ST KITTS & NEVIS (Caribbean)

Fascinating St. Kitts & Nevis, with rain forests, mountains, and secluded beaches was once super-wealthy from the 'white gold' of sugar, this tiny nation remains super-rich in scenery, history, culture, class and charm. St Kitts & Nevis was first of the Lesser Antilles to be colonized by Europeans, hence the nickname: Mother Colony of the West Indies. The first settler was Thomas Warner, an Englishman who settled in along about 1623. Later, French settlers came and, for a while Brit and French colonizers were content to protect each other from Caribs.

St. Kitts & Nevis is located in the Eastern Caribbean, south of St. Martin, west of Antigua, and north of Nevis. The island is 23 miles long with an area of 68 square miles, and a population of 35,000. A mountain range, including the dormant volcano Mt. Liamuiga, covers the central part of the island. Dense, tropical rain forests near the summit contrast with cultivated, fertile valleys below.

The incredible beauty of these islands makes it understandable why so many nations and people have desired deeded ownership. Lower slopes of St Kitts glimmer with the emerald green of sugar cane stalks. Fertile fields rise to a rain forest and then on to mountain peaks atop stunted woodlands.

Activities in St. Kitts & Nevis include golf, scuba diving and snorkeling in the clear waters, playing the machines and tables at the casino, exploring the beauty of the rain forests, or beachcombing along the miles of sandy beaches.

Special attractions in St. Kitts are Brimstone Hill, a thirty-eight acre stronghold established in the 1690's. This Gibraltar of the West Indies has been restored and citadel contains a museum, displaying uniforms and weapons alongside the history of the island.