Maybe you know it for its endless tranquility, its charming inns, or the tapestry of its history.
But there’s another side to St Kitts, and it begins at the foothills of a dormant volcano.
This is Mount Liamguia, the 3,800-foot dormant volcano that’s one of the tallest summits in the Caribbean – and the epicenter of the region’s great unheralded hiking destination.
The journey up Liamuiga itself is about four hours, a climb through the green wonder of the Kittitian rainforest and up to the rim of a volcanic crater.
Liamuiga’s last eruption was nearly 2,000 years ago — today, it’s an imposing, beautiful reminder of this island’s immense natural beauty.
But the world of hiking St Kitts is remarkably rich for a relatively tiny island.
That means you can find everything from bat caves to waterfalls to 15-foot boulders at the edge of riverbeds.
And there’s something for every skill level.
There’s Dos D’Anse pond, a five-hour hike in the Wingfield area anchored by an ascent up a 900-foot, 25-degree gutter.
For a more leisurely hike, there’s Shitten Bay, an hour-long journey that begins in Major’s Bay and takes hikers to a rocky stretch of coastline.
It doesn’t get more difficult than Bat Cave, which includes the aforementioned boulder, leading you to a stunning bat habitat.
You’re a world away from the energy of Basseterre and the beach bars at Cockleshell; the daunting history at Brimstone Hill and colorful shops of Port Zante.
It’s another way to see St Kitts, to immerse yourself in the birdsong and tropical flora and maybe come close to one of the island’s vervet monkeys.
And it begins by looking up.
For more, visit St Kitts.