Beach - Carambola Beach Club or Spice Mill

Hi,

We (two couples in their 40s and 50s) are arriving in a couple weeks on a day three ships will be in Port. That seems like a lot for St Kitts. We are looking for a beach day. We want to rent chairs and umbrellas, eat good food and play in the water. I prefer a nice white sand beach and we are not into the party scene. Where would you go? Thanks!

St Kitts is not known for white sand beaches. They tend to be several shades of tan to somewhat black as the sand is generally of volcanic origin. You will find sandy beaches with the amenities you describe at Frigate Bay, South Friars Bay and Cockleshell Bay. They are all on the SE Peninsula. Taxi fare will run from $15 to 30 each way for 4 passengers sharing the ride and the more sharing the larger vans will lower the per person cost. Costs also increase as you go further along the peninsula away from the port.

Hi,

 

 

 

We (two couples in their 40s and 50s) are arriving in a couple weeks on a day three ships will be in Port. That seems like a lot for St Kitts. We are looking for a beach day. We want to rent chairs and umbrellas, eat good food and play in the water. I prefer a nice white sand beach and we are not into the party scene. Where would you go? Thanks!

You are looking for exactly what my husband and I are looking for. We were just there last week and we never saw any white sand beaches. The water was not that clear. We did a Catamaran Sail to Nevis and the water there was like murky lake water, not clear at all. We had fun but not what I pictured for a Caribbean beach. Still trying to decide what to do for our Nov 18 cruise when we have a port stop there again. I was looking at Reggae Beach Bar and Grill but I hear it's more rustic. Not really into rustic. I was looking at Carambola Beach Club or skipping the beach and going up to Palms Court Gardens and hang out at the infinity pool with a gorgeous view instead.

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Dh and I have been to Carambola Beach Club and loved it! it is not a white sand beach, but is still very beautiful! The scenery is very nice. Towards the far end of the beach There is supposedly black sand... we didn't walk that far though. To be honest we went to St. Kitts thinking we wouldn't enjoy it much , but ended up loving it!

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Dh and I have been to Carambola Beach Club and loved it! it is not a white sand beach, but is still very beautiful! The scenery is very nice. Towards the far end of the beach There is supposedly black sand... we didn't walk that far though. To be honest we went to St. Kitts thinking we wouldn't enjoy it much , but ended up loving it!

 

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Do you have to make advance reservations for Carambola Beach Club?

You are looking for exactly what my husband and I are looking for. We were just there last week and we never saw any white sand beaches. The water was not that clear. We did a Catamaran Sail to Nevis and the water there was like murky lake water, not clear at all. We had fun but not what I pictured for a Caribbean beach. Still trying to decide what to do for our Nov 18 cruise when we have a port stop there again. I was looking at Reggae Beach Bar and Grill but I hear it's more rustic. Not really into rustic. I was looking at Carambola Beach Club or skipping the beach and going up to Palms Court Gardens and hang out at the infinity pool with a gorgeous view instead.

 

 

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Palm Court is our “go-to place”. We skip the beach and the transport but be sure to pre-reserve your lounger.

Do you have to make advance reservations for Carambola Beach Club?

We did not, but got there early just incase. There was only 1 couple there before us, so we got front row seating. It got very busy closer to lunch time. It seemed like a lot of tours stopped there after the island tour for the beach portion of the tour. I will make a reservation next time because we will be going with a group instead of just 2 of us.

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How much was Carambola Beach Club for the day?

$30 for 2 chairs and 1 umbrella

Dh and I have been to Carambola Beach Club and loved it! it is not a white sand beach, but is still very beautiful! The scenery is very nice. Towards the far end of the beach There is supposedly black sand... we didn't walk that far though. To be honest we went to St. Kitts thinking we wouldn't enjoy it much , but ended up loving it!

 

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The black sand beach at the other end is called Ship Wreck beach. It’s a narrow beach with black sand and monkeys in the trees😊. We got dropped off there and then walked down to Carombola beach. It’s not a bad walk at all. Water was beautiful when we were there. If we would have taken our snorkel gear we would have snorkeled in the bay there. We could see several colorful fish on the edges. It was not extremely clear in that bay. You need water shoes as it was VERY rocky all around it.

