Private carLounger each includedFits a cruise day
St Kitts Beach Day and Beach Clubs
US$219 for the car with up to four people, so US$55 each at four. Return transport to Cockleshell, South Friars or Frigate Bay, a lounger each, and the driver booked back for the time you choose. Four to six hours on the sand is what most people take.
A lounger each, already paid
One for every person in the party, at whichever of the three beaches you pick.
The car comes back
Your driver is booked back for the time you agreed, worked back from the all aboard.
Ship late or cancelled
If the ship arrives late the driver waits, and if the call is cancelled you pay nothing.
Which beach: Cockleshell, South Friars or Frigate Bay?
All three run out of Basseterre in the same direction. You pick one on the form, and if the sea is up when you get there, tell the driver and go to another.
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Umbrellas on the sand. Stock photo. Cockleshell Bay
The far end of the peninsula road and the one with the view people come for. You look directly across The Narrows at Nevis, close enough to pick out the roofs. A bar there charges US$10 a day for a chair with umbrella shade over it, and it hires private gazebos, which is what the US$429 version books for you. Ask for that one the day before.
- 2
South Friars Bay. Photo Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. South Friars Bay
The middle of the three. A bar there is reported at US$47 for a group, covering chairs and umbrellas with snorkels and lunch in the figure. We have not confirmed that price with the bar, so treat it as the shape of the deal and ask on the day.
- 3
Frigate Bay beach. Photo giggel, CC BY 3.0. The Frigate Bay strip
Closest to Basseterre and the busiest of the three. A club on the strip charges US$10 for a chair and US$10 more for the umbrella. Some reviews put it at US$39 for two chairs and an umbrella. We quote the US$10 figures as the rate we have confirmed, and the club sets its own price on the day.
- 4
Clear water from below. Stock photo. The water
These beaches are not supervised. There are no lifeguards and no warning flags on any beach in St Kitts. Swim where other people are already swimming, keep children inside arm's reach, and ask the bar staff about the current before you go in.
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Beach chairs. Stock photo. The vendors
The peninsula beaches have vendors and monkey handlers working the sand, some of them persistent, and the ones with monkeys will ask real money for a photograph. They are independent of the bars. Nothing has to be bought from anyone, and a firm no is enough.
How long is the St Kitts beach day, and does it fit a cruise day?
Ships in Basseterre are alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm on most calls. A 9:30am run gets you five hours at the beach and back at Port Zante in good time for a mid afternoon all aboard. Cockleshell is the longest of the three drives, so on a short call the strip at Frigate Bay buys you more beach and less road. Give us the ship name and we work the return back from the all aboard.
- 9:30amCollected at Port Zante or your hotel
- ArrivalA lounger each at Cockleshell, South Friars or Frigate Bay
- +5 hoursYour driver back at the beach at the time you agreed
- FinishBack at Port Zante in good time for a mid afternoon all aboard
How much is a St Kitts beach day?
US$219 covers up to four people, so two pay the same as four. Children 3 to 12 count inside the four and anyone under 3 goes free. Above four it is US$55 an extra adult and US$35 an extra child. The gazebo version at US$429 puts your party in a private gazebo with a round of drinks, bottled water, cheese and crackers and priority service, at US$75 an extra adult. If we have another booking on your date we will offer to pair you and bring the price down, and the form asks whether you are willing to share.
Included
- Return transport from Port Zante or your hotel
- A sun lounger for each of you
- The driver booked back for the time you choose
- With the gazebo: a private gazebo, a round of drinks, bottled water, cheese and crackers and priority service
Not included
- Food and drink beyond that
- The US$10 umbrella at the two beaches that charge for shade
- Anything on the water with an engine on it
- Anything a vendor offers you on the sand
- Tips, which are appreciated and not required
| Party | Total | Per person | Agency rate at US$49 each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | US$219 | US$219 | US$49 |
| 2 people | US$219 | US$110 | US$98 |
| 3 people | US$219 | US$73 | US$147 |
| 4 people | US$219 | US$55 | US$196 |
| Gazebo, up to 4 | US$429 | US$107 | no equivalent |
What to bring
- Cash in small notes. Chairs and drinks are small purchases and the bars move faster on cash. US dollars are taken everywhere on the island.
- Shade money. US$10 covers the umbrella at two of the three, and it is the one cost people do not plan for.
- Your own towel. Do not count on the bar having one.
- A mask and snorkel if you swim with them. Only one of the three quotes gear inside its price and that figure is unconfirmed.
- Sun cover for the middle of the day. There is shade on all three beaches and almost none of it is free.
Is it right for you?
- It does not suit anyone expecting supervised water. Nobody is watching the sea at any of these beaches, so if you cannot swim, stay where you can stand.
- Small children need an adult in the water with them.
- The drop-off puts you on sand at all three. If you use a wheelchair or a walking frame, book it and tell us on the form, and we will tell you plainly what the access is like at each beach for your date.
- Five or more changes the vehicle and the price, so say so when you book.
Questions people ask
What does a taxi from the cruise port to the beach cost?
How far is Cockleshell Beach from the cruise port?
Can you walk to the beach from the St Kitts cruise port?
What do the cruise lines and the booking sites charge?
Is the lounger really included?
Can we eat and drink there?
Is the water safe for children?
Do we tip the driver?
Send a request. Pay only once it is confirmed.
Your date, the beach, whether you want the gazebo, how many adults and children, and your pickup and return times. We confirm the car and the loungers within one working day, and only then send a payment link.