St Kitts and Nevis Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

Christophe Harbour, Cockleshell Bay and Pinney’s Beach

Board your yacht at Christophe Harbour by mid-morning. After a welcome champagne toast on the flybridge, cruise to Cockleshell Bay for a morning swim and snorkel in calm, turquoise water with Nevis Peak as your backdrop. Lunch at Spice Mill on the beach, then cross The Narrows (10 minutes) and anchor off Pinney’s Beach. Spend the afternoon on the sand, Killer Bees in hand, with the volcanic peak wreathed in clouds above you. Dinner aboard – your chef has provisioned from Nevis’s local markets – or tender ashore to Sunshine’s for grilled lobster, cold rum and the stars coming out over the Caribbean.

Charlestown, Nevis’s West Coast and Montpelier Plantation

Cruise south to Charlestown for a morning ashore. Visit Hamilton House, the Bath Hotel hot springs, and the colonial waterfront, then cruise north along Nevis’s sheltered west coast to Oualie Beach for a midday swim and snorkel. In the afternoon, your crew arranges a car transfer to Montpelier Plantation, set in the foothills of Nevis Peak at 750 feet elevation. Dinner at Mill Privée – a candlelit tasting menu in a restored 300-year-old sugar mill, surrounded by lush tropical gardens. Return to the yacht at anchor off Pinney’s Beach for a nightcap beneath the stars.

South-East Peninsula, Brimstone Hill and Return

Cross The Narrows back to St Kitts and cruise along the south-east peninsula, pausing at South Friars Bay for a morning snorkel over the reef. Continue north along the leeward coast to Brimstone Hill Fortress – tender ashore and spend an hour exploring the UNESCO-listed citadel, with its 300-year history and six-island views from the ramparts. Your chef prepares a farewell lunch on the aft deck as the yacht returns to Christophe Harbour or Basseterre by mid-afternoon – time for a final visit to the Park Hyatt’s beach club or a stroll through Basseterre’s duty-free shops.

Basseterre to Sint Eustatius (Statia)

Depart Basseterre mid-morning and set course north-west for Sint Eustatius – roughly 5 nautical miles, a quick 20-minute crossing. This tiny Dutch Caribbean island (21 square kilometres, population under 3,500) is one of the most unspoilt destinations in the Leeward Islands. Anchor in Oranje Bay and tender ashore to explore the remains of Fort Oranje (1629), the colonial warehouses of Lower Town (once the busiest trading port in the eastern Caribbean), and the hiking trails on The Quill, a 601-metre extinct volcano with a pristine rainforest inside its crater. The diving and snorkelling within the protected Sint Eustatius National Marine Park are outstanding – healthy coral, sponge-encrusted walls and abundant fish life in clear, uncrowded water. Return to an anchorage off St Kitts’ north coast for dinner aboard.

Dieppe Bay and the Northern Coast

Spend the morning at Dieppe Bay – St Kitts’ dramatic black-sand beach, protected by a major offshore reef. Snorkel in calm, sheltered water alive with lobsters, moray eels and colourful reef fish. After lunch on the aft deck, cruise slowly along St Kitts’ rugged northern coastline – volcanic cliffs dropping to deep water, rainforest spilling down to the shore, and the cloud-topped peak of Mount Liamuiga looming above. Anchor in a sheltered bay on the leeward side for a sunset swim and dinner beneath the stars.

Leeward Coast and Sandy Point

Continue south along St Kitts’ leeward coast, stopping to snorkel Sandy Point Reef – considered the best reef dive on the island, with pristine coral at 15–40 metres and abundant marine life. After lunch, visit one of the deliberately sunk wrecks (the 144-foot River Taw at 12 metres or the Corinthian at 18 metres) for an afternoon dive on an artificial reef now teeming with lobster, nurse sharks and schools of tropical fish. Your crew arranges a guided dive with a local operator. Continue to Basseterre for an evening ashore – stroll the waterfront, browse the duty-free shops, and enjoy dinner at Marshall’s (locally caught conch, lobster and a Kittitian welcome that defines island hospitality).

The Scenic Railway and Christophe Harbour

If your group is interested, book a morning ride on the St Kitts Scenic Railway – the narrow-gauge line that once transported sugarcane now carries visitors on a 30-mile circuit of the island, through rainforest, past sugar-plantation ruins and along the coastline with commentary on the island’s history. Alternatively, spend the morning at South Friars Bay or Cockleshell Bay for a final swim. Your chef prepares a farewell gourmet lunch on the aft deck as the yacht returns to Christophe Harbour by early afternoon – time for a final session at the Park Hyatt spa or a sundowner by the infinity pool.

Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day twin-island route with the 4-day Statia and leeward coast route for a comprehensive 7-day charter. For an even grander itinerary, add the 3-hour passage south-east to Antigua (57 nautical miles) and extend the voyage to 8 or 10 days covering St Kitts, Nevis, Statia, Antigua and Barbuda – four nations, two UNESCO sites and some of the most varied cruising in the Caribbean.