If you’re planning a relaxing yet adventurous vacation to the Caribbean, the island of St. Kitts is a beautiful, sustainable luxury jewel of a visit.
When it comes to Caribbean islands, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, and St Lucia always come highly recommended (and for very good reason). But that said, the small island of St. Kitts deserves a spot on your must-visit list, too — especially if you’re a fan of stunning natural beauty, marine conservation, and other eco-tourism activities. Here’s more about why St. Kitts is the sustainable destination of your dreams (plus resort suggestions!).
Why visit St. Kitts?
For starters, St. Kitts is home to beautiful white beaches, crystal clear water, and stunning green vistas. What’s not to love? But if you like to support biodiversity and conservation projects when you travel, it also has plenty of opportunities to do just that.
For example, there is the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, which is working to support the Caribbean’s nesting turtle populations. Every Sunday, it offers morning ecotours to island visitors, who can watch while turtles are brought in for data collection by the group’s in-water research team. (Make sure you book in advance though, as spaces are limited!)
Another option is to head away from the coastline and explore the rainforest, with a government-approved eco travel tour, like Grey’s Island Excursions’ Rainforest Eco Adventure. According to the tour company, St. Kitts’ rainforest is a little different from many other tropical destinations, because instead of shrinking, it is actually expanding. In fact, the rainforest and its rich ecosystem cover around one-quarter of the island.
Another eco-tour company on the island, called Roger’s Eco Tours, also offers the opportunity to trek up to the caldera of Mount Liamuiga, St. Kitts’ 1,156-metre stratovolcano. “You will feel the temperature drop, you will see the changes in vegetation, and you will experience the increasing incline as you get closer and closer to the caldera. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime trek,” notes the company. This tour company also offers the chance to explore the rainforest on foot with a local guide or in a 4×4 pickup truck (which includes a stop at an 18th-century fortress!).
You can also head to the St. Kitts Eco-Park, which is a Taiwan-funded garden complex that sits close to Mount Liamuiga. The complex, which is also home to a greenhouse and herb garden, is designed to showcase the best of the island’s local plants as well as beautiful views of the island. But it’s also dedicated to education, and helps to teach locals about sustainable agriculture, notes Lonely Planet.
Where to stay in St. Kitts: 3 sustainable resorts
After you’ve spent the day experiencing all the natural beauty and fascinating wildlife St.Kitts has to offer, you’ll need somewhere to enjoy rest your head and relax. These sustainable resorts tick all of the boxes—expect great food, beautiful grounds, and an eco-friendly ethos.
1. Belle Mont Farm
When it comes to fresh, locally-sourced, sustainable dining, Belle Mont Farm — one of St. Kitts’ most popular luxury hotels and resorts — excels. The majority of its ingredients, which are served across its multiple eateries, are grown on-site on its own organic farmland, giving you a truly authentic, Caribbean farm-to-table dining experience. Just what you need after a long day of trekking through the rainforest.
2. Sunset Reef
If you want to spend your evenings looking at the spectacular St. Kitts sunsets, with stunning, unobstructed views of the ocean, all while enjoying the trappings of boutique luxury, then Sunset Reef is absolutely the resort for you. But it’s not just beautiful, it’s also sustainable. In fact, the building runs on an extremely efficient Renewable Energy Management System. The resort is also plastic water bottle-free, and all of its straws are biodegradable.
3. Oualie Beach Resort
Technically, this resort isn’t actually on St. Kitts, it’s on the neighboring, equally beautiful island of Nevis. It’s just a short ferry ride away from the main island, but you should also spend a bit of time exploring Nevis itself. It’s laidback, carefree, and has just as much stunning, pristine scenery and interesting wildlife as its slightly bigger sibling.
According to Oualie Beach, this is an “eco-sensitive” resort, which means it prioritizes sustainable practices across the board. It uses solar heaters, for example, and sources its food as locally as possible, as well as growing its own. It also supports sea turtle conservation by safeguarding any nests on the property.
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