Nevis

From some angles, Nevis looks like a sombrero, peaked in the center and low around the edges. Clouds usually cap Nevis Peak, which is over 3,000 feet high. On occasion, they cling to the summit and fall down the sides, looking like snow. Some say this is why Columbus named it “Nuestra Señora de las Nieves” (Our Lady of the Snows), after one of his favorite churches. 

Early attempts were made to settle the island from St. Kitts in 1628. The first town, called Jamestown, was built near Fort Ashby, but it sank into the sea after an earthquake and tidal wave in 1680. Control of the island passed between British and French forces until 1783, when it became a British possession. It became a plantation economy dominated by sugar production, generating considerable wealth for landowners at the expense of enslaved people, and there are many old plantations and sugar mills on the island. The old mills are crumbling, but several former plantation estates have been converted into hotels. They offer a window into the island’s colonial-era architecture, though visitors should be aware that this history is inseparable from the enslaved labor on which the plantation system depended.

Alexander Hamilton, one of the American Founding Fathers, was born on Nevis. The British admiral Horatio Nelson was also stationed here in the 1780s, a period with a complex local legacy, and married the Nevisian Frances ‘Fanny’ Nisbet during his time on the island.

Nevis, with a population of around 11,000, is quiet and peaceful, with lovely views and picturesque houses. Exploring the island is highly recommended. Nevisians have been careful to preserve their architectural heritage, and many traditional Caribbean-style buildings survive. Quite a few are highlighted along the Nevis Heritage Trail.

The mountain is clad in dense forest, and with a suitable guide, you can make it all the way to the peak. The less energetic can visit the Golden Rock Estate, buy a trail map, and take a stroll or hike. Going at 1530 will give the best chance of seeing the island’s green vervet monkeys, descendants of animals brought to the Caribbean centuries ago. Return for tea in the majestic garden setting of the estate. 

Several people lead historical, plantation, and forest tours. Information on these, bird books, and trail maps are all available at the Museum of Nevis in Hamilton House, or the tourism office.