Everything on the water at Cockleshell Bay, each item with its own price, from a US$25 set of snorkel gear to a US$239 pass that covers four hours of it. Most of these run 15 minutes to an hour, so you can stack two or three of them into a beach day. Getting there is the part people forget: the taxi from Basseterre is US$40 or EC$109 for one to four people, one way.
What it costs
| Activity | Price | How long it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Jet ski | US$89 | 15 to 55 minutes |
| Parasailing | US$119 | About an hour |
| Stand up paddleboard | US$35 | Board hire |
| Glass bottom kayak | US$45 | Night tours available |
| Extreme jet boat | US$89 | 20 minutes |
| Boat snorkel tour | US$89 a person | 1.5 hours |
| Flyboarding | US$155 | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Jet ski snorkel adventure | US$239 a person | 2 hours |
| Kiteboarding | US$149 | Lesson |
| Surfing | US$89 | 2 to 3 hours, or all day |
| Wakeboarding or waterskiing | US$109 | 20 minutes |
| Hobie Cat sailboat | US$75 | 30 minutes or more |
| Snorkel gear rental | US$25 | The day |
| All day action pass | US$239 | 4 hours |
Your taxi is not included. Neither is a beach chair or an umbrella, and neither is anything you eat and drink at the beach. Where a price says a person, it means a person. The rest are priced per item or per machine.
We take no payment when you book. One invoice link comes after the slot is confirmed, and card payments on this island commonly carry a 4.5 percent fee that we do not add.
How do you get to Cockleshell Bay, and what does that cost?
By road, down the South East Peninsula, and the fare is capped by law.
Under the Vehicles and Road Traffic (Maximum Fares) Regulations 2021, the maximum taxi fare from Basseterre to Cockleshell Bay is US$40 or EC$109 for one to four people, one way, or US$10 a head one way if there are five or more of you. There are no meters on this island. A driver may charge less than the maximum and never more, so if someone quotes you higher, that is the number to say back.
Work both legs into your budget. For two people taking a jet ski each, the ride there and back costs about as much as one of the jet skis.
If you would rather drive yourself, a visitor needs a temporary local permit, EC$62.50 for three months, about US$23.
What is actually at the beach?
Cockleshell sits at the far end of the South East Peninsula, looking across the channel at Nevis, with Nevis Peak filling most of the view.
The water here is on the Caribbean side and sheltered, which is why every machine on the list operates from this beach and not from the Atlantic ones. Jet skis and the jet boat go out off the sand. Parasailing launches from a boat. The glass bottom kayaks also run at night, which is the one item on the list you will not find elsewhere on the island.
The beach is not supervised. There are no lifeguards and no warning flags on any beach in St Kitts, and Canada’s government travel advice says rescue services may not meet international standards. That is why the operator sends a guide out with the snorkel trips and keeps the jet ski area marked, and it is why nobody should swim out past the machines on their own.
How long does it take, and will it fit a cruise day?
Yes, with room to spare, as long as you count the drive.
Ships in Basseterre are usually alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm. Allow 40 minutes each way to Cockleshell plus whatever you book, which means a jet ski and a parasail still leave you half a day. The all day action pass covers four hours of activities and fits a long call. We do not publish fixed start times for any of these, because they run through the day as machines come free. We confirm your slot in writing when we confirm the booking.
What should you bring?
A swimsuit under your clothes, and a towel. Changing facilities at the beach are basic.
Sun cover you can put back on after an hour in salt water. Parasailing and a kayak session both leave you in full sun with nothing over your head.
Cash in small notes. Chairs, umbrellas and the bar at the beach sit outside anything we book, and small purchases move faster in cash here. US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island.
A dry bag or a waterproof pouch for your phone, if you want photographs from the water. Phones go in the sea off jet skis more often than anyone admits.
Your driving licence, if you plan to ride a jet ski. Operators here normally check one.
Who should not book this one
Anyone who cannot swim should stay off the jet ski, the flyboard, the wakeboard and the kayak, life jacket or no life jacket.
Jet ski operators here normally require a rider to be 18 and will check a licence on the day. We do not publish a figure of our own for that, because the rule belongs to the operator. We confirm the age and licence requirement in writing when we confirm your booking, so you have it before you travel and not at the water’s edge.
Flyboarding and kiteboarding need a reasonable level of fitness and a tolerance for falling in over and over. Neither one is a gentle first go on the water.
Anyone pregnant, or carrying a back, neck or shoulder problem, should skip the jet boat, the jet ski and the wakeboard. All three slam.
What happens if the weather turns, or your ship is late?
Wind and swell stop the water sports here, and the operator makes that call in the morning. If your activity is cancelled you pay nothing, and anything already paid comes back in full. No fee and no credit note.
Rain by itself stops nothing.
A late ship is easiest to absorb on this page, because these run all day. Send us your new arrival time and we move the slot. If the call is cancelled or your ship skips St Kitts, you pay nothing.
Book it
Tell us your date, which activities you want and for how many people, roughly what time you would like to be at the beach, and your ship name if you are on one. Say if you need a taxi and we will arrange it at the statutory fare. We confirm with the operator and come back to you within one working day, and nothing is charged until your slot is confirmed.
Questions people ask
What does the taxi to Cockleshell Bay cost?
US$40 or EC$109 for one to four people, one way, under the 2021 maximum fares regulations, or US$10 a head one way for five or more. That is a legal ceiling and a driver may go below it. Budget both directions. If there are five of you the per head fare drops hard, so travel together.
Is the all day action pass worth it?
At US$239 for four hours it beats booking separate items only if you will use three of them. A jet ski at US$89 and a parasail at US$119 comes to US$208, so the pass pays for itself on your third activity and not before.
Can I ride a jet ski if I have never done it?
Yes. The operator briefs you on the sand and the machines stay inside the marked area. The licence check and the age rule still apply, and we will have both confirmed for you in writing before you pay.
Do you hire out chairs and umbrellas?
No. The beach does that, separately from us, and you pay for it there in cash.
Can we do the glass bottom kayak at night?
Yes, night tours run, at the same US$45. We confirm the start time in writing when we confirm the booking, because it moves with the light.
Is there a lifeguard?
No, and there is not one on any beach in St Kitts. No lifeguards, no warning flags, anywhere on the island. The operator’s guides are the supervision you get, which is the argument for booking a guided snorkel trip over swimming off on your own.
Written by Khareem Cabey. Prices and fees last checked 30 October 2026.