Nevis

Why Nevis?

Accommodations

Accommodation choices on Nevis range from the island’s only branded resort, the Four Seasons, with 196 rooms and 46 private residence villas surrounding the golf course, to four restored plantation inns, each with its own idyllic setting and charm. Three hillside inns include Golden Rock resort, Montpelier Plantation and Beach, and The Hermitage Plantation Inn. Nisbet Plantation is the only plantation inn with a beachfront setting. Other small hotels include Mt. Nevis Hotel and Oualie Beach Resort. Private villas, condos and guesthouses are also available for rent. Where I’ve stayed: Four Seasons Resort Nevis, Nisbet Plantation Beach Resort, Paradise Beach Nevis, Oualie Beach Resort

Activities

Diving and snorkeling, swimming and other watersports, kayaking, sailing, fishing, golf, tennis, rainforest and mountain hiking, cycling, horseback riding, island tours.

Ocean Kayakers with a view of Nevis Peak, Nevis’ 3,200 foot volcanic peak.

Horseback riding along the shore (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Beaches

Nevis beaches are all public and free to use. Among the 10 named beaches on Nevis, Pinney’s Beach is one of most well known. It is three miles long and runs from just outside Charlestown past the Four Seasons Resort. Two great beaches on the north side of the island include Oualie Beach, site of Oualie Beach Resort and headquarters of Scuba Safaris dive operation, and Nisbet Beach, fronting Nisbet Plantation Beach Resort. Not far away is Herbert’s beach, great for snorkeling. Others on the north side include Lovers Beach for privacy and seclusion, or Newcastle Beach where fishermen sell their fresh catch on Saturdays.

Food and Drink

You’ll find a variety of fresh fish and seafood on menus throughout the island, especially lobster and mahi mahi. If you want to eat local, try traditional stews called goat water and conch water. Adult beverages you won’t find elsewhere include the Killer Bee, a strong rum concoction found at Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill, as well as a popular island drink, “Ting with a Sting,” a combination of Ting, a grapefruit-flavored soft drink, and CSR, a cane sugar rum produced on St. Kitts. Non-alcoholic ginger beer and homemade tropical juice drinks can also be found in local eateries and bars.

Getting There

From the U.S., there are daily direct flights from Miami (MIA) to St.Kitts (SKB). American and United offer high season direct flights between New York/Newark (EWR) and St. Kitts, while Delta also offers direct flights between Atlanta (ATL) and St. Kitts seasonally.
From Canada, fly Air Canada into Antigua or Miami to then connect to St. Kitts. From the UK, there are direct flights to St. Kitts and Antigua via Virgin and British Airways.

Transfer to Nevis via ferry or private water taxi. Or fly American Airlines to San Juan (SJU) and connect with airlines (Seabourne or Cape Air) that fly daily into Nevis (NEV).

Location

Nevis (pronounced KNEE-vis) is located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Its larger sister island, St. Kitts, is located across a two-mile channel. To the north-northwest are the islands of St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barth, St. Maarten/St. Martin, and Anguilla. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda; to the southeast is Montserrat.

Vibe

Due to its small size, Nevis’ vibe is friendly, relaxed and very welcoming of visitors. Native Nevisians are proud of their island and their heritage. The island’s British roots are still felt, as it (along with St. Kitts) is a Commonwealth realm, with the British Monarch as its head of state.

Tourist Information: http://www.nevisisland.com

Featured Image Photo Credit: Hiral Gosalia

If you go, don’t miss:

Visit the island’s plantation inns. Three of Nevis’ restored plantations – Golden Rock, Montpelier, and The Hermitage – are located away from the beach, tucked into scenic hillside locations with views of Nevis Peak. Spend a day touring them and other sites on the Nevis Heritage Trail. Stay for lunch or a cold beverage to drink in the ambiance each has to offer. A fourth inn, Nisbet Plantation, is set on the island’s northern coast.

Sugar Mill suite at Golden Rock Inn (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Golden Rock Terrace (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Montpelier Plantation (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Montpelier Plantation pool (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Hermitage Plantation (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

A view from the porch at Hermitage Plantation (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Nisbet Plantation Beach Club (© Nisbet Plantation)

Nisbet Plantation Avenue of Palms (© Nisbet Plantation)

Spend time at the Museum of Nevis History, which is also the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, who helped draft the U.S. Constitution and was the first Secretary of the Treasury. A museum dedicated to Horatio Nelson, also worthy of a visit, is located in another part of the island.

Museum of Nevis History and Alexander Hamilton birthplace (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Stop for lunch and some “limin’ time” at Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill, where the Killer Bee, its signature rum punch flows freely. Even if you’re not willing to “get stung,” the food, especially the lobster dishes, is also “killer.”

Killer Bee rum punch at Sunshine’s Beach Bar (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Take a golf cart tour at Four Seasons resort ($30 for non-guests) at dusk, to seek out green vervet monkeys on and around the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course. Since monkeys on Nevis outnumber its 12,000 residents, monkey sightings are almost guaranteed.

Monkey sightings on Four Seasons Nevis golf course (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Book a Sail & Snorkel Cruise. Spend half a day with Leeward Islands Charters for a Nevis Sail & Snorkel cruise, aboard the Caona, a 47’ catamaran cruise.

Sail & Snorkel Catamaran Cruise, Leeward Islands Charters (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Nevis Sail & Snorkel excursion aboard a 47′ catamaran. (© Debbra Dunning Brouillette)

Published article on Nevis:

Tiny Nevis a big draw with stunning vistas, foodie finds, history

Mention you’re going to Nevis and you may be met by a blank stare and the question, “Where is Nevis?” When I describe it as a small island in the Caribbean next to St. Kitts, there are sometimes nods of recognition from those who recall St. Kitts from a cruise ship itinerary, but to many, the location of Nevis (pronounced KNEE-vis) remains as nebulous as the clouds that often cover its 3,200-foot volcanic peak.

Read more by clicking on the link below to open a PDF of the article, published in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram newspaper, 10-25-2015:

Nevis Article PDF, Ft. Worth Star Telegram

Link to online version of the article (different headline same story): Put Nevis on radar for old Caribbean charm, serenity

Check out Nevis on the blog:

Nevis, West Indies: mangos and a visit from an old friend

Four Seasons Nevis: dive and dine experience – from ocean to table

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