My Nevis Travel Guide – An Unspoiled Oasis in the Caribbean

Secluded beaches, miles of lush tropical gardens and jungles, all beautifully unspoiled and without a Starbucks or fast food chain in sight...yes, this place actually does exist!! Welcome to the island of Nevis. Just a short boat ride away from its sister island, the larger and more well-known St Kitts, all 36 square miles of Nevis remains unencumbered by the crowds and commercialism that tourism has brought to so many of the surrounding Caribbean islands. It is absolutely breath-taking…a true tropical oasis that’s just a short 3 hour plane ride away if you live in the US, and I has the incredible pleasure of experiencing everything the island has to offer just over a month ago.

If your idea of a vacation involves a place that’s beautiful, peaceful and secluded, then go ahead and add Nevis to the top of your “where to go next” list. And in the meantime, click through to get my full guide on what to do, what to eat and where to stay plus details on getting there and tips on how to make the most of your time on the beautiful island of Nevis. Also, you can see videos and highlights from my Nevis trip here!

Nevis Travel Guide – Overview/Backstory

You may remember me posting photos from Nevis on instagram while I was there at the end of April. A little backstory on this trip…I’d received a call asking if I’d like to join along on a press trip to Nevis while Cole and I were on our Eastern Caribbean cruise with Princess the month before. I was a bit hesitant at first, because it would mean traveling alone for the first time internationally, but after talking it over with Cole, we both decided it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. I’m SO glad I went!! It was honestly the perfect destination for me to experience traveling by myself internationally on my own because it was small, safe and the people of the island were so incredibly friendly! I loved it so much and found it to be so beautiful and safe that I’m 100% set on coming back not only with Cole but with Everly too!!

The press trip was a total of four nights at the end of April and I was joined by two other travel writers, Joe from Joe’s Daily and Claire Gallam, a freelance travel writer whose work can be seen in publications such as Conde Nast Travel, Vogue and more. I absolutely LOVED getting to know these two amazing people and having such a small group on the press trip allowed us to really immerse ourselves in experiencing Nevis.

Getting To Nevis

When visiting the island of Nevis, you’ll usually fly into the St Kitts airport first. It was a small airport, so getting through security took no time at all. From there, you’ll take a 30-40 minute taxi across St. Kitts to Reggae Beach, where you’ll board a water taxi that will get you to Nevis in just six minutes. When I was writing this, I actually originally wrote that the drive from the St Kitts airport to your water taxi was only 15-20 minutes and realized I was wrong when I verified it. That’s because the drive from the airport to Reggae Beach is SO incredibly beautiful. You’ll be driving across the really narrow part of St Kitts, where you can see incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other as you wind through mountains and valleys of beautifully lush tropical foliage. The first photo above is one I took from the taxi ride.

After we arrived at Reggae Beach, we boarded our water taxi, where we were each given a Carib beer as we enjoyed beautiful views of Nevis Peak, the dormant volcano on the island, become closer and closer as we approached. The water taxi only took six minutes, and in a flash we were welcomed to the beautiful island of Nevis, where a car was waiting to take us to our hotel. When all is said and done, you should have no problem getting from the St. Kitts airport to your hotel in Nevis within an hour or so.

Where To Stay

If you’ve traveled to the Caribbean then you know, the hotel you choose to stay at becomes a huge part of your travel experience. Many visitors may decide not to leave their resort at all, so choosing where you’ll stay during your time in Nevis will really shape your experience. We had a unique experience during our four-day stay because although the Nisbet Plantation is the hotel that hosted us, we were actually able to experience and see two other hotels that I absolutely loved, so I’ll be talking about all three of those options in this post.  In fact, after I began writing this post, I realized I had so many photos and so much content to write about on each of the hotels we experienced alone that I’m going to follow this up with a separate blog post focusing solely on each of the hotels. For now, I’ll do a brief overview of the three hotels I recommend and what each offers, because I believe every one offers something totally different, depending on what kind of experience you’re looking for.

1 – Four Seasons Nevis

Although we didn’t stay at the Four Seasons, we actually got to spend an entire day here, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this stunning, unique resort. Four Seasons is perfect if you’re looking for an island resort experience where you don’t ever have to leave the resort, whether for a family vacation or a honeymoon. With soft, white sand beaches speckled with bright yellow umbrellas and cabanas, multiple pools, a golf resort which is known for its green velvet monkey appearances, an incredible spa, and multiple dining options, there is so much to see and do at Four Seasons Nevis.

Our itinerary at the Four Seasons Nevis included a gold cart tour of the entire property, a beachside cabana for the day, massages at the Four Seasons Spa , sunset drinks on the pier and dinner at EsQuilina. As I said, I’ll go into full detail on my follow up Nevis resort review post, but to sum it up, Four Seasons Nevis was unlike any resort I’ve ever experienced and is definitely the place I would stay if I were to bring Cole and Everly back.

2 – Nisbet Plantation Beach Club

Nisbet Plantation Beach Club was our host hotel during our stay in Nevis. This historic hotel is the Caribbean’s only plantation inn on the beach and is perfect if you’re looking to truly immerse yourself in the island experience. The vibrant yellow cottage style rooms and lush palm trees speckle the vast green lawn, leading right up to the resort’s private beach. The Main House, built in 1778, still stands at the center, where you can enjoy delicious local, gourmet meals for dinner.

Nisbet fully embraces the laid back, Caribbean lifestyle, with no televisions in the rooms and glassless windows with shutters so you can bring in the light, sounds and smells of the ocean air whenever you please. This quaint, local treasure is definitely best suited for adults. Stay tuned for more details and photos in my Nevis resort post.

