The Circus
The Circus
3.5
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
The heart of Charlestown was modeled and named after Londons Piccadilly Circus.
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95 within 3 miles
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34 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
214 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
73
Average
97
Poor
16
Terrible
2
lilheathen
Stuttgart, Germany703 contributions
Just returned from our honeymoon in St. Kitts and had a great time. The only part of the island we thought was a letdown was Basseterre. Much of Basseterre feels and looks like a slum, just kinda dingy. The Circus is promoted a lot but it's really just a town square with a clock in the middle and a few shops and restaurants. (The shopping in St. Kitts is non-existent unless you're looking for t-shirts and rum.)
There are a few restaurants in the Circus area worth exploring, mostly Circus Grill (do not miss the seafood coquille appetizer!!!) and Ballahoo, for their mango and banana daquiries. The food and service at Ballahoo weren't great, but I'd definitely go there for drinks.
In short, if you don't make it into Basseterre, you will not have missed anything, unless they've got some big party stuff going on in the evenings in the height of tourist season. We went in the off-season and it was dead.
There are a few restaurants in the Circus area worth exploring, mostly Circus Grill (do not miss the seafood coquille appetizer!!!) and Ballahoo, for their mango and banana daquiries. The food and service at Ballahoo weren't great, but I'd definitely go there for drinks.
In short, if you don't make it into Basseterre, you will not have missed anything, unless they've got some big party stuff going on in the evenings in the height of tourist season. We went in the off-season and it was dead.
Written August 18, 2004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ges R
Bourne, UK691 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
This tiny circus was once the site of slave auctions and is dominated by the clock tower which was constructed in Glasgow. It is busy with taxis, ambling tourists and hens pecking at the sidewalks but is redolent of times past. worth a visit.
Written February 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lee a
Sheffield, UK723 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
We visited Basseterre for one day from our cruise ship, a short walk from the terminal into old town centre was the circus with a lovely old central clock with some nice old buildings with character around also to the left a few minutes away was independence square a little worn but nice and peaceful with beautiful church as the backdrop. As Caribbean ports go this was one of the better more pleasing on the eye places.
Written February 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vyvienne C
Stevenage, UK116 contributions
Feb 2014 • Friends
Basseterre is probably one of the best examples of a Caribbean town, colourful, bustling busy, we were invited back in December for carnival time to see it at it's best! all the main streets meet at The Circus where the Georgian clock tower and fountain preside. Independence Square used to contain the slave market, and is now a pretty park.
We paid $8 for a tour of the island on a cross between a taxi and a bus, holding about 16 of us with the driver telling us the histories of everywhere we went. It was well worth it, travelling along in the open air on the coast road, hanging out precariously to take blurry snaps at speed!
Bloody Point where 3000 Caribs were massacred by French and British in the 1600s. What was the bloody point of that we asked...apparently the peaceful Caribs were planning attacks against the recently landed Europeans. The current residents do not seem to bear ill will these days luckily for tourists.
Romney manor, a tropical paradise up a steep hill, houses a batik factory where we watched craftspeople at work, and bought souvenirs .Drove through a rain forest, and gardens with beautiful orchids. Chugged up to Brimstone hill, to see the fortress on top of a volcano, now the UNESCO heritage site, wonderful views, museum, shops, refreshments, park, $10 dollars entrance, worth it!
Black lava rocks and sugarcane fields on the way back and swimming in Banana Bay, white sand, snorkelling reef and lovely food! a great day out. Back in time to catch the ship and move on at 6pm!
We paid $8 for a tour of the island on a cross between a taxi and a bus, holding about 16 of us with the driver telling us the histories of everywhere we went. It was well worth it, travelling along in the open air on the coast road, hanging out precariously to take blurry snaps at speed!
Bloody Point where 3000 Caribs were massacred by French and British in the 1600s. What was the bloody point of that we asked...apparently the peaceful Caribs were planning attacks against the recently landed Europeans. The current residents do not seem to bear ill will these days luckily for tourists.
Romney manor, a tropical paradise up a steep hill, houses a batik factory where we watched craftspeople at work, and bought souvenirs .Drove through a rain forest, and gardens with beautiful orchids. Chugged up to Brimstone hill, to see the fortress on top of a volcano, now the UNESCO heritage site, wonderful views, museum, shops, refreshments, park, $10 dollars entrance, worth it!
Black lava rocks and sugarcane fields on the way back and swimming in Banana Bay, white sand, snorkelling reef and lovely food! a great day out. Back in time to catch the ship and move on at 6pm!
