Frigate Bay, St. Kitts: Two Coasts and the Strip Between Them

Why Go

Frigate Bay is a narrow neck of land where St. Kitts is only a few hundred metres wide, so it has a beach on each coast and they could not be more different. The southern side is Caribbean — calm, sheltered, and lined with the beach bars that make up the Strip, which is where the island goes out. The northern side is Atlantic, windier, rougher, with the big hotels and the golf course behind it. Ten minutes from Basseterre and ten from the airport, it is where most visitors to St. Kitts actually stay, and the reason is that you can walk between the two.

The Experience

The Strip at South Frigate Bay is a row of wooden bars directly on the sand, each with its own night and its own crowd, and it operates on a rhythm everybody local knows — a different place is the busy one depending on the evening. During the day it is quiet and you can have a beach chair and calm water almost to yourself. North Frigate Bay across the neck is a different proposition: wide, exposed, with real waves and wind, backed by resorts and the golf course, better for a walk than a swim. Between them the land is low and scrubby with the road running through. Beyond, the south-east peninsula road climbs away toward the quieter beaches and the view down to Nevis, which is ten minutes further and worth the drive.

What to Try

Do the Strip at least once, and go where the crowd is that night: Mr X's Shiggidy Shack is the long-standing name, The Monkey Bar and Pirates Bar and Grill are the reliable rest, and Ocean's Beach Bar Lounge and Aqua Park adds the daytime version with something for children. Rock Lobster Seafood & Grill and Lotus Thai Bistro are the sit-down dinners, SOHO Lounge the later one, and Coffee Shop Frigate Bay the morning. Opus Fine Wines & Spirits and Taste IT SKN cover what you take home. On the water, St. Kitts Water Sports and Dave's Water Sports rent off the beach, St. Kitts Water Safaris and Coastal View Charters run the boat days, and Frigate Bay Marina is the base for the bigger trips. On land, St Kitts Paragliding and the dune-buggy and beach tours get you off the sand, and Exclusive Escapes runs the guided version.

Insider Tip

Swim on the south side and walk on the north. It takes five minutes to cross between the two coasts and visitors routinely spend their week on the wrong one — the Atlantic side looks dramatic and is genuinely rough, with currents that catch people out, while the Caribbean side a few hundred metres away is flat and calm. On the Strip, ask a local which bar has the night; it rotates, and turning up at the quiet one on the wrong evening gives you a completely different impression of the place.

The Practical Stuff

Frigate Bay is about ten minutes from Basseterre and ten from Robert L. Bradshaw International, which makes it the most convenient base on the island. The Strip and the south beach are walkable from most of the hotels, but crossing to the north side and reaching the south-east peninsula, Brimstone Hill or the rainforest all need a car or a taxi. Driving is on the LEFT and a temporary local permit is required. Parking is easy and free. The Strip runs late and the noise carries along the beach, so ask where a room sits if you are a light sleeper. Cruise passengers reach here easily from Port Zante, which makes the south beach busier on ship days. St. Kitts is in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November, with December to April the drier and busier season.

Common Questions

Is Frigate Bay a good place to stay in St. Kitts?

It is the usual choice and the most convenient — ten minutes from both Basseterre and the airport, with a calm beach, the island's nightlife and most of its hotels. Quieter alternatives are further down the south-east peninsula.

What is the Strip in Frigate Bay?

The row of wooden beach bars along South Frigate Bay, directly on the sand. It is where St. Kitts goes out, and which bar is busy changes by night of the week.

Can you swim at North Frigate Bay?

It is the Atlantic side — windy, with real waves and currents that catch people out. Swim on the south, Caribbean side instead, which is five minutes' walk away and flat calm.

How far is Frigate Bay from the airport?

About ten minutes from Robert L. Bradshaw International, and the same again to Basseterre in the other direction. It sits on the narrow neck between the two coasts.

Do you need a car in Frigate Bay?

Not for the Strip and the south beach, which are walkable from most hotels. Yes for the south-east peninsula beaches, Brimstone Hill, the rainforest and the north coast.

Is Frigate Bay noisy?

The Strip runs late and the sound carries along the beach, so ask where a room sits before booking if you are a light sleeper. The north side and the peninsula are considerably quieter.

Pair It With

Mr X’s Shiggidy Shack — The Strip's anchor, and the easiest first night.
St. Kitts Water Safaris Guide — The boat day down the peninsula toward Nevis.
Rock Lobster Seafood & Grill — Dinner before the beach bars start.