Basseterre, the Capital City of St Kitts

Basseterre is the capital city of St Kitts, and has a population of around 15,000. It is significant for being one of the oldest Caribbean towns, and was originally founded by the French in 1627 when it was the capital of the French colony, which at the time consisted of the northern and southern most parts of the island as the central area was under the control of the British.

By 1639 the city was a thriving port and became the capital of the French West Indies colony which included the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. By 1727 the British controlled the entire island, and chose to make Basseterre the capital city of St Kitts. In spite of the city being destroyed several times due to fire, earthquakes and floods, there are still a surprising number of beautifully restored older buildings remaining.

The name Basseterre is French for low land, and the city is situated in a valley, surrounded by hills. Basseterre is also known for being protected from winds, making it perfect for ships to anchor safely. It is quite a small town which has just four main streets running from east to west, and just one running north to south. In spite of its compact size, the city is the main hub for all the country’s administration as it contains all the federal buildings.

Landmarks of interest to visitors include Independence Square which was originally called Pall Mall Square, and is infamous for being the site of the slave market, and the Berkley memorial which stands in the middle of the Circus, a cross roads named after Piccadilly Circus in London.

The Scenic Railway on St Kitts

St Kitts is best known for having beautiful beaches, and for being an up market destination for those looking to travel to the Caribbean, but there is much more to see and do on this picturesque island, and there’s so much it’s likely to be tricky to fit it all in. 

One attraction that shouldn’t be missed is the St Kitts Scenic Railway, as it is one of the few operational railways left in the Caribbean. It was originally constructed back in the 1920’s as a way of transporting sugar cane from plantations around the island, to the processing factory in the capital city of Basseterre. Nowadays, it is purely a tourist attraction as the sugar cane industry finally shut down in 2005.

The train crosses over 24 bridges, and passes by several sidings that were used to load the sugar cane. Passengers can travel in antique railway carriages from the quaintly named Needsmust station, passing by the slopes of St Kitts dormant volcano, Mount Liamuiga, as well as many Atlantic facing beaches, and the crumbling remains of grand plantation homes and estates. It is a great way for seeing a little more of the island, and is perfect for first time visitors, or anyone who doesn’t have very much time for sight-seeing. 

It is easy to see why it is such a favourite with cruise ship visitors, especially as it passes right through several villages, offering a tantalising glimpse of everyday life. About halfway around, passengers are transferred onto sightseeing buses for the remainder of the tour, before returning to Needsmust station. The tour only takes around three and a half hours, but is an excellent way for anyone to orientate themselves with the charms of St Kitts.

St Kitts Prime Minister Seeks Investment from India

St Kitts Prime Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas recently visited India, and invited Indians to invest in the renewable energy sector, information and technology, and the hotel industry in St Kitts and Nevis.

Douglas is also hoping more Indian tourists will visit the Caribbean island. He pointed out that an investment of US$400,000 could secure citizenship in St Kitts, and would allow investors to benefit from a tax holiday for 10 years for corporate tax, to be free from income tax, and duty-free import.

This investment can be into one of the recognised property developments in the country such as Oceans Edge, and successful applicants are able to benefit from a second passport, enabling visa free travel to many countries.

Douglas is particularly interested in attracting investors into renewable energy, as St Kitts has no natural energy resources and has to rely on importing costly diesel. There is considerable scope for wind energy on St Kitts and Nevis, as well as geothermal, solar and biomass energy.

There's already a wind farm on Nevis which has saved the state $2 million in electricity, and the construction of a geothermal plant should help the federation save around $30 million in energy costs. The government of St Kitts and Nevis is hoping to achieve 60% of its energy generation through renewable energy sources by 2015, and the government headquarters is already partially powered through solar energy.

Douglas is hoping to encourage Indian companies to invest in the power sector, but he's also looking to gain expert help from India for the livestock industry, and for food processing.

Project to Protect Reefs Is Launched in St Kitts

St Kitts is remarkable for having pristine reefs which attract divers and snorkellers to this beautiful Caribbean island, but it's not taking this granted and a new project has just been launched to help evaluate future threats to coral reefs and the livelihoods associated with them.

The Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment (FORCE) was launched on April 4, with a consultation whose participants included those whose livelihoods are connected with the coral reefs. These include tourism workers, fishermen, Coast Guard personnel, and water tour operators.

St Kitts is just one of four countries taking part in this pilot project with the others being Belize, Honduras, and Barbados. The consultation was facilitated by Selina Stead, who is professor of Marine Governance and Environmental Science at Newcastle University.

