Perched high above the sea on the east coast of St. Kitts is Brimstone Hill, a massive stone fortress built by African slaves for the British during the 17th and 18th centuries. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the military stronghold, which took 100 years to complete, is considered one of the best-preserved fortifications in the region. From the top, you can see six neighboring islands on a clear day.
St. Kitts Tourism Authority
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Brimstone Hill
On the west coast of St. Kitts looms one of the most impressive sites in all the Caribbean: a towering black rock nearly a thousand feet tall, crowned with an equally black massive fortress growing straight out of the top. This is Brimstone Hill. Formerly a British military site, the black stone blocks that make up the fortress were cut right from the volcanic andesite of the pillar. The mortar was made directly from the soft limestone onsite—boiled in massive limekilns. Construction took more than 100 years, from the 1690s to 1790s. Today, Brimstone Hill has been well restored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site of historical, cultural, and architectural significance—with cannons once again facing out over Sandy Point and the Caribbean. Be sure to visit the Fort George Museum for information on the storied history of the site and what life was like for the fort’s inhabitants throughout the ages.
