St. Kitts and Nevis

The twin island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis lies to the west of Antigua and roughly south of St. Martin, making it a good stopping point when heading south. I’ve spent many a night at either White House Bay or off Pinney’s beach “yellow-flagging” my way either north or south. That term means to anchor while hoisting the yellow “Q” flag but not going ashore; this is anchored in the maritime right of innocent passage. This type of use is stretching the definition a bit, though.

St. Kitts

This is the larger, more populous island and is home to the nation’s capital city of Basseterre. Despite the French name, the two islands are quite Anglophone. One of the most popular attractions is the UNESCO Brimstone hill fortress. It dominates the northwestern landscape of the island. It is an impressive fortification and remarkably well-preserved and restored. Basseterre has a large cruise-ship facility and is very busy during the tourist season. It also has an airport with a long runway to accommodate larger aircraft. As with most islands, it is dominated by a central volcano which, fortunately, isn’t active.

Nevis

The little brother to the main island, it nevertheless has several attractions and is more off the beaten path. I like the pace of the island and the open roadstead anchorage off Pinney’s beach is always surprisingly calm. And Pinney’s beach hosts Sunshine’s Bar, which is a popular destination and watering hole.