St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in North America. Its claim to fame is beaches, and so we had a dilemma. What to do in St. Kitts? We turned to Nevis instead. Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, was born in Nevis’s capital, Charlestown.
We got off the cruise ship at around 9:00 AM. The first thing we did was go to the smaller port where the water taxis would be located. We got on one with a small group of people, and the driver set sail. The views along the way were quite picturesque, and we would’ve taken more pictures if the ride were a little less choppy. I didn’t throw up: the short commute time was my only saving grace.
We then looked for Hamilton’s birthplace. Since we were in such a miniscule nation, it wasn’t much of a search. We just looked on a map and there it was. A sign basically saying “Hamilton was born here. This is what he did”. Interestingly, the same settlers who landed in Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British colony in America, also landed in Nevis a few months earlier. St. Kitts and Nevis has a history with explorers, because Christopher Columbus landed there in 1493, making it one of the first Spanish colonies.
After having achieved the main goal of the excursion, we explored the rest of Charlestown. The island is only 35.9 mi2 in area, and Charlestown has a population around 1.5 thousand. It would be very easy to finish it off.
Historical Charlestown felt like a colonial town, something you might find in the 1800s. Actual Charlestown felt more modern, something in place in the Caribbean.
After finishing off Charlestown, we got back to the port, where we saw the local cricket team. Finally, we returned to Basseterre, where we would finish things off at Independence square. It wasn’t much, just a fountain and a nice church, along with a vivid green and gold clock, but it was a look at Basseterre, the capital city of St. Kitts.
St. Kitts and Nevis has much to offer than at first look, but the less documented side of a nation just might be more interesting with its deep history, from Columbus to Jamestown to Hamilton.
Tips:
- Nevis: Nevis is a great island to visit for a night, as the island is very underrated.
- Beaches: St. Kitts has an abundance of beaches, so if you aren’t already sick of going to the beach, it is an option.
