Checking Out the Park Hyatt St. Kitts Beach

If you are thinking about heading to a beachfront resort, one of the obvious questions on your mind is probably how good is the beach. I've stayed at resorts with absolutely perfect beachfront locations and others that may have been located just feet from the water, but it was water you wouldn't really get in because or rocks, waves, tides, and more. The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is a beautiful beachfront resort and I'm happy to say that you can get in the water, but you can also walk a short distance and dive into an even prettier (and more crowded) beach.

Before we get fully into that information, here are some previous posts in our Park Hyatt St. Kitts series.

Planning a Park Hyatt St. Kitts Trip Using Miles and Points

Park Hyatt St. Kitts Video Review

Comparing the Park Hyatt St. Kitts Rooms and Suites

Park Hyatt St. Kitts Pools

Park Hyatt St. Kitts Beach

The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is located on a secluded part of Banana Bay overlooking the water between St. Kitts and neighboring Nevis. This means you get a non-cluttered, non-crowded, slice of the golden sand all to yourself.

You won't run across anyone trying to rub aloe on your back while pitching their massage services, zooming jet skis around trying to drum up business, or charging a few bucks to set up a shade umbrella. Instead, you just find peace.

The beach at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts is not exceptionally long or wide, but it seemed large enough for the relatively small resort. At many times during our stay, no one was out on the beach at all, though I imagine when occupancy increases that will change.

Included in your resort fee at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts is the use of paddle boards, canoes, and snorkel gear located at the beach level We took them up on that offer and brought a couple of their light-weight paddle boards out into the water, but while we were out there, the wind and current were far too strong for us to be successful. I ended up quickly falling all the way in and Josh had to stay on his knees or he would have met the same fate.

I have no clue if the wind and current were rougher that day than normal, but another family we met on the trip did send us this photo of their kiddo out on the water, so maybe we just had bad luck.

The water was a little cool for my tastes on our January visit, but I'm Texan who likes their water warm, so that may not be an issue for you. The sand at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts was darker due to its volcanic history, but pretty soft. While we are on the topic of sand, I do have to warn you that there are sand fleas in this area. I didn't get destroyed here the way I did in Puerto Rico a few years ago, but I did come home with a couple of dozen bites on my feet and lower legs without really spending much time in the sand at all, especially early or late in the day. It would not stop me from returning since I have learned how to minimize the impact, but it is worth mentioning if you are sensitive to such things.

If you walk around the point from the Park Hyatt St. Kitts to Cockleshell beach, you can find a more picturesque beach with the traditional Caribbean look. The downside is that this beach is much more crowded and you will find people selling their goods and services every few feet. There is also a fair amount of trash, especially around the point between the resort and this beach.

Cruise ships offer excursions to this beach, so expect a very different feel than just a few feet away on the calm beach at the Park Hyatt.

In my view, Cockleshell Beach was a little more inviting for swimming, but the trade-off was the popularity and the cost for somewhere to sit in the shade. Beer at this beach started at $2, jet skis and wakeboarding started at $30, and two chairs plus an umbrella was about $10, so things are relatively affordable and much more active compared to on the grounds of the Park Hyatt, but bring cash.

Overall I thought the Park Hyatt St. Kitts beach was totally fine, but not quite at the level of what you would find at the Hyatt Regency Aruba or the Westin Grand Cayman. If you like to curl up with a good book while listening to the waves, this will be your happy place. If you want lots of action, white sand, or crystal clear calm waters, you won't be quite as happy. The good news is you can get a little of that just by walking around the corner. If you have stayed at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the beach!