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Nevis map
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Nudity
The Nevisians are modest about the display of bodies and so (besides being illegal), topless and nude bathing are not appreciated. You are asked not to do it, but it has been known on Lovers Beach. If you visit town, please do not go in a swimming costume. |
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Passports & Visas
As a European visitor to Nevis you will require a full 10-year passport which is valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry, along with a valid return airline ticket. Citizens of the USA and Canada can enter with proof of citizenship such as a passport, or a birth certificate with raised seal, supported by government photo ID such as a drivers licence. Any name changes require legal documentation. In addition a valid return airline ticket is required. As of 31 December 2006 however, all American citizens returning home from the Caribbean will need a valid passport. For further information please check with the U.S. Department of State.
American, Canadian, British and EU citizens do not require a visa for short stays. Other nationalities please check with the St Kitts & Nevis Embassy www.stkittsnevis.org/visas.html#com or with your travel organizer for entry/visa requirements. |
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Places to Go/Activities
Charlestown
The capital of Nevis, Charlestown is a fairly quiet town with an antique core of pretty stone and wooden buildings, surrounded by more modern suburbs. Most of the traditional buildings are made of stone, but there are also some ‘skirt and shirt’ buildings, with a stone base and a wooden upper storey. The old centre consists of two very pretty ‘squares’ (actually triangles) with memorials and trees, off which lead just a few old streets in both directions parallel to the waterfront. The waterfront itself, from where the ferry to St Kitts leaves, has been modernised and now has a car park and main road. Outside this immediate area Charlestown is increasingly modern, but there are a number of attractive looking buildings and churches.
Alexander Hamilton House, Charlestown
A restored Creole house, this is the site of the first home of Alexander Hamilton, who appears on the US$10 bill. He was born on Nevis and travelled via the US (then the Danish) Virgin Islands to the English colonies in North America, where he was aide de camp to George Washington in the American War of Independence. As a lawyer he was instrumental in the preparation of the American constitution in the form it was adopted. He became the first Secretary to the US Treasury and founded the US Coastguard. His story is told in the building, which is home to the Museum of Nevis History.
Museum of Nevis History, Alexander Hamilton House, Charlestown, t 469 5786
A well presented look at the history of Nevis, from Amerindian times to the present day, taking in Arawak pottery and pieces from Nevis’s wealthy colonial period, including details of the life of Alexander Hamilton himself. Upstairs is the Nevis House of Assembly, where the five-person Nevis Assembly meets four times a year.
Nevis Courthouse and Public Library, Memorial Square, Charlestown, t 469 5521
An attractive stone colonial building with white wooden shutters, dating back to 1825, with a clock tower added in 1875. It was built by a ship builder and the interior of the upstairs library looks like the inside of an upturned ship. Open to the public from 8am to 4pm, Mon-Fri.
Bath Hotel
An impressive building visible as you leave Charlestown to the east, probably the first tourist hotel to be built in the Caribbean, in 1778, the Bath Hotel. It was built because of its extremely potent mineral waters. The old bath house is also run down but a small pool is still regularly used by islanders. It is currently being used by the Nevis Administration while their own offices are modernised.
Nelson Museum, Belle Vue, t 469 0408
Excellent museum which tells the story of Nelson’s life and the times in the 1780s when he was based in the West Indies, stationed in English Harbour in Antigua. Lots of Nelson memorabilia, letters, models of ships of the age, including the dinner service used at his wedding to Nevisian Fanny Nesbit.
Botanical Gardens of Nevis, Low Ground Estate, t 469 3399
The Botanical Gardens of Nevis, close to Montpelier Plantation Inn in the hills to the east of Charlestown, are seven excellent acres of lawns with palms, cacti, orchids, vines and roses. Martha’s Teahouse and a gift shop. For more details see under Flora and Gardens. The gardens are closed from 01 September through to the first or second week of October (flexible) annually.
Upper Round Road
Two centuries ago, when Nevis was planted up to its heights with sugar cane, there were three ‘ring’ roads around the island. The first ran basically around the coast. Much of it has been eroded with the shoreline, but parts of it are now the main road that links the airport, the beaches and Charlestown. Some of the Middle Round Road (south and east of Charlestown) has been developed and is used today. But there was also an ‘Upper Round Road’ which linked the plantations higher up the mountainside. This was carved out of the hillside in the 1600s and was around nine miles long, running from Golden Rock Plantation above Charlestown and Pinney’s Beach, eventually descending to the coast near the airport. It fell into disuse and largely into disrepair, so that it is now mostly a humble track in the jungle, even lost completely in some places, but elsewhere the bridges and embankments are still visible in the overgrowth. Parts of it are used on the hikes, the mountain bike rides and horserides. Some of the road has been improved by the Nevis Conservation and Historical Society. It is rocky in places, but it makes a good hike.
