Nevis

Nevis is 36 square miles of paradise. A leeward island in the Caribbean that along with St Kitts forms the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. It's southeast of Puerto Rico, west of Antigua and just small enough to make it challenging to get to! That is also what makes it special...no casinos, no cruise ships, no worries...The only traffic jams are usually because some goats or donkeys are crossing the road! It's been a favorite winter escape of ours for over thirty years and it never fails to charm.

Mornings in Nevis begin with a short stroll from our rental house to the beach by Nisbet Plantation. Every morning the sky is different depending on the clouds, the wind and the rain, and every morning I am left speechless by the sunrise.

After coffee it's time for some exercise. We found a route that includes a long slow climb to the village of Fountain, passing goats and school buses and cows, then through a pasture with a view to die for, and got us back in time for a hearty breakfast.

The days follow a lazy routine of strolling the beach, reading, swimming and deciding where to eat the next meal.

We had a delicious lunch at Bombay Bites, a newer addition to the restaurant scene in Nevis. The location is right on the beach near the airport. The day we were there we had the place to ourselves and enjoyed fantastic Indian food!

Another favourite lunch spot is Golden Rock Inn and their lobster salad. Meals are served in intimate corners of the gardens at an inn designed around a sugar mill from the 1800’s.

Lunch at Nisbet is not only delicious but a very short walk from our rental and features live music on Sundays and a front row seat to some spectacular scenery of pelicans diving for fish and St. Kitts in the background.

Getting active is necessary after all the delicious food we eat and Reggie Douglas of Nevis Adventure Tours has been taking us on hikes in Nevis for many years. He always finds a different route for us and is a wealth of knowledge about the island.

This year we explored Saddle Hill and really enjoyed the view from the top, plus the visit to the gravestone of Philippa Prentis Phillips. Last year Reggie had told us some of the story of Philippa who left England for Nevis, arriving in 1634.  I bought a copy of the book Rivers of Time Why is everyone talking to Philippa? by June Goodfield at the Museum of Nevis History. It’s a fascinating historical story that traces Philippa’s life.

From Saddle Hill we had a great view of Nevis Peak without the characteristic 'snow' cloud on top.

We ate dinner twice at Sunshine's and Double Deuce - both places serve delicious local food and drinks and are friendly and unpretentious.  Nevis is a charming, beautiful island that allows you to slow down, eat and drink well and recharge.

If this sounds appealing to you, contact me to help you plan a vacation to Nevis!