Basseterre, St Kitts
Both St Kitts and Nevis owe their dramatic central mountains, rather unpredictable geological history, and lush tropical vegetation to the fact that they are volcanic islands.
Like the majority of the Caribbean, St Kitts and Nevis were first settled by Arawak and Carib Indians who moved up, island by island, from South America between five and seven thousand years ago. In 1493, Christopher Columbus arrived and thus commenced the European connection. In the late 1620s, the French came up with the name Basseterre, which simply means ‘lowland’. In the ensuing years there have been many Basseterres, for earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, fires and invasions have all swept through this modest community. Set before the dramatic backdrop of St Kitts’ lush green hills, Basseterre today retains much of the elegant Georgian character of Nelson’s days.
