Aaron Peasley

The tiny island of Nevis, adrift in the southernmost stretch of the West Indies, has long been a haven for those seeking quiet isolation.

Arriving at Nevis’ Hermitage Plantation Inn late in the evening, I feel as if I’ve travelled back in time. Perched 800 feet above sea level, on the southern slopes of the grand 3232-foot Nevis Peak, the resort looks like a little village of crayon coloured cottages, lighted like Christmas ornaments amidst a lush landscape of mango, cashew and breadfruit trees. In my second floor villa, the moonlight filters through the latticed, bougainvillea-covered verandah, creating little diamond shaped beams of light across the room. With a soundtrack of chirping Bell Frogs, a light tropical breeze and the perfume of ginger flowers, I have all the ingredients one could need for a perfect night’s sleep. Until a series of loud, disquieting thuds rattle my rooftop.

Over breakfast the next morning I decide to ask my gracious hosts, the Lupinacci family, about the noise. It turns out things that go bump in the night are nothing to be concerned about around these parts. The racket was merely the work of the cheeky green Vervet Monkeys, cohabitants of this paradise since the 1700s, who like to toss mangoes and other tropical fruit into the wee hours.

It doesn’t take one long to learn that man tends to take a backseat to nature in Nevis, a gloriously laid back slice of the Caribbean.

The Hermitage is one of a handful of Nevis’ romantic plantation inns, all lovingly restored remnants of Nevis’ history as a sugar production capital in the 18th century. Back then, Nevis was known as the queen of the Caribbean and great houses like the Hermitage’s were the residences of wealthy sugar barons. All but one of the plantation style inns are hidden high above the ocean, where cool breezes ease even the hottest days and gorgeous panoramas reveal themselves at every turn.

What sets Nevis’ plantation style hotels apart from most Caribbean resorts is that, far from being faceless beachside compounds, they feel like part of a vibrant community with a genuine sense of history. On weekend evenings, the Hermitage’s 340-year-old Great House, believed to be the Caribbean’s oldest wooden structure, is transformed into the centre of Nevis island social life, just as it was hundreds of years ago. Evenings are convivial affairs, beginning with a rum punch at the gracious cocktail bar, followed by dinner on the porch, where a four course meal – prepared from the hotel’s garden and livestock – is taken by flickering candlelight. Guests include relatives of the Lupinacci’s, hotel guests, many of whom return every year and a quirky collection of local characters.

Eccentricity – British and otherwise – has certainly found a home in Nevis. The island has a wonderful cast of oddballs (like the Scottish beekeeper who taught the locals honey production), many who’ve been seduced by its offbeat charms and natural beauty and simply stayed for good.

Like its genteel cloistered compounds, the circular island of Nevis still feels like a secret. Just thirty six square miles, and divided into five parishes, Nevis is one of the Caribbean’s last Shangri-Las; a haven of verdant green hills, pristine beaches, underwater coral kingdoms and vast tropical rainforests. Nevis was named by Christopher Columbus in 1493, who thought the ever-present clouds that wreath the volcanic peak resembled those of a snow-capped Pyrenees mountain, thus naming it nieves, the Spanish word for snow.

Until recently, Nevis was packaged as a double act with its bigger, brasher sister St Kitts (together the two islands make up the smallest country in the Americas). While they remain a federation, freewheeling Nevis is taking a different, decidedly more upscale path. In one way, Nevis, which seems worlds away from the sunburnt hoards, defines itself by what it lacks; like all-inclusive resorts, chain stores and fast food outlets. Certainly no one comes to Nevis expecting designer boutiques (St Barts it’s most certainly not) or late night beach parties. The truth is, Nevis doesn’t feel much like the Caribbean at all.

While there’s no doubting that Nevis lures the wealthy –the influx of Gulfstream jets and A list celebrities has been duly noted– one would have to hunt rather hard to find any evidence of glitz or ostentation. If you did, the closest you’d come would be the Four Seasons Resort, which, when it’s not closed for post-hurricane renovations (as it is now), attracts a wealthy North American clientele. But if Island chatter is to be believed, the Four Seasons will soon to be outluxed by the arrival of the Asian based chainlet Aman Resorts.

