Brimstone Hill Fortress
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park preserves one of the best-preserved historical military fortifications in the Americas, designed by the British and built by slaves.
The complex of fortifications originates from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is located on the island of St. Kitts, making use of the natural setting of a steep double-peaked hill close to the sea. The fort was abandoned and mostly disbanded in 1853.
Community Perspective: interesting history, but mostly the panoramic views from the fortress are praised. Kelly's review provides practical details of a visit.
Map of Brimstone Hill Fortress
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Ammon Watkins
The British started fortifying the double peaked Brimstone Hill in 1690. Sitting at around 800ft it offers commanding views of the coastline and neighbouring islands and with such a steep approach was considered impregnable, the Gibraltar of the Caribbean. Hyperbolic perhaps but it did see some action against the French over the years before being abandoned in 1853. It has since been partially restored and is a pleasant though not outstanding visit if one is in St. Kitts.
Our visit was in Feb 2024. We were on a cruise with a full day stop in St. Kitts. There is no public transport to the fort and rather than take a tour we found a van taxi to take us to the fort and back with about 1 hour of waiting time for $100US. Entry is a pricey $15US now. It is a steep road uphill from the coast and would be a hot and unpleasant walk so we were grateful for the ride. There are various levels of fortifications as you ascend and then a final short hike up one of the peaks to the restored citadel on top. An hour is enough time for a quick look around the citadel and it's few displays, admire the views and then walk over to the barracks and ruined officer's quarters at the base of the other peak. With more time I would have wanted to pack a lunch and just have a picnic more than anything else. Surprisingly for a major attraction in this small country, even with a large cruise ship in port it was still not crowded and maintains an air of respectable authenticity.
Kelly Rogers
We visited this site on the last day of a week long visit to Nevis. It is not the most well-preserved colonial fort in the Caribbean, but there is a lot of interesting history here. The fort is difficult to access. Unless you have a car, you need a taxi or a tour. There is an audio tour for $10 US that is very informative, but probably overpriced. It is also $10 US per person to enter the site. The view is breathtaking! It would take a few hours to wander around and see everything at a leisurely pace.
Emilia Bautista King
My husband and I chose St. Kitts as our honeymoon destination because of its Caribbean location and because it had a World Heritage Site. Brimstone Hill was impressive and provided us with a spectacular view of the island! Ben is right - the island is not so touristy but I think tourism is gaining momentum, so hurry and visit!
Ben Pastore
My visit to Brimstone was no more than 15 minutes, but this imposing fortress took me back in time and I half-expected to see a ship bearing the Jolly Roger approaching the shores below. The fortress, perched atop a magnificently defensible hill, offers unmatched panoramic views of the verdant slopes of this small yet authentic island that didn't appear to have sold its soul to tourism just yet. I highly recommend renting a scooter and circling the island which is a feasable one day excursion
SAROS HENDRICKSON
ST.KITTS WEST INDIES - 01-May-05 -
Hi there i live pretty close to the Brimstone Hill Fortress and up unitl today i am still marvelled by it's massive structure and size. It is a well maintained Historical site, very peaceful quite and serene. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN THERE YOUR MISSING IT!
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Site Info
- Full Name
- Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
- Unesco ID
- 910
- Country
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Inscribed
- 1999
- Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
-
3 4
- Categories
- Structure - Military and Fortifications
- Link
- By ID
Site History
1999 Inscribed
Site Links
Connections
The site has 13 connections
Constructions
Geography
History
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Timeline
Trivia
World Heritage Process
Visitors
111 Community Members have visited.
The Plaque
No plaque has been identified yet for this site.