BasseterreCapital
Saint Kitts and Nevis · Country profile
Basseterre is the small, easy capital of Saint Kitts, a colonial port town of the south-west coast that curls around a deep green bay beneath the mountains of the interior of the island. It is one of the older settlements of the Lesser Antilles, founded by the French and rebuilt by the British, and its low streets preserve the sandstone churches, the Georgian shops and the public buildings of the sugar and the trade centuries. The heart of the town is the unusual traffic circle known as the circus, modelled on the plan of the British colonial metropolis, and the busy docks of the harbour bring the cruise ships and the ferries of the neighbouring islands. Tranquil, historic and genuinely friendly, it is the perfect small base of the two-island nation.
About Basseterre
Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The city's documented population is around 13,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +1869.
The Small Capital and the Fort of the Circumference of the Island
Basseterre is a compact capital of the grid of the colonial years, where the circus of the centre, the old treasury building and the gingerbread houses of the older streets make the classic half-day walk of the town. The historic site of the Brimstone Hill fort and the beaches and the plantations of the island lie on the ring road of the country, easily reached by taxi or by the shared local buses. The dockyard of the port fills with the cruise ships of the season, and the ferry from the harbour carries the visitor across the channel to the sister island of the Nevis. The little capital is safe, friendly and remarkably unhurried, and its colonial charm sets the tone of the whole country.
The Harbour Days, the Hurricane Months and the Ferry of the Nevis
The island enjoys the warm trade winds with the drier season from December to May and the wetter months of the summer and the autumn, and the low seasons of the hurricane of the late summer ask for the flexibility of the traveller. The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the currency, the English the language of the streets, and the ferry and the buses cover the circuit of the island cheaply. The historic sites of the capital and the fort of the hill of the Brimstone, a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble of the engineering of the colonial era, anchor the main days, while the rainforest hikes of the interior fill the rest. Light, casual dress and reef-safe sun cream complete the practical list.
The Circus of the Centre, the Market and the Brimstone Hill of the South
The circus of the centre, with its clock of the confederation of the island, and the treasury building of the old stone hold the visual heart of the capital, and the independence square with its fountain and its war memorial preserves the quieter green of the historical town. The Brimstone Hill Fortress, the great fortified citadel on the volcanic hill of the west, is the single essential excursion of the country. The beaches of the south and the bay of the capital give the swimming of the area, and the ferry to the charming island of the Nevis, with its plantations and its peak, completes the two-island story of the little nation.
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- Country
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Population
- 13,000
- Capital
- Basseterre
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1869
- Country code
- KN
Frequently asked questions
Is Basseterre the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis?
Yes — Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
What currency do I need in Basseterre?
The local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD). Languages spoken in Saint Kitts and Nevis include English.
What is the dialling code for Saint Kitts and Nevis?
The international dialling code for Saint Kitts and Nevis is +1869.
Flying out of Basseterre? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.