Independence Square

A Georgian square at the heart of Basseterre, ringed by colonial townhouses and centred on an ornamental fountain. It is the most pleasant green space in town: shaded by tall trees, lined with benches, and bordered by some of the prettiest old buildings on the island, including the Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on its eastern side.

The square has a heavy history. It was the principal slave-auction site in Basseterre during the sugar era, and an interpretive plaque now acknowledges that past. Today it is mostly a place for locals to sit out the midday heat — a quiet, dignified spot ten minutes' walk from the cruise port.

things to do sight basseterre
A story
The square was laid out in 1790 as Pall Mall Square and used as a slave market. After emancipation it was renamed Georgian Square, and only in 1983, when St. Kitts and Nevis gained independence, did it receive its current name.