I am a beach person. Anyone who knows me will know that I am best self when I am surrounded by sand, a cool breeze, a few palm trees and endless miles of crystal blue water.
This summer was able to live in my dream paradise and experience so much more than a “family vacation to the beach.” Our family vacation took us a little over 2,000 miles away from our Louisville home. For a week, the small island of St. Kitts would be our home away from home in a much more tropical setting.
St. Kitts is located in the West Indies. To the west is the aquamarine Caribbean water while to the east is the darker, colder Atlantic. To the south of the island is St. Kitts’ sister island, Nevis. While surrounded by different bodies of water, St. Kitts is home to abundant wildlife, a looming volcano, a dense rainforest, a lush history and some of the best food that you would ever try.
What makes St. Kitts so unique is how quiet the island is in terms of tourists. While the tropical paradise is a popular tourist spot, the area is not overrun by people snapping pictures and taking up space.
A visitor is able to lay on the beach and enjoy the sound of the ocean without the sound of children screaming in the water disrupting her peace. Another visitor can go on a snorkeling trip to Nevis and swim close to a shipwreck without being overrun by other tourists. And a family can enjoy a relatively quiet dinner without having to yell over each other as other people talk.
St. Kitts is the perfect example of an untouched beauty with a thriving culture. While the beaches are gorgeous and offer incredible views of mountain ranges, guests can learn about the island’s history while touring the island. St. Kitts was a war torn island that went back and forth between the British and the French before the British Empire finally took over. The island’s main export was sugar cane and visitors can see crumbling sugar cane farms across the different parishes. The island gained its independence on Sept. 1983.
Along with the views and rich history, St. Kitts provides some of the best food which is paired with beautiful sunsets. From Italian to seafood, St. Kitts knows how to cook up a meal that leaves visitors wanting more.
St. Kitts has everything you could imagine packed into a small, remote island. Words cannot begin to summarize how breathtaking the island is. The views are endless, the history is rich and the food is satisfying.
Staying at St. Kitts was perhaps the easiest hello and the hardest goodbye.
Body photo by Megan Rohrbach