Cottle Church, just off the road to the airport
Cottle Church is the shell of a stone church which was first built in 1824 by Methodist missionaries. The Methodists, revolutionaries of their time, felt that planters and slaves should be allowed to worship together on an equal basis (before that they had to worship in separate areas of the church). It is said to be the first such place in the British West Indies.
Golden Rock Nature Trail, Golden Rock Plantation Inn t 469 3346
An extremely pretty spot with excellent views of the coast and a couple of self guided forest hikes along nature trails (map available) developed by the inn. The estate is known for its large family of resident green (vervet) monkeys. |
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Places of Worship
There are over 70 churches on the island, in many different denominations, including Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal, to name just a few. Many are also attractive stone buildings. In Charlestown you will find St Paul’s (Anglican), St Theresa’s (Catholic), the Taylor Memorial Weslyan Holiness Church and a Methodist Church. Sunday services tend to be at 9am or 11am, depending on the church. |
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Real Estate
Nevis was a late developer in the Caribbean real estate market. As other islands filled all available beach space with mid-range resorts to attract volume package tourism, people could barely reach Nevis. But there was none of the infrastructure anyway. The islanders joked that communications only moved on from the eighteenth century (and its effective system of mirror-flashes and coloured lights at night) when a satellite telephone was installed in the 1980s.
That said, since the late 1980s the island has had a band of faithful visitors who came here in spite of the difficulties. They built their houses, often in the hills, and lived quietly, enjoying the peace and simplicity of the beautiful island. It was only really with the arrival of the Four Seasons Resort in the early Nineties that the market began to open up. Principally the development is centred on the western side of the island, between the airport and Charlestown, the calm Caribbean side, which has an excellent view of the setting sun. However there are also some stunning new private houses in the hills of the south east side of the island, where the vegetation is lusher and you get the benefit of the beautiful morning sun. Occasionally there is even the opportunity to purchase a ruin for restoration, an old estate house or a sugar mill.
The island had some advantages by entering the market late and it retained its charm as it watched other islands building madly, throwing up massive concrete monstrosities on all available beach space. Nevis also pitched itself high. Consequently property prices have increased only marginally in the last few years (around 7% in ten years in most areas of the island). However, with steadily improving island infrastructure and some villa and apartment developments under construction, the island is looking in good shape to take advantage of the wave of building around the Caribbean.
Good contacts for Nevis Real Estate are:
| | Nevis Island EstatesNevis Island Estates is owned and headed up by Glynis Watts, who has been handling individual Nevis homes for sale, villas in developments, land for sale on Nevis and, more recently, apartments on the island since 1998. | | St Kitts RealtyA real estate company that specialises in the sale and sometimes development of land in the South-eastern peninsular of St Kitts (and occasionally in Nevis). St Kitts Realty, which is headed up by Ricky Pereira, has offices in Basse-Terre and in Turtle Bay and has sales particularly in Frigate Bay and around the tip of the island at Turtle Bay Estates. | | Sugar Mill Real EstateA friendly and efficient real estate agency based in the island of Nevis in the North-Eastern Caribbean. Sugar Mill Real Estate is run by Suzanne Gordon, who sells properties all over the island, including houses for resale and homes in the various current developments. She also has enormous knowledge of Caribbean architecture, about which she writes, and is active in Nevis conservation. |
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Recommended Books
Swords, Ships and Sugar (Premiere Editions International, 1996), by Vincent Hubbard is a general history of the island.
Rivers of Time: Why is Everyone Talking to Philippa? (Matador, 2008), by June Goodfield, is an absorbing tale of detective work, uncovering the trail of a young white girl who found iconic status in Saddle Hill, Nevis. Read a Review of Rivers of Time on our blog.
