Nevis was once known as ‘Queen of the Caribbees’ because of her graceful society and grand plantation houses. This sense of grace and elegance, coupled with a charm and cosiness, is still evident in Nevis today, not just in the obvious Great Houses of the old plantations, many of which are now our hotels, but also in the friendliness of the people and in the way they have preserved proudly links with their past. In the centre of the island is Mount Nevis, more often than not with its summit covered in cloud. All around Nevis are visible signs of the old plantations: sugar and cotton used to be the main crops but now ruined great houses and chimneys and boiling houses are being swallowed up by encroaching vegetation. As well as the calm water of the Caribbean that lap Pinney’s Beach and the west coast, Nevis has surf on the east coast Atlantic side. Nevis offers excellent standards of hotel accommodation, an ambience that easily relaxes you and numerous places of interest for sightseeing; perfect for a luxury holiday.
Facts
Capital
Charlestown
Airport
About 5 minutes by taxi.
Size
6 miles by 8 miles
Currency
Eastern Caribbean dollar (£1 = 4EC$)
Population
9,000 approximately on Nevis alone
Temperature
26 degrees Centigrade with good breezes in the summer months
Local highlights
The local rum is CSR produced on St Kitts and drunk with Ting, the local grapefruit soft drink or neat with ice and water. Carnival on Nevis is called Culturama and it takes place at the end of July. Nevis is famous for its first day cover stamps usually depicting the island’s flora and fauna, sea life, history and carnival. In Charlestown there are several shops selling local crafts and a gallery selling the prints, oils and water colours of Kate Spencer that depict island life. Beachcomber bar and restaurant on Pinney’s Beach and Prinderellas further north.
Getting out and about
With the island being so small, it is very easy to get to see the whole of it, the furthest hotel still only being about 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. For the hotels not on a beach, there are usually shuttle buses to take guests to the beach. Taxis are easy to hire and can be arranged through the hotels. You might like a hire car to have the independence to explore at your leisure and certainly there are countless places of interest on Nevis. Walkers and historians discover plenty of material exploring the grounds of the old sugar estates. Nevis has numerous museums including the Museum of Nevis History, the Alexander Hamilton House, the Horatio Nelson Museum. Pinney’s Beach, over 3 miles of sand, is ideal for walking and several beach bars and restaurants provide welcome relief from the heat. The architecture of Charlestown is some of the best preserved in the Caribbean with its balconied and gingerbread houses.
Travel arrangements
Access to Nevis is via St Kitts or Antigua. Flying time London to Antigua or St Kitts is approximately 8 hours. British Airways has a once a week direct flight to St Kitts. British Airways has direct flights from London Gatwick to Antigua. Virgin Atlantic has direct flights from London Gatwick to Antigua. BMI has direct flights from Manchester to Antigua. From St Kitts you can transfer by car and boat to Nevis. From Antigua you fly with Liat or have a private charter.