Written June 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tonetone2828
Burlington, VT213 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
Sadly the least liked destination on our southern Caribbean cruise had to be Basseterre. I went into town looking for some of the attractions listed on TA, but after five minutes, couldn't find any reason to spend any time in this town.
Written November 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grimsbybud
Grimsby, Canada277 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
A whirr of activity with good options for food and a refreshing something in the afternoon. This is a small version of Picadilly in London, but much more entertaining! Ballahoo and the Circus Grill are reat options for either!!
Written March 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
petergoode2
Hendersonville, NC516 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
We were staying at the wonderful Ottley's Plantation Inn for a week, took advantage of their free shuttle bus to Basseterre to see what was there. Overall, quite a disappointment...in fact, I feel sorry for anyone who comes here via cruise ship and thinks Port Zante is Saint Kitts...far from it.
We did walk several streets, teeming with people...shopping was meager.
There are so many promotional photos from St. Kitts featuring the clock tower, we knew we had to walk down Fort Street for the photo-op...the circus is otherwise pretty third worldly, not a center of Caribbean charm.
So, yes, it is so close to anything Basseterre it is definitely worth a quick walk to see it, photograph it (maybe with friends/family in the foreground)...but this would not represent the highlight of anyone's visit to this otherwise wonderful island paradise.
We did walk several streets, teeming with people...shopping was meager.
There are so many promotional photos from St. Kitts featuring the clock tower, we knew we had to walk down Fort Street for the photo-op...the circus is otherwise pretty third worldly, not a center of Caribbean charm.
So, yes, it is so close to anything Basseterre it is definitely worth a quick walk to see it, photograph it (maybe with friends/family in the foreground)...but this would not represent the highlight of anyone's visit to this otherwise wonderful island paradise.
Written February 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lawsonld
Missouri37 contributions
The circus is just an area of shops and restaurants. We are not early risers by nature and we were also lazy honeymooners. Therefore we were somewhat dissapointed to find that most places closed around 3 or 4. Some shops had 5pm written on their posted hours but were actually closed aorund 3. It seemed that most shop owners just close the stores when they feel like it. We did find one shop that had some fun island style clothing, batik, honey jars from Nevis, etc and even stayed open a few minutes longer for us. The shop was Island Hopper and they also have one on Nevis. There were a few other shops selling nice jewelry and American fragrances but most of the souveneir shops all sold the same items for near the same prices. It is an okay place to shop for a couple hours and find an okay place to eat away from the hotel but nothing to write home about.
Written January 19, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia19,452 contributions
Jan 2023
Resembling the Piccadilly Circus, this Victorian style clock stands in the middle of a downtown square across the National museum. It reminds on a similar clock in Victoria, Seychelles. You don't need to go out of your way to see it, as while exploring Basseterre you're for sure to pass by it or drive around it.
It's very picturesque with interesting houses around it.
It's very picturesque with interesting houses around it.
Written February 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George C
Edinburgh, UK274 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
The clock and drinking fountain in the centre named the Berkeley Memorial was designed and built by a company in Glasgow, Scotland.
Three others were built from the cast with slightly modified decoration. One was installed in Glasgow and two in Leeds, England. The sole survivor is the one in Basseterre.
There are plans to build a new one in Glasgow and a team from Glasgow Caledonian University visited Basseterre last year to examine and scan this one.
Three others were built from the cast with slightly modified decoration. One was installed in Glasgow and two in Leeds, England. The sole survivor is the one in Basseterre.
There are plans to build a new one in Glasgow and a team from Glasgow Caledonian University visited Basseterre last year to examine and scan this one.
Written December 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
Can you please recommend some good places to eat for breakfast or lunch.
Thanks
Written October 12, 2016
Eating out is a personal thing. There are a lot of different restaurants in and around Basseterre, St. Kitts, which do breakfasts and lunches. My wife and I had a wonderful inexpensive lunch at the Ballahoo Restaurant in the Circus at Basseterre. Recently visited this restaurant on the island of St. Kitts. Entrance at the side, go upstairs to restaurant. Open air, but with a roof. Sat at front on the balcony overlooking the Circus, which is a square with a clock tower in the middle, which acts as a roundabout for the traffic. Watching the traffic was an interesting pastime in itself. We were served by a lovely, friendly Jamaican waitress named Anseta. She was most charming, friendly and helpful. She explained the menu, which was extensive. We decided on the fresh Lobster, but not the Thermidor, as on the menu, but freshly grilled with a salad. There was a beautiful tasty sauce/dip with the Lobster, but is a secret of the chef. We had an excellent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the meal. A lovely lunch, served by a lovely waitress, watching the world drive by in the sunshine. Very good. Enjoy your trip.
Written October 20, 2016
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