If you can find a copy of it, then an excellent book about Nevis is West India Fortune by Richard Pares, published in London in 1950. |
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Restaurants
Eating out has improved considerably on Nevis over the last few years. There is now quite a good selection of independent restaurants around the island to supplement those in the hotels, some of which are excellent. They serve mainly international cuisine using the best of the ingredients that they can source from the area, including the fish of course. There are also a couple of local restaurants that serve more traditional West Indian fare, which are fun to try out.
If you are not staying in one of the plantation hotels they are magical at night and make for a very romantic evening out. They tend to have fixed price menus of three or four courses which range in price between US$50 and $65.
The following prices are valid for a main course (excluding lobster and steak). Expensive: US$25 plus, Moderate: US$12-25 and Inexpensive: up to US$12. All bills are supplemented by government tax at 9% (usually included) and service at 10%.
The Terrace, Montpelier Plantation Inn, t 469 3462, expensive.
Enjoy the Great Room for drinks and canapés as you select your meal and wines (over 70 wines on the list). Dinner is outside with great views of the night lights of Charlestown and St Kitts. The Mill at Montpelier (same phone, expensive) offers gourmet dining in the charming and romantic setting of their historic sugar mill.
Hermitage Plantation Inn, t 469 3477, expensive
Delightful bar and terrace setting in a creole building, set menu, with a pig roast on Wednesday evenings.
Nisbet Plantation, t 469 9325, expensive
In the elegant gallery of an old great house, with wooden floors. Top notch fare in a confortable surroundings.
Bananas, Hamilton Estate, Charlestown, t 469 7098, expensive
Creative international fare by moonlight in a courtyard and garden just across from the waterfront in town.
Le Bistro, Chapel Street, Charlestown, t 469 5110, moderate
Congenial surroundings in a traditional building in town, good international and Caribbean fare.
Café des Arts, Hamilton House, Charlestown, t 469 7098, moderate
Light daytime meals under parasols in a garden and courtyard at a historic house just across from the waterfront in town. Great ribs and desserts. In the evenings the Café opens as Bananas Bistro and offers more sophisticated fare.
Gallipot, Jones Estate from November 07, t 469 8230, moderate
Delightful setting on an open-sided octagonal bar and deck just above the sea. Family run. Varied food, Quiche, curries and Coquilles St Jacques. Also endless fresh fish, caught by the owner who is also a charter boat captain. Open Thurs-Sun lunch.
Ms June’s, Jones Bay, t 469 5330, moderate
A dining event in a West Indian style buffet, a never-ending volley of courses, many of them of Trinidadian origin. Fixed price for all you can eat and drink. Stay around for the stories by Miss June after dinner. Usually Weds, otherwise by appointment.
Double Deuce, Pinney’s Beach (Charlestown end), moderate
Very easy-going garden bar with tables and deck chairs set under the palms and a lovely view over Pinney’s Beach. Well prepared burgers and steaks with lots of local fish, from a daily menu board. Sees a daytime crowd of villa owners and hotel guests.
Sunshine’s, Pinney’s Beach, t 469 5817, moderate
A classic local beach bar. Good local fish, ribs and chicken and a fun scene Their drink, the “Killer Bee”, lives up to its name.
Chevy’s Calypso Bar and Grill, Pinney’s Beach (Charlestown end), moderate
A classic wooden beach bar setting on a lovely stretch of Pinney’s Beach, with bench tables set under umbrellas on the sand. Straighforward fare at lunch and dinner - sandwiches and burgers with fries, a plate of local fish or a Caribbean curry. Sees an easy mix of Nevisians and visitors.
Eddy’s, Main Street, Charlestown, t 469 5958, moderate.
Open on Wednesdays. DJ and dancing after 9.30pm.
Sea Food Madness, Pinneys Road, Charlestown, t 469 0558, inexpensive.
Setting in a simple local house, just outside town, fish as fresh as it gets.
Unella’s by the Sea, Waterfront Charlestown, t 469 5574, inexpensive.
In town overlooking the sea from an upper deck. Breezy setting for international fare.
Rumours Bar and Grill, Airport Road, moderate
In a simple gazebo and garden setting at the (quiet) roadside close to the airport. A short menu of local fish and seafood. Lively at the weekends, particularly popular for its buffet and band on Friday nights.
Sunset Restaurant and Bar, Cotton Ground, moderate
Set in a modern Caribbean building dressed in pastel pink and green just behind Pinney’s Beach. Local fare.
Mem’s Pizzeria, Prospect Gardens, t 469 1390, inexpensive.
