An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Nevis is a chance to indulge in luxury, in stunning surroundings. 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. Luxury hotels on Nevis include Nisbet Plantation a colonial style hotel with excellent quality accommodation and direct access to a beautiful beach. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nevis is small, green and unhurried, with no high-rise hotels, no cruise-ship crowds and very little nightlife. Much of its accommodation is in restored plantation inns set on the slopes of the island's central peak, where stone sugar mills, old estate houses and gardens are part of the stay. It suits travellers who value character, good food and quiet over a busy resort scene.
Nevis is almost circular, about seven miles across, and rises steeply from the coast to Nevis Peak, a dormant volcano of around 985 metres. The peak is usually capped in cloud, which is said to have prompted the island's name, from the Spanish for snow. The lower slopes are covered in rainforest and old estate land, while the coastal plain holds the villages, Charlestown and the beaches. The leeward west coast is calm, and the windward east coast is wilder and rockier.
Yes. Nevis Peak can be climbed with a local guide, but the route is steep, muddy and strenuous, taking around five hours there and back, with ropes on the upper sections. Gentler walks follow old estate tracks and water channels through the rainforest on the mountain's lower slopes, often with sightings of green vervet monkeys. Walks can be arranged with a guide through your hotel.
The plantation inns are former sugar estates converted into small hotels, usually with a few dozen rooms or cottages set in gardens around the original great house or mill. They are a defining feature of Nevis and give the island much of its character. Montpelier Plantation & Beach is a well-known example, with dining in a restored sugar mill and its own beach on the coast below. Some inns sit on the cooler hillsides with sea views, and others are on the beach.
Nevis was one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean in the 18th century, and its history is visible across the island.
• In Charlestown, the Museum of Nevis History stands on the site of Alexander Hamilton's birthplace.
• The Bath Hotel, built in 1778 above natural hot springs, was one of the first hotels in the Caribbean.
• St Thomas' Anglican Church, founded in 1643, is among the oldest churches in the Leeward Islands.
• The ruins of Cottle Church, built in 1824, recall one of the first churches in the region where enslaved people and estate owners worshipped together.
• Old sugar mills and estate ruins, such as New River, stand in the countryside around the island.
• In Charlestown, the Museum of Nevis History stands on the site of Alexander Hamilton's birthplace.
• The Bath Hotel, built in 1778 above natural hot springs, was one of the first hotels in the Caribbean.
• St Thomas' Anglican Church, founded in 1643, is among the oldest churches in the Leeward Islands.
• The ruins of Cottle Church, built in 1824, recall one of the first churches in the region where enslaved people and estate owners worshipped together.
• Old sugar mills and estate ruins, such as New River, stand in the countryside around the island.
Horatio Nelson, then a young captain stationed in the Leeward Islands, married Frances Nisbet, a widow from Nevis, at the Montpelier estate in 1787. The marriage register is kept at St John's Church in Fig Tree, and the island's history museums record the Nelson connection. For visitors interested in naval history, Nevis pairs naturally with Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua.
Yes. Natural hot springs rise near the old Bath Hotel, just south of Charlestown. In the 18th and 19th centuries, visitors travelled from Europe and North America to take the waters, and the springs were the basis of the island's early reputation as a health resort. Simple public bathing pools are still used by locals and visitors today.
Pinney's Beach, on the calm west coast north of Charlestown, is the island's longest, a sweep of palm-backed sand of around three miles with views across to St Kitts. Oualie Beach in the north-west is sheltered and has watersports. Lovers Beach and Herbert's Beach in the north are quieter. The beaches of the east coast face the Atlantic and are better for walking than swimming.
Nevisian cooking is home-style and generous. Goat water, a slow-cooked goat stew, is the national dish, and saltfish with johnny cakes is a traditional breakfast. Fresh lobster, snapper and mahi-mahi appear on most menus. Nevis grows many varieties of mango and celebrates them with a mango festival in early summer. Beach bars on Pinney's Beach serve rum punch, and plantation inn dinners are often a highlight of a stay.
Charlestown is the small capital of Nevis, with stone and clapboard buildings around the waterfront and the ferry pier. The Museum of Nevis History, the courthouse and the old Jewish cemetery, which dates from the 17th century, can all be seen on foot in an hour or two. The town is busiest on market days, when stalls sell local fruit, vegetables and spices.
Nevis is easily explored in a day. A single road of about 20 miles circles the island, passing villages, churches, old estates and coastline, with the peak always in view. Many guests hire a car for a day or two, driving on the left, while others prefer a private driver who can explain the island's history along the way. Expressions can arrange either.
Yes. St Kitts lies two miles away across a channel known as The Narrows, reached by a short water taxi or a ferry from Charlestown. Its main sights include Brimstone Hill Fortress, an 18th-century British fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the St Kitts Scenic Railway, which follows the old sugar cane line around the coast. A guided day trip to St Kitts can easily be added to a Nevis stay.
Green vervet monkeys, introduced in the colonial period, are common on the mountain slopes and around the old estates. The rainforest on Nevis Peak supports hummingbirds, tree frogs and tropical plants. The Botanical Garden of Nevis, in the south of the island, has collections of palms, orchids and tropical plants laid out around ponds and terraces. Many plantation inns also have mature gardens of their own.
The two main festivals both fall in summer. The Nevis Mango and Food Festival celebrates the island's many mango varieties with tastings and cookery demonstrations. Culturama, from late July into early August, celebrates Nevisian music, dance and heritage. The dry, settled months from December to April are the most popular time to visit.
Yes. Nevis combines well with Antigua, where good air links and a wider choice of beach hotels complement the plantation-inn style of Nevis. St Kitts can be added for a few nights or visited for the day. Expressions arranges two-centre itineraries with connecting flights, transfers and hotels throughout.
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to the Caribbean and within the Caribbean, combining flights and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Nevis
● Watersports holidays● Spa holidays
● Honeymoons and weddings
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Highlights of Nevis
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.
Cultural highlights of 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 around Nevis
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.
Nevis travel information
Access to Nevis is via St Kitts or Antigua. Flying time London to Antigua or St Kitts is approximately 8 hours.By air
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.Car hire
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.Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to the Caribbean and within the Caribbean, combining flights and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Nevis
● Watersports holidays● Spa holidays
● Honeymoons and weddings
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Here you will find a map of Nevis showing the locations of the hotels that we offer
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to the Caribbean and within the Caribbean, combining flights and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Nevis
● Watersports holidays● Spa holidays
● Honeymoons and weddings
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
