Brimstone Hill: 'The Gibraltar of the Caribbean'

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Breach Life

It's called Brimstone Hill Fortress. Located in St. Kitts on a rocky hill almost a thousand feet above the Caribbean Sea, built by slave labor and British engineers in the 1700s, it earned its nickname of the "Gibraltar of the Caribbean." Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its cannons still stand at the ready, waiting to defend against any and any comers.

These days, the comers are all mostly tourists and locals, and people on shore excursions from cruise ships. We fell into the latter, where the fort was a stop on our Crystal Serenity "Highlights of St. Kitts" tour.

It's hard to imagine the sheer amount of work and effort it took to build by hand this sprawling defensive monument. Even walking the steep pathway to the top will test your stamina. But once there, the view of the surrounding islands is well worth the effort. Take a look:

The video below will give you a bird's eye view
 of the fortress and the walk back down.

Getting to the Fortress means driving on narrow, winding roads and squeaking through small openings. This video will show
 our experienced driver took it all in stride.

Photos/Video by Gerry Barker