We honestly did not enjoy Carambola very much, sadly. A bit overpriced and the food didn't look very inspiring so we waited to eat when we got back to the ship. Not the nicest beach area either, lots of debris around the area and old shipping containers within view... We only found out about Shipwreck Beach Bar after the fact or we so would have wandered down there. Although the drive to Carambola was very scenic, for the beach itself we wish we had chosen Cockleshell.

We honestly did not enjoy Carambola very much, sadly. A bit overpriced and the food didn't look very inspiring so we waited to eat when we got back to the ship. Not the nicest beach area either, lots of debris around the area and old shipping containers within view... We only found out about Shipwreck Beach Bar after the fact or we so would have wandered down there. Although the drive to Carambola was very scenic, for the beach itself we wish we had chosen Cockleshell.

I was there last week and I enjoyed it. I thought Carambola was a pretty good beach. Also nice lounge chairs and umbrellas.

Shipwreck Beach Bar is rustic and has good food and drink prices but the beach at that end is not very good.

We have been to Carambola and it's one of your more "upscale" type of beaches. We thought it was pretty, but we also walked down the beach all the way to Shipwrecked because we wanted to see the black sand beach (which I had never seen before) and found it amazing (the black sand). If you haven't seen it before, you must check it out. It's like diamonds glistening in the sand and so different. There are 3 places there on that beach. Starting with Carambola, then in the middle is Discovery Beach Bar and then Ship Wrecked. Check out my review, located in my signature line, and it has TONS of pictures in it. :)

We have been to Carambola and it's one of your more "upscale" type of beaches. We thought it was pretty, but we also walked down the beach all the way to Shipwrecked because we wanted to see the black sand beach (which I had never seen before) and found it amazing (the black sand). If you haven't seen it before, you must check it out. It's like diamonds glistening in the sand and so different. There are 3 places there on that beach. Starting with Carambola, then in the middle is Discovery Beach Bar and then Ship Wrecked. Check out my review, located in my signature line, and it has TONS of pictures in it. :)

Wow, what a great review with such gorgeous pictures of Carambola and your beautiful family. We were at Carambola Dec 1st and the dock your little ones were jumping off of was being used for tender boats from two small cruise ships anchored off shore (Crystal Esprit & Sea Dream YC). We loved Carambola , nice soft sand and warm water. The beach was clean and the bathrooms were immaculate. Another poster mentioned some old shipping containers, I looked thru my pictures from the beach and I didn't see any. Just sand, ocean, a few clouds and beautiful mountains. Free wifi was fast, which is nice when you're sailing NCL ;p

That would be me. And having returned a week ago, I assure you that the six of us did not collectively imagine it. Facing the restaurant, to the right of the building, are the washrooms. To the right the washroom, is the parking area and tour drop off area. To the right of that (between Carambola and the first beach bar, not shipwreck but the other) is a kind of vacant lot area, which was very littered and fringed with rubble and several old rusty shipping containers. We all thought it looked super out of place and kinda ruined the atmosphere.

Wow, what a great review with such gorgeous pictures of Carambola and your beautiful family. We were at Carambola Dec 1st and the dock your little ones were jumping off of was being used for tender boats from two small cruise ships anchored off shore (Crystal Esprit & Sea Dream YC). We loved Carambola , nice soft sand and warm water. The beach was clean and the bathrooms were immaculate. Another poster mentioned some old shipping containers, I looked thru my pictures from the beach and I didn't see any. Just sand, ocean, a few clouds and beautiful mountains. Free wifi was fast, which is nice when you're sailing NCL ;p

Thanks for the comments and glad you liked the pictures. Carambola is very nice and clean. But I think next time, I will try Discovery Beach. It looked fairly nice and very secluded and I loved the black sand in front of it.

