After scouring two dozen countries, I have found paradise! It is the tiny island of St. Kitts nestled in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Kitts is an English-speaking island, 176 square kilometres in size. It has a charm found nowhere else in the world, a combination of the amazing people, a culture steeped in history, and scenery that rivals any landscape painting.
St. Kitts is ideal place to live. With year-round temperatures between twenty-five and twenty-eight degrees Celsius, there are none of the nasty months spent above forty degrees that many tropical locales experience. St. Kitts is a volcanic island with towering mountains, rich volcanic soil, and fields of lush, rolling vegetation. And with varied topography, if you need a break from the beach, it is a quick jaunt to the mountains or the rainforest.
Within minutes of flying over the extinct volcano and touching down at Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport, you are somehow mentally transported to “island time”. You figure out really fast that island time is good for the soul – and your stress level.
Ocean's Edge Resort
If you are looking for a piece of paradise to purchase, your search is over. A fabulous five star development is being built on St. Kitts - Ocean’s Edge Resort. An assortment of properties are available – beachfront and hillside apartments, garden cottages, and villas. You can keep the home to yourself or place it into the facility’s rental programme when you are not using it.
The 40-acre project will cost over $105 million to construct. The 185 properties range in price, the least expensive starting around $355,000. The resort has a two-story fitness centre, tennis courts, several pools, a clubhouse suitable for weddings or conventions, a restaurant, a pool bar plus concierge, housekeeping, and catering services.
Located on a tropical hillside, Ocean’s Edge is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, hence the name. The positioning ensures a perfect view from each property.
One of the most charming facets of St. Kitts is that it is not a regular stop on most tourists' Caribbean jaunts. The island is relatively undeveloped compared to other Caribbean locales.
St. Kitts has a rich and fascinating history. The island occupied a central position in the European struggle for the West Indies in which the sugar colonies played a key role. It is thought that Christopher Columbus visited St. Kitts on his way to America, the reason the island was named The Federation of St. Christopher by the 1500s.
Activities on St. Kitts
I assure you boredom will not be an issue on St. Kitts. If lying in a hammock with the latest Baldacci book and watching the meandering horizon leaves you restless, hire a boat to take you sailing for the day. Or a week. Try sport fishing or scuba diving. Hang off the side of a catamaran. If the dimpled ball is your friend, play eighteen holes at the Royal St. Kitts championship course.
Tennis and horseback riding are also popular. The terrain on St. Kitts is so varied that hiking through the mountains and rainforest ensures you a different experience every time. Head back to the water for water-skiing, windsurfing, or parasailing. Or get out the fins; I spent an afternoon snorkelling with sea turtles – it was unforgettable, magical.
Within walking distance from Ocean’s Edge is the Marriott Resort with the Royal St. Kitts Casino and a full service spa. Despite its relatively small size, you will not lack for things to do in St. Kitts.
One of my most pleasurable moments was spent sitting on a bench in the town square watching the beautiful island children play cricket. The people are captivating and the children are so precious you want to take all of them home with you. The literacy rate on the island is 98%, a testament to the importance of education to the islanders. Kittitians are the true gems on the island.
St. Kitts Cuisine
St. Kitts is full of amazing places to eat. And true to their island time way of life, meals can last for hours, giving you a chance to really connect with your dinner companions. Many eateries are on the beach where you can enjoy lobster that was swimming in the ocean only hours before. There are a variety of formal and casual restaurants on the island, suitable for every budget and taste.
While almost all ethnic foods are available, the flavours of the island are magnificent. Seafood, beef, pork, and chicken are often served with fruit sauce. Fruits are grown locally or on neighbouring island and are combined with herbs and spices to enhance most dishes. Tamarind is especially well loved. Goatwater, a goat stew, and souse, a pig stew, are on most local menus. My favourite meal was spent lounging on a futon metres from the Atlantic Ocean as I noshed on barbequed pork and watched the sun fall into the ocean.
St. Kitts is lacking in a few things. There are no traffic lights to keep you waiting. There are no smog alerts – only cool, clean air off the oceans. There are no snowmobile dealerships, high crime rates, or pollution problems. There is no room for a hectic, fast-paced lifestyle. And with a low population – 31,880 – there are no overcrowding or density problems.
Now that my search for paradise is over, I have to decide whether I prefer a beachfront apartment with direct access to the beach or a villa with its own infinity pool. Decisions, decisions…
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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