Why St Kitts Is the Caribbean’s New Adventure Island, From Volcano Hikes to Open Water Racing 

Hiking a dormant volcano. Swimming between two different Caribbean islands. Flying above the canopy in a zipline. Offroading by historic sugar plantation ruins. Exotic black sand beaches. Centuries-old distilleries. 

There’s an adventure for every kind of traveler on the island of St Kitts, a destination that has quietly been amping up its fun quotient in recent years — and placing it at the forefront of the Caribbean’s top adventure destinations. 

St Kitts “is a haven for adventure lovers,” Tourism Minister Marsha Henderson tells Caribbean Journal. 

And it’s true, something we’ve seen in our recent visits to the island — it’s not just an eco-tourism gem (with a burgeoning farm-to-table movement). It’s a wonder, where you can go out and actually enjoy the natural environment, reach out and touch its beauty. 

It really starts with the Nevis to St Kitts Cross Channel Swim, which brings together a group of thrill-seeking, bucket-list-checking swimmers for a 2.5-mile-long race from Nevis’ Oualie Beach to St Kitts’ lovely Cockleshell Bay (a stretch of sand we’ve called the Caribbean’s beach bar capital). 

But the adventure extends all over the island: think hiking with legendary guides like Oneil Mulraine to the crater of the Mount Liamuiga, the dormant volcano which shares the island’s original name. 

Or you can go ziplining above the canopy with outlets like St Kitts Sky Safari, with ziplines that are hundreds of feet long. 

That’s without mentioning the diving and snorkeling: the island is home to some of the Caribbean’s best of both, whether you go check out shipwrecks or take a catamaran snorkeling tour to see a rainbow of coral and marine life. 

In recent years, travelers have made a beeline for ATVs across the Caribbean, and that now includes St Kitts, where you can take tours across hidden trails and even take a dune buggy tour. 

We’ve always loved the island for its blend of low-key charm and stunning beauty, and the reality is that it’s never been better — or easier to get to, thanks to the new JetBlue flights out of New York. 

Are you planning a trip to St Kitts? You can choose from some terrific hotel options, from the tiny Sunset Reef, a hotel we called at the time of its opening the best new boutique hotel in the Caribbean (rooms from $900 per night) to the lovely Koi Resort, which is part of Hilton’s Curio Collection and has rooms for just $158 per night, according to Google Hotels, to St Kitts’ flagship hotel, the Park Hyatt, set on the spectacular southeastern peninsula. 

Even better? The aforementioned JetBlue flight has fares you can book for just $293 roundtrip.