Pizza in a garden setting.
Shirley’s, close to the airport, inexpensive
Simple and local fare, easy stopover for a beer and a plate of local food.
Natural Livity, Shaw's Road, t 469 4825, inexpensive
Wholesome local food in a simple setting in town. |
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Sailing
With such beautiful surroundings, it is worth stopping at Nevis if you are travelling down the island chain, perhaps from St Maarten to Antigua. There are not that many anchorages, but yachts do stop off Sunshine’s on Pinney’s Beach and there are some moorings in Tamarind Bay off the Gallipot. There are no marine facilities on Nevis.
If you are staying on island and want to enjoy sailing then there are day sails that offer a fun day out, along with the magnificent views of course. |
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Scuba Diving
The diving on Nevis makes a good addition to an on-island holiday. There are about 40 dive sites off the island, mostly on the protected Caribbean side. These include reefs, and a number of wrecks, but there are also some more exotic things to do including the thermal vents which release hot and cold water off Pinney’s Beach. There are of course other sites that can easily be reached off St Kitts.
We recommend Scuba Safaris, who have daily scuba trips. They also take out whale and dolphin-watching trips in the season between January and April. |
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Security
Nevis is one of the islands in the Caribbean with the least concerns over security, both with regard to your personal security and belongings. However, you are encouraged to take sensible precautions, as you would anywhere in the world, by not leaving valuable belongings visible from outside your villa, or unattended on the beach or in a car, particularly in remote areas of the island. |
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Service Charge/Tipping
A service charge of 10% will generally be added to your restaurant and hotel bill on Nevis. Tipping for good service in bars is always appreciated and the norm for this is 10% as well. In villas, no service charge has been included in the cost so it is certainly expected that you tip your staff. |
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Shopping
Shopping is limited on Nevis, but there is a steadily increasing art scene on the island and some artists have had international success. There are a number of galleries in Charlestown and around the island, where you can buy work by local and resident artists. The museums have books and other collectibles for sale.
Café des Arts, Waterfront, Charlestown, t 469 7098
A very pretty creole house that is part gallery and part garden café, across from the waterfront in Charlestown. You'll find examples of work from various artists including batik art by Cavelle Jeffers. The owner does an Art Tour of the island, contact Gillian Smith, t 469 7098.
Stone Art, t 469-3065, stoneart@caribsurf.com
Marvin Chapman is a self taught stone carver who uses chisels, drills and saws on locally collected stone to create individual works of art. You will see them around the hotels in around Nevis.
Newcastle Pottery
A simple workshop located across from the entrance to Nisbet Beach Plantation, where you will find Caribbean art and pottery from different artists. It is mostly 'craft', but it is all worked freeform by hand (no wheels or moulds) using the same techniques as 300 years ago, when pots were rubbed smooth with "burnishing stones" and colours were provided by powdered local soils. The firing oven uses coconut husks and leaves. The Newcastle Pottery has been working for several decades and the workers are mostly either older local ladies or children. You may also see the occasional visitor working there too. At one time they were producing only coal pots and flower pots, and work reflecting religious themes. Nowadays you will find pottery inspired by local nature - birds, fish, frogs and lizards! Prices start at a few dollars for a knick knack.
Robert Humphreys Sculptures, t 469 3326, machumph@caribcable.com, www.caribbronzes.org
Talented British bronze sculpturist who lives locally but has foundries in the States and UK for private commissions and off-the-shelf pieces available for sale. Call for an appointment.
Four Seasons Selections Boutique
Four Seasons Selections Boutique displays and sells work by local artists including beautifully carved mahogany pieces by Larry Parkinson and marble art by Stephanie Le Roux.
Knick Knacks Boutique, Henville Building, Bayfront, Charlestown, 469 9630, knickknacks@caribsurf.com.
A gift shop run by husband and wife team Derek and Jeannie Rigby. Craftwork, wall hangings, dolls and fabric art by Jeannie as well as hand-dyed and hand-painted T-shirts using Jeannie's original designs. The dolls are also a big attraction. They range from small mermaids and market ladies to elaborate character dolls based on typical island people. Jeannie is invited to Four Seasons resort on a regular basis to display her shirt painting technique.