 

3 – Golden Rock Inn

On our last evening in Nevis, we were treated to a tour and dinner at Golden Rock Inn. Before I go on trips I always do research on each of the locations on the itinerary so I can know what to pack/what to wear at each location (because I’m nuts and like for my outfits to match the setting). On our first itinerary, however, Golden Rock wasn’t listed, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect when we arrived at this hotel. Boy was I in for a surprise!! I instantly fell in LOVE with this insanely gorgeous boutique resort. Located in the lush green slopes leading up to Nevis Peak, this resort boasts more than a 100 acres of lush gardens, restored by artists Helen and Brice Marden. If you’re looking for a truly beautiful, unique and quant experience in Nevis, Golden Rock Inn should absolutely be the place that you stay. With just 11 guest rooms (each its own unique house/unit), a stunning fresh water pool, gorgeous views of the Caribbean Sea, and an amazing restaurant, all surrounded by acres of the most breathtaking gardens and wildlife, this is truly a magical, tropical oasis. Although Four Seasons would be the place I’d stay for a family trip, I’m also dying to go back with just Cole so we can stay at Golden Rock Inn. More on that property coming in my Nevis Resort post.

What To Do

As I was writing this post, I realized many of our experiences involved the properties that we were visiting, which is why I’ll be expanding on those in my Nevis resort guide blog post. Much of what you do in Nevis will depend on the hotel you decide to stay at, but there are still some experiences in Nevis that you should work into your itinerary no matter where you decided to stay. Read on to see the things we did during on time in Nevis (aside from the hotel-related activities) and click here to see more activities Nevis has to offer.

1 – Funky Monkey Tours

The Funky Monkey Tour was the first thing we did during our first full day on the island, and it was the perfect way to kick off the trip. We did the 3 1/2 hour 4×4 tour and were able to see so much of the island! From the beautiful beaches of Nevis to the winding roads up to Nevis Peak, we got a full tour of the island, stopping at many historic and iconic landmarks along the way, as well as lots of wildlife, including the green vervet monkeys (I tried to get a photo but I didn’t y’all, sorry!). We got to see the oldest building in the entire Caribbean The tour also included beers and other refreshments during the entire tour. It’s definitely a must-do if you decide to venture from your hotel and explore the island (which I definitely recommend!!)

2 – Charlestown Historic Walking Tour

We also did a walking tour of the capital of Nevis, Charlestown. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend this tour to anyone with children – there were many times when we were walking along very narrow sidewalks and busy streets with cars that made me a bit nervous. For our purposes,  however, it was fine and was a great way to see and explore the true local side of Nevis (although the entire island feels very local!) A fun fact about Nevis if you didn’t know, it was the birthplace of f=one of the US founding fathers (and also the inspiration behind a very well-known musical), Alexander Hamilton. We got to stop at his home, now preserved as a museum for the public, during this walking tour which was really cool. As much as I loved seeing the local stores, businesses and shops, my favorite part of this tour was getting to see the Nevisians interact with one another. As we walked through the streets with both our tour guide and our representative form the Nevis Tourism Authority, Yvette,, everyone knew each other by name and made a point to wave, smile and sometimes even stop for a handshake or hug to say hello. It was SO neat and inspiring to see the love that the Nevisians have for one another.

3 – Water & Adventurous Activities

Not gonna lie, I was pretty disappointed that our itinerary didn’t include any truly adventurous activities, because there is a wealth of adventure awaiting in Nevis. All three of us agreed that we would have loved to do an activity such as climbing Nevis Peak, but we were especially bummed that we didn’t have any activities on the water planned (don’t worry – we talked to the tourism board about this so hopefully that will change going forward!). Regardless, if you’re planning a trip to Nevis, you should absolutely incorporate some adventure into your time there. As you can see from the above photos, the water surrounding Nevis is absolutely stunning, and you can do things such as charter fishing boats, snorkel and scuba dive and kayak. Click here for a full list of adventurous activities in Nevis.

Where To Eat

When it comes to dining in Nevis, you simply can’t go wrong. As I mentioned, there are no fast food restaurants or chains in Nevis, so you know you’re eating local authentic food when you eat here. We got to experience meals both at the hotel and resort locations we toured and some local treasures too. Read on for my two favorites.

1 – Sunshine’s Beach Bar and Grill

 If you’re looking for a party atmosphere, delicious drinks and local flavor, Sunshine’s is a can’t-miss spot in Nevis. Located off Pinney’s Beach, this spot is known for local owner Sunshine’s drink, the Killer Bee rum punch, which we got to try (and it was delicious!) and we even got to meet Sunshine himself! Sunshine’s has a casual, relaxed vibe and its a great way to experience some local flare and flavor of Nevis. I ordered the fish sandwich, which was incredibly fresh and delicious, but the jerk chicken is suppose to be amazing!

2 – Yachtsman Grill

The seafood pizza I ordered at Yachtsman Grill in Nevis (pictured above) might be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Yachtsman Grill is also a beachside restaurant with an open patio concept, amazing, local seafood options, pizza and a full bar with wine, beer and drinks. We happened to eat at the Yachtsman Grill on a night when they had live local music, and it was incredible!! The band played all kinds of popular hits, old and new, all with a Caribbean flair. You can see videos of some of his performances here.

 

Nevis is truly a treasure in the Caribbean that’s not to be missed, and if you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean soon, it should absolutely top your list of destinations. There is so much natural beauty, rich history, delicious food and the local people are incredibly kind. What more could you ask for?? I can’t wait to go back and experience again with Cole and hopefully Everly too! Stay tuned for my full Nevis resort review coming later this week on the blog. Click here to see all of my travel guides and posts.

 

Fair-well xx,