That would be me. And having returned a week ago, I assure you that the six of us did not collectively imagine it. Facing the restaurant, to the right of the building, are the washrooms. To the right the washroom, is the parking area and tour drop off area. To the right of that (between Carambola and the first beach bar, not shipwreck but the other) is a kind of vacant lot area, which was very littered and fringed with rubble and several old rusty shipping containers. We all thought it looked super out of place and kinda ruined the atmosphere.

I don't think there's anyone that said you didn't see any containers. They just replied saying that they enjoyed their time there. :confused:

But that area is not owned by Carambola or Discovery. It's a vacant lot. It is not either beach bars job to remove or clean up that area so you can't fault them. When we were there, we did notice some old trashed appliances in that area, but it's not an area we were staying in and it didn't bother us. We only noticed because we walked down that way. I was thinking that I read somewhere, back in the day, that there was another beach bar there and something happened and they went somewhere else. I'm not sure though. Maybe the unattended lot has just become a dumping ground for others...who knows. But then again, you can get that any place that's become vacant, especially in the US.

It sucks it ruined it for you. Hopefully next visit you will have a more positive experience at Cockleshell. :)

Right, except that the Carambola chairs do extend far enough down the beach to be directly in front of said containers... so whether they belong to them or not, or whether it’s their responsibility to clean it up or not, if you’re at that end, as we were, it is indeed part of your surroundings. Not very pleasant or “upscale”. So yes, we found Carambola lacking, but the beach itself is nice. We walked all the way past Discovery and I agree, it’s very nice down there with the mountain views and is less crowded.

Right, except that the Carambola chairs do extend far enough down the beach to be directly in front of said containers... so whether they belong to them or not, or whether it’s their responsibility to clean it up or not, if you’re at that end, as we were, it is indeed part of your surroundings. Not very pleasant or “upscale”. So yes, we found Carambola lacking, but the beach itself is nice. We walked all the way past Discovery and I agree, it’s very nice down there with the mountain views and is less crowded.

No matter how positive a blog appears, for whatever reason, the beach experience is entirely a personal one.

Many have been driven away from Carambola, et al, by Herds and Towles, and headed to Sunshine's, where discerning cruises are now found . Suggest you head there in future.

No matter how positive a blog appears, for whatever reason, the beach experience is entirely a personal one.

 

Many have been driven away from Carambola, et al, by Herds and Towles, and headed to Sunshine's, where discerning cruises are now found . Suggest you head there in future.

Sunshines? That bar is on Nevis not on St Kitts. Until the ferry times improve to accommodate the cruise passengers, Nevis is generally not doable for a cruise passenger that is visiting St Kitts for the day. The ferry times are set by private ferry companies not managed by the government. Ferry times have improved over the past few years, but cruisers are running a risk popping over to Nevis for the day in hopes that the 3:00 PM return ferry is running on time.

Also, referring to people as 'Herds and Towles' is also very disrespectful. It is their choice if they wish to lie on their towels on the beach. One should not be so judgmental as you do not know their story.

Just to chime in, been on and off the island for a few years now as 2 of the kids go to school here and I'm semi retired and live on the island during the school year when I can.

Did a brief stop at Carmabola yesterday ( Monday) yes, there's shipping containers on the left hand side of the restaurant heading towards Shipwreck Beach bar at the far end of the beach. Carmabola is expanding and they are slowly pushing out the small restaurants that were located next to them. Last year Jam Rock was pushed out by Carmabola and had to relocate the restaurant to Frigate Bay. Hence the vacant lot next to Carmabola.

Garbage on the island is an issue, This is an island wide problem and is slowly being addressed through education campaigns and beach clean up days. It has improved over the past few years, but there is still a long way to go to fully clean up the entire island.

My 2 happy places- Shipwreck and Spice Mill. Both are equally great for different reasons.

Sunshines? That bar is on Nevis not on St Kitts. Until the ferry times improve to accommodate the cruise passengers, Nevis is generally not doable for a cruise passenger that is visiting St Kitts for the day. The ferry times are set by private ferry companies not managed by the government. Ferry times have improved over the past few years, but cruisers are running a risk popping over to Nevis for the day in hopes that the 3:00 PM return ferry is running on time.