Llewellyn Clarke, Photographer, t 469 9435/663 4514, llewellynclarke@hotmail.com
Llewellyn Clarke was born in England, but of Nevisian parents and lived in England and Canada until 1999. Llewellyn is a trained chef, but over the years has developed his hobby of photography into a profession since his return to Nevis where he has been inspired by ‘the colours and shapes within nature’. You will find his work at the Café des Arts and Four Seasons where he participates as a ‘guest artist’ once a month.
Patrizia Art, t 667-5820, info@patriziaart.com, www.patriziaart.com
Patrizia is a mosaic artist with a quaint studio on the Hamilton Estate which is worth a visit just for pleasure or inspiration (by appointment only). Take away items include mosaic mirrors, sculpture, vases, art pieces and other curios. Patrizia also makes mosaics to order for shipping such as tables, fountains, backsplashes and borders for kitchen and bath, and mosaic washbasins. Indeed most of her work is for international clients.
Please see here for more details and photographs of work about Caribbean Art and Caribbean Artists on Nevis
Food shopping
If you are staying in self catering accommodation and wish to buy your food, then the supermarket with the best selection is Ram’s Supermarket. Best Buy is open on Sundays and carries some lines that Ram’s does not.
If you'd like to take some flavours of Nevis back home, try some of Llewellyn Clarke's flavored oils and pepper sauce which he makes from local ingredients - available at Ram's.
Quentin Henderson (Bee Man), t 869 469 5521, buzzwords@yahoo.com,
Quentin Henderson went out to Nevis with the VSO in 1987 to set up bee keeping programme which involves about 20 locals who produce on average about 4 tons of honey per annum. Honey sold through the Nevis Historical & Conservation Society .
It is always fun to visit the local market, which you will find close the waterfront near the ferry terminal in Charlestown. The tables are loaded with fruits and vegetables along with spices and other household goods. The market is open each day except for Sunday and is at its liveliest on Fridays and Saturdays. |
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Solo Travellers
Nevis is a relatively comfortable island on which to travel alone and there are a number of places where you will be well treated as a single person, especially if you are a woman travelling alone. Many of the hotels and restaurants will make the effort to seat you properly at dinner and provide an appropriate level of attention.
Barbara Whitman, who runs snorkelling trips though Under the Sea Nevis, also offers a ‘Ladies Week Out’. As the name suggests it is an opportunity for women to take time to travel away in the company of other women, either in groups that know one other or as individuals who don’t, to take a moment to relax and re-energize. The idea is to create a sympathetic environment in which to think, compare experiences and plan personal growth. Based at Oualie Beach Resort, all the activities of the resort are there, but many of the other things that Nevis offers will also be laid on during the week. Trips in November 2004 and monthly in 2005.
Accommodation on Nevis that is most sympathetic to the needs of single travellers include: | Hermitage Plantation Inn
A wonderful plantation inn, with gracious West Indian atmosphere, set on the flanks of Mount Nevis. Authentic style, intimate retreat for couples, Nevis weddings and honeymoons. | Hurricane Cove Bungalows
A quiet hideaway with fantastic views over a Caribbean beach and to St. Kitts. Just twelve one, two and three bedroom bungalows in a delightful hillside setting above Oualie Bay, a short stroll to the beach, sports, watersports and scuba diving. |
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Spas
There are a couple of spas on island, but if you would prefer a treatment in your room – or on the beach - then most of the hotels will arrange for a masseur or a masseuse to come.
The Spa, Four Seasons Resort, Pinney’s Beach, t 469 1111
A dedicated building within the resort (priority is given to hotel guests, but when there is space, outside guests are welcome). A full range of treatments in a lovely setting.
Jade Spa, Newcastle, t 469 9564
A smaller and less expensive option in Newcastle. Here they do a 10-step non-surgical facial procedure, reflexology, shiatsu, Swedish massage, relaxing massage and lymphatic drainage. There is a mini-market which sells herbal products.
Compassionate Touch, t 663 8914, 469 9748
Husband and wife duo Valencia and David Griffin, massage.
Essential Massage, Newcastle, t 469 9578 / 665 2332
Martha Hart Honders, who spent fourteen years at the Four Seasons, offers a number of treatments including deep massage and aromatherapy.
If you are looking to stay at a hotel with a spa or in-house massage and complementary therapy facilities, consider: | Four Seasons Resort
A full service beach resort with Four Seasons exacting standards, in the magnificent setting of Pinney's Beach on the Caribbean coast of Nevis. |
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