Shopping Overview

St. Kitts has limited shopping, but there are a few small duty-free shops with good deals on jewelry, perfume, china, and crystal. Several galleries sell excellent paintings and sculptures. The batik fabrics, scarves, caftans, and wall hangings of Caribelle Batik are well known. British expat Kate Spencer is an artist who has lived on the island for years, reproducing its vibrant colors on everything from silk pareus (beach wraps) to note cards to placemats. Other good island buys include crafts, jams, and herbal teas. Don't forget to pick up some CSR (Cane Spirit Rothschild), which is distilled from fresh sugarcane right on St. Kitts (it may become a collector's item now that sugar production has completely shut down). The Brinley Gold company has made a splash among spirits connoisseurs for its coffee, mango, and vanilla rums (there is a tasting room at Port Zante).

Nevis is certainly not the place for a shopping spree, but there are some unusual and wonderful surprises, notably the island's stamps, batik, and hand-embroidered clothing. Honey is another buzzing biz. Quentin Henderson, the amiable head of the Nevis Beekeeping Cooperative, will even arrange trips by appointment to various hives for demonstrations of beekeeping procedures. Other than a few hotel boutiques and isolated galleries, virtually all shopping is concentrated on or just off Main Street in Charlestown. The lovely old stonework and wood floors of the waterfront Cotton Ginnery Complex make an appropriate setting for stalls of local artisans.