Basseterre is probably one of the most pleasing capitals to the eye in the Caribbean. Basseterre’s Historic District, towards the centre of the town exhibits excellent examples of Creole and West Indian architecture. Basseterre has been around for some time; French Basseterre was a flourishing and much respected town back in 1672 leading an English visitor to remark that Basseterre was a ‘town of good bigness, whose houses are well-built of Bricks, Freestone and Timber; where merchants have their storehouses, and is well inhabited by tradesmen and are well served with such commodities, both for back and belly, together with utensils for the houses and Plantations…’.

By the end of the 18th Century Basseterre had grown in size and boasted (including the village of Irish Town) a population of 3000 and some 800 houses. Devastating city fires since then, though, forced much of the town to be rebuilt. It has, happily, been faithfully restored to indigenous styles even up to the new Government Headquarters and the Courthouse. A walk through Independence Square, The Circus and Liverpool Row shows excellent examples of public, commercial and residential styles. The Circus (shown right) is the focal point of Basseterre. It is essentially a roundabout in the middle of town. It was modelled on Piccadilly Circus in London and was built following the Great Fire of 1867. In the centre stands The Clock Tower, a memorial built in 1883 to The Honourable Thomas B.H. Berkeley, a local planter and politician. All around The Circus are good examples of period architecture – have a stroll and explore.

A block east of the Circus is Independence Square (shown left), originally called Pall Mall Square. It was renamed on the occasion of St. Kitts & Nevis achieving political independence on September 19th, 1983. The Government first acquired Pall Mall Square in 1750 and it rapidly became the administrative, commercial and social centre of Basseterre. The Square was the site of the slave market. Slaves arriving from Africa were temporarily quartered in the basement of a building on the south side of the Square.

South of The Circus lies the imposing Treasury Building. It was completed in 1894 and until World War 2 housed half of the island’s government offices. The large archway that faces you is a reminder of the time when sea transport ruled and that archway was where you entered St. Kitts. Nearby are the General Post Office and Customs building. Beyond this towards the sea front lies Port Zante, the Cruise ship terminal. Further along the Bay Road lies the Public Market – colourful, noisy and a good place to get all sorts of fresh vegetables, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

St. George’s Anglican Church

No visit to Basseterre is complete without seeing the two notable churches. East of the Square you will find the Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built in 1927. It replaced an earlier church built in 1856. Take a chance to look around the Square to see fine examples of period architecture and trees and bushes found typically in these parts. A block to the west is Fort Street. Head north until Fort Street meets Cayon Street. Head west 2 blocks until you reach St. George’s Anglican Church, built originally by Jesuits in 1670 and called Notre Dame. In 1706 English soldiers burned Notre Dame to the ground. The church was rebuilt in 1710 and renamed St. George’s after the patron saint of England. After considerable damage from earthquake and fire the church was again rebuilt in 1867. It is an unusual wonder of black stonework and, combined with the pretty flowing shrubs, makes an excellent photo opportunity. Many thanks to Caryl Phillips, a noted St. Kitts author, for the source material for this article.

Sheer Quality, not quantity

What St. Kitts may lack in quantity of ‘recognised’ dive sites it more than makes up for in those of sheer quality. More than 400 ships sank here between 1493 and 1825 , but only a dozen or so have been identified. There is plenty of potential in this area. The waters around St. Kitts and Nevis are not polluted and overcrowded with human activity and this has meant that the marine environment has largely been spared the effects of coral pillaging, overfishing and dying reefs. Some reef systems are so extensive that there are several dive spots on one reef. Many sites remain relatively unexplored and undisturbed. Listed below are the official sites and a short explanation of each.

Photo © Jams C. Brandon

Rainforest St. Kitts exhibits a range of ecosystems that combine to produce a whole range of activities for your enjoyment whilst you are on holiday. St. Kitts’ Northern, Central and Southern mountain ranges are carpeted in thick rainforest supporting huge bio-diversity. Beaches are classic – white sand, crystal clear neon-blue water, shallow coral reefs and leaning palm trees. Many hiking trails exist into the rainforest; the vegetation becomes a classic, unbroken canopy with giant ferns, cabbage palms, mahogany and burr trees with their odd, winding butress roots and a myriad of different plant species both on the forest floor (mosses, epiphytes, bromeliads, and orchids) and others winding up tall trunks to the canopy (lianas, wild philondendrons, ferns, strangler fig and cockspur).

The rainforest thickens as you ascend higher…

More Wildlife… The Most famous animal you will see is the Green Vervet monkey. Introduced from Africa two centuries ago they are said to outnumber the human population and are fascinating to observe. They are fairly shy, but are playful and will occasionally stop for a look. Their intense expressions and furtive glances are priceless. Tours are both entertaining and informative – guides will share scientific knowledge as well as impart stories based on local folklore – of which there is plenty. Just ask your guide about “Markus, King of The Woods“- Dr. Grant H. Cornwell gives an excellent historical background in his photo essay, “Sugar Estates of St. Kitts” and provides a fascinating online account of this famous escaped slave. You will also hear about the many forms of “bush medicine” and treatments drawn from the rainforest, underlying just what a precious natural resource the rainforest is.

The Green Vervet Monkey

Ballast Bay with Nevis in the backgound

The South East Peninsula of St. Kitts has large tracts of the two other main types of natural vegetation tracts found on the island: dry forests and mangroves. Dry forests are characterised by organ-pipe cacti and century plants (relative of the agave plant – like a Yucca plant with no stem). These plants are dispersed amongst small shrubs and wild grasses. Many monkeys live in this habitat too and you will often see them in the trees by the peninsula road. Look for the “Tourist Tree” – its bright red bark peeling – and think about your sun cream! You may also see another introduced animal – the mongoose – like a stoat or ferret with, unfortunately, very bad road sense. They seem only to cross at the least opportune moments – they are much better at negotiating snakes which they have all but eradicated from St. Kitts.

Mangrove forests

are found down at sea level and are vital to the stability of beach sands. They also support a variety of animal and marine life – among them fiddler crabs, sandpipers, plovers and black & white long-legged stilts plus other little crustaceans. You might catch the odd heron or duck too. If you lead a generally charmed life you may spot in the higher branches the magnificent Osprey or fish eagle. More common though are the chicken hawks shrieking as they circle on the thermals above the peninsula hills. Mangrove vegetation includes typically odd-looking above-water root systems of the wetlands forming a complex, sheltered habitat.

St. Kitts is blessed with a myriad of beautiful, complex ecosystems containing a range of photogenic wildlife and a whole host of relaxing (and in some cases deliberately not so relaxing) things to do. From its seas to its forests, there’s something to please everyone.

Visitors come from as far as the U.S.A., Canada, Europe as well as other islands in the Caribbean – it makes being there that much more of a multi-national, multi-cultural event. The event is now very much a family one with kids regularly accompanying adult fans. During the festival many visitors participate in rainforest tours, daytime visits to the sister island of Nevis, beach parties, horse back riding and a wide array of watersports before the evening’s music program begins. The general atmosphere is so pleasant that many performing artists get here early and leave late. Several movie stars have fallen in love with the island too and have homes here – Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone and Bill Cosby to name a few. The best advice is to book your flight and accommodation as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss this special event. It may well be the best holiday you’ve ever had. Find out more about the festival at:

http://www.stkittsmusicfestival.net