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Challenging Volcano Hikes – St. Kitts and Nevis
A few more to go!
After the 2025 Outlook notes were put out into the universe, it was only a matter of time before the flights were booked to St. Kitts and Nevis, putting me closer to the goal of exploring each sovereign Lesser Antilles island. This was another exciting one, mainly due to there being two main volcano hikes I was interested in – one on each island of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Looking back, Nevis peak was the most technical and challenging hike I’ve been on to-date. The amount of scrambling, slippery rock surfaces and sketchy rope ties set this hike apart from the rest. The video probably doesn’t do it justice, but I figured if I had one day to film, this was what should be captured. If only the view was clear from the top! Aside from Nevis island, St. Kitts had some things going on as well, and it was where the homebase was. Let’s dive into that first.
Travel Logistics
American Airlines still has some amazing points redemptions for flights. I can normally hit RT for around 20K redemptions.
Both St. Kitts and Nevis were very accessible islands. I stayed close to the airport, in the suburbs of Basseterre using Airbnb. Per usual, my solo weekend warrior trips are not luxurious by any means, especially when you’re walking and driving about all day. With that said, amenities were middle of the pack.
Logistics for 3 nights in St. Kitts and Nevis looked like:
- 20K American Airline redemption + $76 tax for RT flight
- Airbnb cost $330 (came complete with nesting pigeon). Jokes aside, the place was actually nice inside.
- I rented a car from a local this time (better than any branded car rental service IMO) since I knew I’d want to hike on my schedule – $160
- Loading a car on the sea ferry ran about $70, but every penny was worth it
Total was around around $650 for basic logistic stuff for three days. Seems decent to me.
St. Kitts
Alas, let’s get into St. Kitts a bit. First, traversing the island was the same as the rest. It’s a big circle, but the roads here were noticeably better. One unique factor about St. Kitts was that it had an operational train to take you around the island. It sounded super tempting. Of course, I’ll have a rum cocktail, sit back, and let someone else navigate. However, even on the day I was there, I heard it had mechanical issues, so I’m glad I passed it up. No train, no problem. Renting a car is the way to go, even with UK road rules. It allows you to get to places like Mt. Liamuiga and Old Rum Rum distillery at your pace.
Mt. Liamuiga was the first of my volcano hikes. I’d give it a moderate rating at most. There were a few scrambles, but nothing nearly as extreme as Nevis. Old Road Rum was the reward. I was able to squeeze in a drink right before they closed and tour the grounds. I’m not a rum expert (yet), but I did bring home some samples! The bees seemed to be enjoyers as well, getting absolutely blasted in the almost empty bottles.
Another place I quite enjoyed was a restaurant close to my place called Palms Court Gardens. It was a little more upscale, and had interesting menu options for lunch and dinner. The bartenders and staff were all great, and one even knew about my HxH credit card (nerd stuff). We had a few conversations over the days I was there about the life on the islands and how no one hikes! Seriously, I asked a local of 40 years and he never once hiked either volcano.
Overall thoughts on St. Kitts is it’s more of the locals’ island. There is not too much going from mainland tourism (obviously many come here by ship or yacht, and stick to the coast), and the beaches are subpar. That doesn’t mean there isn’t joy to be found, though. Sitting in an empty field eating jerk chicken and catching some rays brought just as much fulfillment.
Nevis Island
The day that I filmed took place mostly on Nevis Island, and I am grateful for that. The hike was more epic, the scenery more lush and the beaches were a step up.
Unloading from the ferry, I took the car straight to the trailhead. In my absolute ignorance, I thought things were going great, until about halfway through the hike, I’m assuming the slope changed drastically, although looking at Nevis from afar, the angle seems consistent. It was brutally fun, and technical. I was in the rain clouds. It was windy, wet and cold, yet refreshing. The views at the top were nonexistent, but hey, the journey to the peak was the real winner and I was graced with a post-hike rainbow, too.
Following the hike, there were two other places of interest on the island – St. James Raceway and Pinneys Beach. I was attempting to recreate some Grenada magic at the raceway, but the entire area was locked up. Easy pass. Pinneys Beach, on the other hand was probably the best beach both islands had to offer. I picked up some roadside ribs on the way (can never go wrong with this) and spend a splendid and peaceful afternoon laying on the sand giving my legs a much needed break.
Successful Weekend
With three days behind me, St. Kitts and Nevis offered some great volcano hiking opportunities. Out of all the Lesser Antilles thus far, I would rank it 2nd behind St. Vincent and the Grenadines for hiking, and a little lower for overall experience. Both islands can easily be covered by car in a day or two, making it a breeze to do what you want, when you want.
I enjoyed this jungle-volcano trek, and am looking forward to one of the final, and likely the most challenging locations to come: Dominica.
-ML
Recap of Places
Check out the MAP for links!
- Mt. Liamuiga
- Old Road Rum
- Nevis Peak
- Pinneys Beach
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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