Minimum age 8Swimmers onlyGuidedSnorkel gear included
Kayak and Snorkel in St Kitts
You paddle a two-person kayak from South Friars Beach along the coast to a snorkel station, get in the water, then carry on to Frigate Bay Beach where seasonal fruit, juice and bottled water are waiting. US$139 a person, four to five hours, minimum age 8. You need to be able to swim and to paddle, because this one is work.
Nothing taken at booking
One invoice link comes after the trip is confirmed, and we add no card fee.
The guide calls the weather
If wind and swell stop the trip you pay nothing, and anything paid comes back in full.
A guide on the water
The guide stays with the group on the water and at the snorkel station.
What do you paddle past on the St Kitts kayak tour?
The south coast, from South Friars round towards Frigate Bay, with the Caribbean on your right and the hills of the South East Peninsula running along beside you.
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South Friars Bay. Photo Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. South Friars Beach
You start on the sand at South Friars, a dark sand beach on the Caribbean side where the water is usually flat in the morning. Two to a kayak, with a guide on the water with you.
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Snorkelling over a reef. Stock photo. The snorkel station
The paddle out is the first stretch and it is the one that tells you how fit you are. You stop there, get out of the boat, and snorkel. Mask, fins and snorkel are in the price.
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A beach in St Kitts and Nevis. Photo M. Alejandra Gómez, CC0. No lifeguards
Both beaches are unsupervised, like every beach in St Kitts. No lifeguards, no warning flags, and Canada's government travel advice says rescue services here may not meet international standards. That is why the guide stays with the group, and why we will not sell this trip to a non-swimmer.
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How long is the St Kitts kayak tour, and does it fit a cruise day?
Ships in Basseterre are usually alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm. At four to five hours this trip sits at the top of the band, so it works on a standard call and does not work on a short one. Add the drive to South Friars at each end. We do not publish a start time. We confirm it in writing when we confirm the booking, and if your call is a short one we will say plainly that this is the wrong trip for your day.
- StartOn the sand at South Friars Beach, two to a kayak, with the guide on the water
- First stretchPaddle out to the snorkel station
- Snorkel stopOut of the boat and into the water, with the guide staying with the group
- Second stretchPaddle on along the coast to Frigate Bay Beach
- FinishFruit, juice and water at Frigate Bay, four to five hours after the start
How much does the St Kitts kayak tour cost?
US$139 a person, and a child of 8 or over pays the same, sharing a kayak with an adult. Under 8 cannot come. Nothing is taken at booking. One invoice link comes after the trip is confirmed, and card payments on this island commonly carry a 4.5 percent fee that we do not add.
Included
- A seat in a two-person kayak, with paddle and life jacket
- Mask, fins and snorkel
- Guide on the water and at the snorkel station
- Seasonal fruit, juice and bottled water at Frigate Bay
Not included
- Your transport to South Friars Beach, though we can arrange a taxi at the taxi fare
- Lunch
- Anything you buy at the bars at Frigate Bay afterwards
| Who | Price | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
| One person | US$139 | Seat in a two-person kayak, paddle, life jacket, snorkel gear, guide, fruit, juice and bottled water at Frigate Bay |
| Age 8 and over | US$139 | The same, sharing a kayak with an adult |
| Under 8 | Not available | Minimum age on this trip is 8 |
What to bring
- A swimsuit under your clothes, and a towel. You are wet from the snorkel station onwards.
- Water shoes or sandals you can swim in. You get in and out of a kayak off sand and over rock in places, and bare feet are the usual regret.
- Sun cover that survives four hours and a swim, plus a hat with a strap. There is no shade for the whole paddle and the reflection off the sea burns the undersides of your arms.
- A dry bag for your phone and your car key. Kayaks ship water and the boat has nowhere dry in it.
- Cash in small notes. For the bars at Frigate Bay if you want to stay on afterwards, which plenty of people do. US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island.
Is it right for you?
- Under 8 cannot come. That is the minimum age and it holds on the beach whatever the booking says.
- Anyone who cannot swim should not book. There is a snorkel station in open water in the middle of this trip, and a life jacket is not the same thing as being able to swim.
- This is a real paddle for a real distance, with your own arms, in the sun. If you want a seat and a drink in your hand, take the catamaran instead.
- Paddling a loaded two-person kayak against any wind puts the load through your shoulders, back and wrists, so skip it if any of those is a problem.
- Pregnancy, and any heart or breathing condition, needs your own doctor's view before you book.
Questions people ask
How fit do I need to be?
Can an 8 year old really do this?
Do we get snorkel gear, or bring our own?
What is the food at the end?
Is this better than a boat snorkel trip?
Could we book this trip cheaper somewhere else?
Is there a lifeguard at either beach?
What if the weather turns or our ship is late?
Send a request. Pay only once it is confirmed.
Tell us your date, how many people and their ages, whether everyone can swim, whether you need a taxi to South Friars, and your ship name if you are on one. We confirm with the guide and reply within one working day, and only then do we send a payment link.