The project is being funded by the EU and aims to look at how dependency on the coral reefs and changes to them could affect coastal communities. It will look at which policies have been effective and which haven't, and why. The group also aims to discuss how locals use resources found on the reef, with particular emphasis on tourism and the fishing industry.

The idea is to improve coral reef management while taking into account factors which often hinder successful implementation. Although the coral reefs are facing climate change, they are also being harmed by pollution, coral disease, unsustainable fishing practices, and sedimentation.

In the past St Kitts has taken considerable steps to protect its marine environment, and has worked with the Coral Reef Alliance and Philippe Cousteau's Earth Echo to gain a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the reefs and the delicate ecosystem of the waters around the island.

St Kitts sees The Effect of Climate Change

Every year between March and July around 40 to 65 leatherback sea turtles come on to Keys Beach in St Kitts to lay their eggs, and the St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network has been making sure Keys Beach is clean, as it's one of the main nesting sites on the island. However over the past few years they've noticed that the beach is being affected by erosion, but this isn't the only concern as there are also worries about increased temperatures.

When the eggs are laid they aren't gender specific as this is determined by the incubation temperature. A higher incubation temperature tends to produce female turtles, while lower temperatures produce male turtles, and there are worries that rising temperatures could skew the turtle population. It's not just the turtles being affected, as a Conaree Fish Farm was recently established to grow fresh water tilapia in seawater.

The project pulls water from around 320 m out in the ocean before feeding it back into several artificial ponds where the fish are grown. However seaweed from the Sargasso Sea is now showing up on beaches in the Caribbean and is clogging the intake pipes. Apparently the change in temperature is causing the seaweed to release itself from the seabed as it needs sunlight to grow.

At least this organism is natural, and doesn't affect the sea turtles, and it's been found nesting birds on the beaches are feeding and foraging within the seaweed. However what's more important is the effect climate change is having on St Kitts, and even though the island emits minimal greenhouse gases it is likely to be greatly affected by climate change. The focus is now on adaptation, and millions of dollars are being poured into the Caribbean to help this region prepare.

St Kitts capital city, Basseterre

Aside from the beautiful beaches, golf courses and shops and restaurants, many of the attractions on St Kitts are based on its illustrious past. St Kitts is strategically located as it was considered to be the gateway to the Caribbean, and the valuable sugarcane industry made it a price well worth fighting over. It's a history which is very difficult to ignore, and in many ways it's shaped the culture of the country.

You only have to stroll around the capital city of Basseterre to see the colonial influences. It's one of the oldest towns in the eastern Caribbean and was originally founded by the French in 1627 when it became the capital of the French colony of St Christoph, which at the time consisted of the northern and southern most parts of the island. The central part of the island was under the control of Britain.

Over time the city became a hugely successful port, and at one time was the capital of the entire French West Indies colony which included the islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe.

In 1727 it became the capital city of St Kitts, as the island came under complete British control. St Kitts has been fought over many times, and its capital city has a somewhat tragic history as it's been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It's quite a small town which is laid out in the form of a grid.

The Main Street is called Fort Street, and is where you'll find the majority of the banks and shops. Independence Square is home to the courthouse, and the Cathedral, and is where you'll find most of the older buildings, The Circus is more tourist oriented and is where you'll find the Berkeley Memorial. The Circus is modelled on Piccadilly Circus, although it somewhat smaller and less busy. The city is very walkable, and it's well worth taking your time to explore historical Basseterre.

Reasons for Buying Property in St Kitts

Lots of people who think about buying Caribbean property automatically turn towards the more well-known islands, but they should look towards St Kitts, as the popularity of this independent island state is growing rapidly. It used to be a British colony, but achieved independence in 1983, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations and Caricom.

St Kitts has a pleasant year-round climate, and humidity is relatively low. The island only covers about sixty nine square miles, and along with Nevis supports a population of less than 50,000. Due to its lush, tropical nature, St Kitts is often compared to islands in the South Pacific, especially as it has an expanding rainforest that already covers around one quarter of the island. Vegetation thrives in the rich soil provided by the now dormant volcano, Mount Liamuiga, and its crater is a tourist attraction.

Since the sugarcane industry shutdown in 2005, St Kitts has made substantial investments into the tourism industry, and has also worked hard to attract financial services businesses. The Economic Citizenship Program has been in operation since 1984, and this requires investment into government approved property developments. The program allows successful applicants to have a second passport, enabling them to benefit from visa free travel.

Property development on the island tends to be sustainable and in keeping with the natural surroundings, and because of this St Kitts is becoming known as an upmarket tourist destination. Lots of people visit to enjoy the lush surroundings and numerous watersports, but St Kitts has many other attractions, including historical sites, fine dining, and shopping.