to attack the European settlements. In the meanwhile, despite growing animosity between the French and the British, the two communities aside their differences in order to mount a combined, pre-emptive attack on the Carib. As a result, over 2,000 Carib Indians were massacred here at Bloody Point.

St. Kitts Sugar Factory

During the 18th century St. Kitts and Nevis were among the finest jewels of the Caribbean sugar colonies, and today on St. Kitts sugar is still a major crop. This modern factory, which replaced the island's local stone sugar mills, is supplied by means of a small highland railway circuit. St. Kitts sugar is still renowned for its exceptional quality, and this sugar factory also produces rum and Cane Spirits Rothschild (CSR), a fine sugarcane liquor developed by Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

Carib Beer Brewery

By appointment only, visitors are offered with both a tour and a complimentary tasting.

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