Nevis
..... naturally enchanting
The charm and tranquility of Nevis reflects a simpler and more peaceful time where today's frenetic pace is largely unknown and certainly not a way of life. Walks on the beach, especially at night with only brilliant stars to see by, will easily help usher you into the relaxed atmosphere of this unspoiled Eden.
A paradise for nature lovers, Nevis' unparalleled natural vegetation make it a lush, green and serene world to be explored. Throughout the rainforests you'll discover beautiful flowers, birds and exotic wildlife, including the Vervet monkey, also known as green monkeys. Heading down the hills to the clear waters off the coast, there are vibrant natural reefs, as well as wrecks, excellent for snorkeling and scuba diving. You can also see whales cruise by or learn about the nesting of sea turtles or other underwater life with a marine biologist as your guide.
If colonial architecture and history captivate your interest, the island is covered with the ruins of the sugar plantation era, which declined in the late 1800s after slavery was abolished and the sugar beet created competition for sugar cane. Explore these old sugar estates with their windmills and former great houses, along with several churches, cemeteries and Amerindian sites. For those interested in archeology, there several projects led by university researchers from England and the United States that go on every year.
History
Visitors find life on Nevis, the southern-most island in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, quite relaxed. Its capital, Charlestown, with only 1500 residents, is a particularly modest town in which one can feel the tranquility that characterized the Caribbean of the past. Over the years Nevis has made a number of significant contributions to the Caribbean and the world. Two men who played parts in international history were Alexander Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson.
In 1757, Hamilton, the great American Statesman, was born in Nevis and then as a young man, was sent to the North American colonies for education at King's College (now Columbia University) in New York. Becoming involved in politics, and serving with General George Washington during the American Revolution, Hamilton was one of the original members of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, and served as the first Secretary of the United States Treasury. His family home, originally built in Charlestown in 1680, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840. On the site is a carefully constructed replica, housing a museum dedicated to both Hamilton and to Nevis history.
During the 1780's, Nelson, who would later become Britain's greatest naval hero and most famous admiral, used Nevis as his base of operations. In these early years, he was commander of the Leeward Islands Squadron, a group that had as its home port, English Harbour on Antigua. Nelson's legacy is visible there in the restored Georgian dockyard that now bears his name, as well as on Nevis where the Nelson Museum is distinguished by maintaining the largest collection of Nelson memorabilia in the Americas.
For anyone interested in history, or in just seeing reminders of a past way of life, exploring Nevis won't disappoint. some of those choices include:
Montpelier House - a once prosperous estate belonging to Fanny Nisbet, and the site of her marriage to Lord Nelson. It's mostly gone now, but there still remains the crumbling wall and gate, along with some columns of the old manor house.
The Bath Hotel - the first resort destination in the Caribbean. Built in 1778, this once luxurious hotel attracted many prominent Europeans to Nevis and its soothing waters. Nelson and the future king of England William IV, among others, attended several gala events there during the the late 18th century. However, the hotel's days of splendor ended along with the collapse of the sugar industry in the 19th century, and the original structure suffered considerable damage in a 1950 earthquake. Ruins are all that remain now, but visitors can still take a mineral bath in the five spas built there over a hot spring.
The oldest synagogue in the Caribbean & the Jewish cemetery - a tangible reminder of a once vibrant community that existed on the island of Nevis. The cemetery contains gravestones that are engraved in English, Hebrew and Portuguese, dating from 1679 to 1768. Once constituting 25% of the island's population, the Sephardic Jews of Nevis brought to the island the secret of how to crystallize sugar, and in doing so, were largely responsible for Nevis becoming known as the "Queen of the Caribbees", and one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean.
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