Nevis Editor Picks

If waking up to waves caressing white sand is your priority, choose the friendly Nisbet Plantation Beach Club; the rest of the inns are high up in the forested hills. Built in 1778, the great house of the club is the ancestral home of Fanny Nisbet, the Nevisian society widow famously wooed (and later abandoned) by the dashing Lord Horatio Nelson—there are plaques all over the island, and even a museum in town, dedicated to Lord Nelson. Twenty-two cheery yellow cottages dot the gently sloping lawn, which grandly unfurls itself toward the picture-perfect beach. Though it’s technically on the Atlantic Ocean side, the iridescent water is nearly as mellow as the Caribbean. After dinner, slide into the beachside hot tub, and watch the stars crawl across the sky. Closed August through early October.

The Montpelier Plantation Inn is situated on the island’s northern flank, up a steep, rockstrewn road, where Nisbet and Nelson exchanged vows in 1787 under a mammoth ficus benjamina tree that still stands sentinel at the great house. As befits such noble nuptials—not to mention Princess Diana’s much-touted stays—Montpelier, a Relais & Châteaux property, is the most refined and elegant (yet unpretentious) inn on the island. Hidden within lush gardens bursting with pear and ackee trees, palms, and bougainvillea, are 17 cottages, each with its own veranda, wicker and wood furnishings, and crisp white linens. At the inn’s restaurant, a former sugar mill fittingly called The Mill, you dine by candlelight. It’s the island’s most exclusive, so save it for your last night.

Some believe that Nevis’s monkey population outnumbers that of its humans, which is roughly 11,000. One of the best places to catch a glimpse of these furry friends (known as African Green, or Vervet, monkeys), is on this easily navigable nature trail, which runs along a scenic ridgeline and through a rainforest. The trail starts from the Golden Rock Plantation Inn property; plan on a 30-minute hike.

This five-plus-acre garden is a must-do – among the brilliant rainforest flora, admire the 100 species of palms from as far as Madagascar and Hawaii and the 70 varieties of orchids. The Tropical Vine Garden holds treasures like the calico vine (a curious, fabric-like plant), and the stephanotis, which has an intoxicating perfume similar to that of Jasmine. Don’t miss the Rainforest Conservatory, with a recreation of a Mayan temple and thundering waterfalls. Closed from mid-September to mid-November.

There are 14 sources from which nectar can be gathered on Nevis, including avocado, sour orange, and mango flowers. It’s this diversity of flora and pollen that lends the honey on the island such a distinct flavor. Watch the production process, from extracting to bottling, at the Beekeeper’s Cooperative (call ahead to schedule an appointment).

Call in advance for reservations at this unforgettable restaurant, which also happens to be the...more

An excellent spot for original art, this gallery pays tribute to Eva Wilkin, Nevis’s most famous artist (even Prince Charles showed up to see her work, which pays tribute to island life through colorful paintings and sketches). A permanent collection of Wilkin’s paintings and murals is housed here, and originals are also for sale. The setting for the gallery – an 18th-century windmill – is almost as unique as the artwork.