Put Nevis on radar for old Caribbean charm, serenity

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.

A 2-mile-wide channel called The Narrows separates the 36-square-mile island from its larger sister island. Most visitors fly into St. Kitts, then catch the ferry or arrange a private water taxi to reach Nevis. Others fly directly into the Nevis airport via private jet or one of several small airlines that fly in daily from Puerto Rico and other nearby islands.

If you’re seeking a Caribbean getaway without stoplights, casinos, American chain restaurants and cruise ship visitors, this is the one you’ve been dreaming of but didn’t know existed.

Beach seclusion

Opened in February, the island’s newest villa resort, Paradise Beach Nevis, caters to families and includes seven three- and four-bedroom thatched-roof villas with a Thai-influenced design. Because our arrival was during the slower summer season, we were upgraded to a 3,400-square-foot, four-bedroom villa with an outdoor dining area and private plunge pool — all just steps from the beach.

Entry is through a sliding-glass wall that opens to reveal an expansive multiuse space where guests can relax, dine and prepare meals in the fully equipped kitchen. There is no on-site restaurant, but our butler stocked the villa with items we’d requested before our arrival, and was on call throughout our stay.

On our first evening, we relaxed with cocktails and snacks at the beach bar before returning to the villa, where private chefs were preparing our evening meal.

The concierge also makes restaurant reservations or arranges for meal delivery, and it is easy enough to stroll down the beach to reach several casual restaurants near the Four Seasons, our second stop.

Lap of luxury

Nevis’ off-the-beaten-path reputation got a boost in 1991 when Four Seasons Nevis, the largest and only branded hotel chain on the island, opened with 196 rooms.

Hurricane damage forced it to close for over two years, but the Four Seasons resort reopened in December 2010 after undergoing $120 million in reconstruction and upgrades that include a new beachside restaurant featuring 101 rums, four private beach cabanas with butler service and the addition of a third infinity-edge pool.

While the resort has always attracted honeymooners and couples celebrating special occasions, families love the kids’ club and sea turtle education program.

Golf and monkeys

Nightly golf cart tours leave from the pro shop at dusk, with monkey sightings nearly guaranteed. While resort guests can take the tour free of charge, vacationers staying elsewhere on the island can book a two-seater golf cart for a monkey tour for $30.

Early risers can catch them, too, on morning walks. Climb to the course’s highest point, hole 15, for postcard-worthy views of the sea.

Sea-to-table fare

If yours wriggles away like mine did, the guides assist with the catch, making sure everyone returns with fresh-from-the-sea crustaceans, ready to be grilled by the chef near our private beach cabanas.

In addition to this culinary treat, our gourmet lunch included other unique sea-to-table delights — parrotfish ceviche marinated with citrus juices and filleted lionfish baked in foil packets.

For more information about Scuba Safaris, visit www.divenevis.com.

Island explorations

The best way to see the island is by car. Fortunately, it’s difficult to get lost; just stay on the Main Road (yes, that’s its name). It only takes an hour to drive the 21 miles without stops, but plan on a full day and some sightseeing.

Before heading up the mountain, we started with Charlestown, Nevis’ capital and the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, who helped draft the U.S. Constitution and was the first secretary of the Treasury.

Hamilton was born on Nevis in 1757 and lived on the island until age 9. Hamilton House, a stone building dating to 1680, houses the Museum of Nevis History and an exhibit about Hamilton. The building’s second floor is the meeting room for the Nevis House of Assembly.

Situated on the outskirts of town is the former Bath Hotel, opened in 1778 as the Caribbean’s first tourist hotel. Although Nevis has escaped mass tourism, it has long attracted the rich and famous. Its volcanic hot springs drew visitors from throughout the West Indies and Europe who were seeking relief from their ailments in the mineral-rich waters.

The Bath Hotel has counted poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, British Navy Capt. Horatio Nelson and Prince William, heir to the British throne, among its famous guests. Today, the hotel houses government offices, but visitors and locals alike still come to soak in the waters.

Plantation tours

In the early 17th century, Nevis earned its moniker “Queen of the Caribbees,” when more than 100 sugar mill plantations were in operation, profiting England more than any other Caribbean holding. Three have been converted to boutique inns away from the beach, nestled in the hillside, with mountain views.

We toured the Golden Rock Plantation and savored one of its famous piled-high lobster salad sandwiches on freshly baked bread. A newly constructed outdoor dining terrace, expanded restaurant and other renovations had been completed since my last visit in 2009, enhancing its charm and natural botanical surroundings.

After lunch, we got a peek at its two-level sugar mill suite, often booked by honeymooners, then walked off our mango ice cream dessert with an easy rain-forest stroll on the property.

Montpelier lays claim to hosting the 1787 wedding of Horatio Nelson to Fanny Nisbet, the widow of Nisbet Plantation’s owner and the niece of the president of Nevis, John Herbert. And Princess Diana and her boys stayed here following her separation from Prince Charles.

As we turned into the driveway of our final plantation inn, The Hermitage, I was struck by memories of eating soursop ice cream on the veranda of the Great House. Offering one of the island’s most idyllic settings, it is surrounded by colorful gingerbread cottages and perched on a hillside with Nevis Peak looming large in the background.

Country charm is strong, with four-poster beds and antique furnishings, but even here, there is free Wi-Fi.

On Wednesday nights, The Hermitage draws guests from throughout the island with a West Indian buffet featuring roast pig.

Abundant dining

Bananas, a casual beachfront eatery, is an island favorite, serving up traditional stews called goat water and conch water. Coconut Grove is another. Its menu has more of a gourmet flair and boasts the island’s only wine cellar.

Nearly everyone who visits Nevis stops in at Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill on Pinney’s Beach, near the Four Seasons resort, for lunch or dinner, or just to sample its signature rum punch, the Killer Bee, and pose for photos with Sunshine, its one-name proprietor and unofficial island ambassador.

Photos covering the walls are evidence that the island has not gone unnoticed by the rich and famous, including celebrities like Oprah and Beyonce, sports stars, and political figures — topped by former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

North to Nisbet

We ended our week at Nisbet Plantation on Nevis’ north coast, located on the site of a sugar plantation that dates to 1778 and was transformed into a hotel in 1949. Its beachfront setting is unique among the island’s plantation inns.

A palm-lined path known as the Avenue of Palms stretches from the Great House to the shore, where breakfast and lunch are served in two casual open-air restaurants. Don’t miss ordering the heart-shaped banana, mango or coconut pancakes at breakfast, then return for the daily Nevisian lunch special.

Thursday night’s beach barbecue, which wraps up with dancing to a local steel-pan band, is open to anyone on the island with a reservation.

Hammock time among the palm trees of Nisbet’s beach became a top priority on our last afternoon. My views included the sea on one side and Nevis Peak on the other. I thought about what most attracts visitors to this small island in the West Indies, wondering whether it was the exotic beauty that nature has bestowed on it or the welcoming spirit of those who inhabit it. Or perhaps both?

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Put Nevis on radar for old Caribbean charm, serenity."