A meal in Nevis means traditional Caribbean fare such as snapper, grouper, salt fish or even flying fish accompanied by side dishes such as breadfruit, pumpkin, yams and the obligatory rice and (pigeon) peas. Everything will be flavorful and often spicy. Wash down dinner with the local beer or liquor.
The best source of information on Nevis’s cultural history is the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS).The society was founded in 1980 to conserve the natural and cultural history of Nevis by collecting artifacts and archival materials. Today, it operates two islandmuseums: theMuseumof Nevis History and the Horatio Nelson Museum (see Sightseeing, below). Along with the museums, the society works on environmental protection projects and architectural preservation.In 1992, American Express awarded the NHCS a conservation award for the island’s Strategy to Preserve Historic Charlestown.
Nevis is justminutes by small prop plane and less than an hour by
ferry fromneighboring St. Kitts. It’s the quiet cousin in this two-
island nation. The island was first named Oualie (pronouncedWally)
by the Carib Indians, a word that means “land of beautiful water,” an
appropriatemoniker. Today, the island’s 9,000 residents are outnum-
bered two-to-one bywild vervetmonkeys so nightlife on this charming
isle often consists of watching raiding marauders sneak out from the
lush cover of the bush and steal fruits on the hotel grounds.Nevis is es-
pecially favored by those travelers looking for a stay in a country inn.
Both St. Kitts and Nevis boast one of the Caribbean’s largest concen-
trations of plantation homes. The islands were once dotted with sugar
plantations and greathouses, but today these stately mansions have
been transformed into elegant inns especially popular with European
vacationers and with Americans looking to experience a slice of the
Caribbean “the way it used to be.” Don’t look for reggae lessons, limbo
contests or mixology classes at these properties; instead, expect a so-
phisticated atmosphere where the emphasis lies, not on providing fun
for its guests, but in pointing the way for independent travelers to
make their own discoveries.
Nevis is one of the Caribbean’s best destinations for the ecotourist.
Rainforest hikes, birding, volcano hikes and plenty of flora and fauna
make this island especially popular with nature lovers.
Getting aroundNevis is a simple task – if all else fails, just stay on the
main road and follow it all the way around the island to where you
started.Most of themain road follows the coastline, skirting the steep
slopes that lead to Mt. Nevis. From Charlestown, the road winds
north adjacent to Pinney’s Beach, one of the island’s finest stretches
of sand, and makes its way through the community of Cotton
Ground and past the Four Seasons Nevis, the largest accommoda-
tion on the island. Past Cotton Ground, the road forks, following the
coastal path to Newcastle Airport, Oualie Beach and Nisbet
Plantation, or taking the mountainous turn to Spring Hill, Foun-
tain and Mt. Lily. Both roads meet up on the east side of the island
and continue to traditional West Indian communities such as BrickKiln, Whitehall and Mannings before turning back across the
southem edge of the island. Here, the communities line the road,
small villages with names like Chicken Stone, Pond Hill, Church
Ground and Fig Tree. This region is also home to The Hermitage Inn
and Montpelier Plantation, both in Figtree Parish.
