St. Kitts

In the Caribbean Sea, there are two groups of island called the Antilles.  The larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola make up the Greater Antilles, while the smaller islands, from the Virgin Islands to the islands off the coast of Venezuela are known as the Lesser Antilles.  St. Kitts, at the northern end of this island chain is in this group.


The island was formed from volcanic action.  It is not usual for people to think of the Caribbean Sea as being an active area for volcanos or earthquakes, but, in fact, many of the islands have volcanos, some of them active, and the Caribbean plate has produced several major earthquakes, including the one in Haiti in 2010.

The sand on the beaches of St. Kitts is black, and in many areas there are formations made from volcanic material that make it pretty to look at, but impossible to swim in.

As we rode around the island, we encountered goats and chickens running wild, and the driver took delight in chasing them down with the car.  We stopped on the way to the batik factory to see one of the island's monkeys.  The batik factory had some beautiful hand crafted goods and is one of the few places we've encountered that actually had native wares.

This bridge marks the site of "Bloody Point" where over 2000 Carib Indians were massacred by the French and English who settled there in the 1600's.  The Indians were herded down to the valley and killed, and so much blood flowed that the river is said to have flowed red.

My impression of St. Kitts was that it was an island trying to build a tourist trade, but was having some hardships due to it's volcanic makeup.  Tourists would rather have clean white beaches that they can sunbathe on and swim in.  There were not too many shore tours, and few shopping areas.  Hopefully, things will improve in the next few years.