Nevis

Nevis is a place of serene beauty. It is a small sombrero shaped island - only 7 miles long and 5 miles wide. From the sea - the 3232 foot Nevis Peak is visible for miles before you arrive - inviting you to come explore it's depth. Unspoiled beaches , adventurous hiking, friendly  helpful residents all made our experience on Nevis special.

Arriving on a bare boat charter - we had to first go through customs & immigration. The customs officers are official, stern and to some - intimidating. Relax, eventually you will be shown they way to the police station - where they check out your passport - and send you back to the customs / immigration office at the docks. Once cleared - exploring this small island is a huge treat!

We hired a taxi and took off to explore Nevis. 1st - we visited The Golden Rock Nature Trail at Golden Rock Plantation Inn. This hundred-acre 18th century sugar estate is the result of decades of personal owner management and devoted staff. The Estates’ garden courtyard, bordered by luxuriant bougainvillea and orchids is the center of life at Golden Rock. The trail is easily accessible to even the most inexperienced hiker, but offers an exotic array of tropical foliage. The trail runs along a picturesque ridge-line and meanders down a dry, gentle sloping ravine bed, featuring huge rain forest plants to local fruit trees and flowers. Maps of the trail are available at Golden Rock. Call 869-469-3346 or E-mail info@golden-rock.com. After your hike - you can enjoy a plantation style lunch for a reasonable price.

Half our crew stayed at the Golden Rock for the 3 hour hike and lunch - while the rest set off once again in the taxi to have lunch at a seaside plantation resort. Nesbit Plantation Beach Club is where we dined on breaded flying fish and tasty conch fritters, and stole a relaxing afternoon at their pool. This beautifully-restored 1778 Great House and 36 charming cottages are spread among 30 acres of lush tropical foliage. The beach is gorgeous, and all comforts of a top-notch resort were available to the guests.

Our next and last taxi ride took us back to Pinny's Beach, where we spent happy hour at Sunshines Beach Bar & Grill. Located close to the Four Seasons Hotel - Sunshine's is a little paradise on the beach. We enjoyed cold beer and good local company. We decided to have dinner here - and enjoyed delicious island cooking including fresh lobster (amazing) and local fish. The owner - Sunshine , is a great cook, and his friendly nature makes this spot a comfortable place to put up your feet and enjoy some great Caribbean hospitality! A visit to Nevis is not complete without a visit to Sunshines!

Official site of the Nevis Island Tourism Authority

 

 

Nevis Information from Wikipedia:

Nevis (pronounced /ˈniːvɪs/) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Puerto Rico and fifty miles (eighty km) west of Antigua. The 36-square-mile (93 km²) island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. The capital of Nevis is Charlestown.

Nevis, along with Saint Kitts, forms the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The two islands are separated by a shallow two-mile (3.22 km) channel, known as "The Narrows". Nevis is conical in shape, with a volcanic peak, Nevis Peak, at its centre. The island is fringed on its western and northern quadrants by sandy beaches that are composed of a mixture of white coral sand with brown and black sand, eroded and washed down from the volcanic rocks that make up the island. The gently-sloping coastal plain (0.6 miles/1 km wide) has natural fresh-water springs, as well as non-potable volcanic hot springs, especially along the western coast.

The island was named Oualie ("Land of Beautiful Waters") by the Caribs and Dulcina ("Sweet Island") by the early British settlers. The name, Nevis, is derived from the Spanish, Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (which means Our Lady of the Snows); the name first appears on maps in the sixteenth century.^[4] Nevis is also known by the sobriquet "Queen of the Caribees", which it earned in the 18th century, when its sugar plantations created much wealth for the British.

Nevis is of particular historical significance to Americans because it was the birthplace and early childhood home of Alexander Hamilton. For the British, Nevis is the place where Horatio Nelson was stationed as a young sea captain, and is where he met and married a Nevisian, Frances Nisbet, the young widow of a plantation-owner.

The majority of the approximately 12,000 citizens of Nevis are of primarily African descent. English is the official language, and the literacy rate, 98 percent, is one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

 

From Wikipedia & Wikitravel