 

Also, referring to people as 'Herds and Towles' is also very disrespectful. It is their choice if they wish to lie on their towels on the beach. One should not be so judgmental as you do not know their story.

 

Just to chime in, been on and off the island for a few years now as 2 of the kids go to school here and I'm semi retired and live on the island during the school year when I can.

 

Did a brief stop at Carmabola yesterday ( Monday) yes, there's shipping containers on the left hand side of the restaurant heading towards Shipwreck Beach bar at the far end of the beach. Carmabola is expanding and they are slowly pushing out the small restaurants that were located next to them. Last year Jam Rock was pushed out by Carmabola and had to relocate the restaurant to Frigate Bay. Hence the vacant lot next to Carmabola.

 

Garbage on the island is an issue, This is an island wide problem and is slowly being addressed through education campaigns and beach clean up days. It has improved over the past few years, but there is still a long way to go to fully clean up the entire island.

 

My 2 happy places- Shipwreck and Spice Mill. Both are equally great for different reasons.

Yes one does know where Sunshine's is, and note your travel theses is based on the use of a public ferry. Our party does not use public transport.

Regarding Herds and Towles, you made a point of "do not know their story".

Therefore, would any representative of the groups know as Herds and Towles, wish to place on the record as to why they, and their actions, spoil the ambience.

If history gives credence to a statement, then our history of St. Kitts is well before Babylon. Back then at South Fryers Bay, there were two "Drum BBQ" stations plus "Ma's Bar", and people could dive for Sand Dollars from a wide sandy beach.

Ah, the good old days on South Friars before the arrival of the large cruise ships. My first visit to South Friar's was by a tender from the SV Yankee Clipper operated by Windjammer Cruises back in 1989. There were no beach bars at that time because the road to the SE Peninsula was not complete. It was rather undeveloped until about 1995 or so.

Ah, the good old days on South Friars before the arrival of the large cruise ships. My first visit to South Friar's was by a tender from the SV Yankee Clipper operated by Windjammer Cruises back in 1989. There were no beach bars at that time because the road to the SE Peninsula was not complete. It was rather undeveloped until about 1995 or so.

St. Kitts in 1994, on our first Caribbean Cruise on the Cunard Countess. Two BBQ's plus one bar. Yes, this was considered a 'development', and even then it was still a dirt track in.

South Friars Bay was for locals, and a refreshment stop for taxi drivers.

What amazes one, it's hundreds of pounds (£) cheaper now to Cruise the Caribbean, than then.

Do you have to make advance reservations for Carambola Beach Club?

It's best to have reservations. When we went (a few years ago, but plan on going again in March), we had reservations for 6 chairs, and people coming behind us did not have reservations, and did not get chairs.

We have been to Carambola and it's one of your more "upscale" type of beaches. We thought it was pretty, but we also walked down the beach all the way to Shipwrecked because we wanted to see the black sand beach (which I had never seen before) and found it amazing (the black sand). If you haven't seen it before, you must check it out. It's like diamonds glistening in the sand and so different. There are 3 places there on that beach. Starting with Carambola, then in the middle is Discovery Beach Bar and then Ship Wrecked. Check out my review, located in my signature line, and it has TONS of pictures in it. :)

I LOVE reading your reviews and often book our excursions based off of your experiences. We are going to St. Kitts for the first time. I have been considering Shipwreck because of other reviews about the food and drinks. I have also been researching Cockleshell Beach, so I am undecided. It seems like the beach is nicer at Cockleshell Beach, but food and drink prices seem to be better at Shipwreck. We are traveling with a group of 17 people, ages range from 21-61. Shore snorkeling from the beach is a plus. Any input you have would be appreciated!

Also do you climb Timothy Hill on the way to both Shipwreck and Cockleshell?

For the most part any beach on the SE Peninsula will be on the only road that goes over Sir Timothy Hill.