It’s easy to imagine an Aman outpost here. Days in Nevis tend to be languorous stretches spent swimming in the calm coral waters, dropping in for a rum punch at one of the low key beach bars, or simply staying within the coddled surrounds of one’s hotel.

A types that don’t deal with idyll, head to Oualie Beach, which – I can safely assure you – measures up to the translation of ‘land of beautiful water’. Oualie Beach is dominated by the no frills Oualie Beach Resort, where the Friday night party comes as close to ‘nightlife’ as Nevis gets. During the days, the beach is an activity centre of snorkelling, sailing and scuba diving, as well as home to Barbara Whitman’s Under The Sea, a popular sea life conservation and education centre where visitors can handle the marine life in touch tanks or swim with Crush, Whitman’s rescued Hawksbill sea turtle.

Another breathtaking experience is a horse ride through the tropical rainforest. At the Hermitage, the Lupinacci’s keep a large stable of rescued thoroughbreds, which are lucky to be living their second act in this lush Eden. My horse was Yo-Yo, a placid gelding who once raced in neighbouring Puerto Rico, before his careless owners discarded him. As the horse was saddled up before the early morning ride, it was clear that the Hermitage’s horses are cared for just as well as their hotel guests.

Riding down dirt roads, past abandoned windmills, and on through narrow rocky paths beneath branches heavy with ripe tropical fruit, it’s easy to fall in love with the quixotic spirit of the teeny Island and the generous, friendly Nevisian people. On my way back to the hotel I come face to face with one of the playful Vervet monkeys, a reminder that in Nevis, nature is blissfully alive, irresistible and, as I’ll learn once again tonight, far from silent.

Best beach bar
Sunshine’s
Sunshine’s eponymous bar and restaurant, decorated with low slung wicker furniture, colourful flags and beaten up number plates, began selling barbecued seafood, spiced with fiery marinades, 12 years ago on a quiet stretch of Pinney’s Beach. Since then, the bright shack has become a mandatory island destination drawing everyone from families staying at the neighbouring Four Seasons resort, to local Rastafarians and visiting celebrities. The food is among the island’s best, featuring salads, burgers and grilled lobster, but the star attraction is Sunshine’s legendary Killer Bees, a potent rum punch cocktail, which, true to its titular promise, delivers a stinging headache the next day.
Pinney’s Beach
00869.469.5817
www.sunshinenevis.com

Best dining experience
Miss June’s Cuisine
Imagine, if you will, that you’ve been invited for an extravagant Caribbean feast at your eccentric aunt’s sprawling house. That’s what you can expect from Miss June Mestier, a former Trinidadian beauty queen, who plays host to the Caribbean’s most unforgettable dining experience. The meal commences with cocktails and canapés in Miss June’s antique filled living room, followed by a five course meal in the formal dining room, which includes a buffet of over 30 dishes like the signature plantains baked in coconut rum. Nights here tend to last for hours, accompanied by endless glasses of wine and fascinating stories of Miss June’s colourful life. Reservations essential.
Jones Bay
00869.469.5330

Hotel
Montpelier Plantation Inn
A haven of romance ever since Admiral Lord Nelson married local girl Fanny Nisbet there in 1787, this quintessential British outpost is the island’s most romantic lodging option. Upon arrival at the property, the first thing you’ll notice is the enormous fig tree, which gives way to the hotel’s grand public spaces. The great house, together with the 17 guest suites, were given a chic de-chintz overhaul by the Hoffman family who purchased the property in 2002. Life here is about doing very little at all, but doing it in grand style, whether its swimming in the hotel’s beautiful pool, having dinner in the soigné candle lit sugar mill, or playing a spirit game of croquet on the hotel’s green with its stunning views of the ocean 750 feet below.
St John Figtree
www.montpeliernevis.com
00869.469.3462

Beach
Pinney’s Beach
Protected by a gorgeous coral reef, this 3-mile strip of powdery sand, just half a mile from Nevis’ sleepy capital, is the island’s best beach. While all you need is a lounger and a cold Carib beer for a perfect afternoon, there are plenty of breezy beach bars in which to kick back and enjoy irresistible sunset views of neighbouring St Kitts.