Cruising the Southern Caribbean: A Lazy Day on Beautiful St Kitts

On the last day of our Southern Caribbean cruise, our ship came into port at one of our favorite islands, St. Kitts. As we watched the island come into view under the beautiful morning sky, we were struck with both excitement for the day and sadness in knowing that this would be our last port.

We had debated over the best way to spend our final port day.  Was it better to be on the move, seeing everything we could, or had we at this point earned a lazy beach day?  Being that our friends had never been to this lush, green island of gorgeous beaches, interesting history, and Caribbean charm,  it almost seemed wrong to rob them of an island tour.  On the other hand, we had a sneaking suspicion that we would be ready for a break after booking such busy days in our previous three ports.  In the end, the idea of lounging at the beach triumphed and any touring would be put aside for another trip.

We are total creatures of habit, so of course we asked our taxi driver to bring us to our favorite place on the island, Cockleshell Beach.  The drive is beautiful, with gorgeous ocean views around every bend.

Once we got to Cockleshell Beach, our driver dropped us off at the Loxs-een Beach Hut where he promised “Sessy Deb” would take good care of us.  And he was right, we had comfortable and shaded chairs right on the water, wifi, and inexpensive drinks for the parched.  What more can you ask for?  Okay, you could probably still ask for food and restrooms.  But don’t worry, just walk a few yards to the Reggae Beach Bar and Grill, and voila, problem solved!

Cockleshell Beach has soft sand leading into the water, but a bit further back is a blanket of broken shells.  I love combing through the shells in hopes of finding little treasures.

Once we got into the water, it was hard to find any reason to get back out.  Eventually the weather turned on us as the heavy clouds moved our way, casting shadows and occasional showers on us, but the water was still the place to be.  As the clouds would shift and the warm rays of sun beat down on us, the chill would melt away and all was well in the warm cerulean waters of Cockleshell Beach.

 

Because Cockleshell Beach is a bit of a drive from the port, we asked our taxi driver to return for us well in advance of our ship’s “all aboard.”  When he arrived, we mustered up the will to bid the lovely Cockleshell Beach farewell and take our leave.  Until next time, St. Kitts! 

Tips and Lessons Learned:

1. If you know what time you would like to be picked up from your destination, ask your taxi driver if he or she will return for you at said time. While you are at it, you might ask your driver to commit to only picking up your group for the return trip.  This will ensure a much more comfortable drive back to port without 5-10 new friends packed in with you.
2. Our driver, Bertram Daniels, was pretty great.  His van was really clean with items like Kleenex and hand sanitizer available for use.  He even had a bucket of fresh water for us to rinse our feet before getting in his van after our beach day.  If you are interested in looking him up, here is his card:    
3. No matter what you decide to do, enjoy your day on St. Kitts 🙂