They say that Diana, Princess of Wales, chose Nevis as a hideout following her divorce from Prince Charles, and as I wandered along the beach near my resort I could see why — there wasn’t a soul in site.
I like to think the people’s princess had her own “eat, pray, love” moment somewhere on that sleepy little Caribbean island.
At less than 100 square km in size and with a population of just 12,000 souls, Nevis is intimately tiny and remarkably unspoiled.
The smaller of the two Leeward Islands that comprise the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Nevis has the kind of relaxed vibe and rustic charm that you always picture when you think of the Caribbean, but seldom actually find.
A single ring road circles the entire island, so the odds of getting lost are slim.
As one local put it, “If you don’t know where you are, just get on the main road and drive and eventually you will be back where you started.”
Taking that advice to heart, we rented a four-by-four from Funky Monkey Tours and decided to see what we could see.
Not surprisingly, our first stop was a pair of abandoned sugar mills.
There was a time when Nevis was covered with sugar plantations and in the early 18th century, an estimated 20 per cent of the British Empire’s sugar supply came from Nevisian plantations.
In those days, the sugar fields stretched high up the volcanic slopes of Mount Nevis and sugar mills dotted the landscape.
When the bottom dropped out of the sugar market, most of the rich plantation owners left and the mills fell into ruin.
Today, some have been transformed into unique hotels and some still sit as crumbling reminders of the island’s rich industrial past.
Two of the most accessible ruins are New River and Coconut Walk Estates. Located on the east coast of the island about 25 minutes from the capital city of Charlestown, New River was the last sugar mill in operation on the island when it closed its doors in 1958. As we exited the vehicle, I noticed a small herd of goats treading gingerly through the ruins. Wandering around the site, we were able to check out an old steam engine, a tall brick tower, a cistern and the ruins of the Great House.
From New River, we drove along a goat trail to Coconut Walk — so named for the tall coconut trees that once lined the borders of the walk. The key ruins of this mill include the tallest windmill on the island and a stone lime kiln that was once used to fire coral to produce lime for plaster and cement for the construction industry. Being all alone at an abandoned historical site was a bit eerie and as I stood on the windswept rocky shore between the ocean and the ruin, I couldn’t help wondering what this place would have been like in the days of slavery.
Back on the ring road, we went in search of sustenance and ended up at a local lunch shack called Rodney’s. The proprietor, a stout middle-aged Nevisian woman named Rodney, has created a menu of Caribbean classics.
“I don’t sell burgers and fries,” she assured us. “If you come to the Caribbean, you want Caribbean food. You try my coconut Johnny cakes, salt fish and breadfruit cheesy. That’s what real Nevisians eat.”
I have to admit, I almost felt like a real Nevisian as I left Rodney’s. She doesn’t know it but I still think of her as my Nevisian aunt.
“My mother always wanted a boy,” Rodney confided as we were leaving. “And after six girls, she just decided to name the next baby Rodney — no matter what.”
Back on the ring road, we weren’t sure where to go next. But on Nevis, it doesn’t really matter which direction you choose — “eat, pray, love” moments are around every corner.
Independence Day
On Sept. 19, 2013, the island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis celebrated their 30th anniversary of independence from the British. Like the islands themselves, the struggle for independence was a peaceful one.
If you go
• Most travellers fly into St. Kitts, drive across that island and take a 45-minute ferry ride to Nevis, but it is also possible to fly directly into Nevis from St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Antigua or Barbados. Return air from Calgary or Edmonton to St. Kitts will cost about $1,100 per person including taxes (depending on the season of travel) and requires at least one connection.
• Top accommodations: Four Seasons Resort (fourseasons.com/nevis), Montpelier Plantation (montpeliernevis.com), Golden Rock Inn (goldenrocknevis.com), Hermitage Plantation Inn (hermitagenevis.com), Oulie Beach Resort (oualiebeach.com) and the Nisbet Plantation (nisbetplantation.com). Diana stayed at Montpelier Plantation during her visit. I stayed at the Oulie Beach Resort and the Golden Rock Inn. Most plantation resorts are not beachfront, with the one exception being the Nisbet Plantation, which is the only beachfront plantation property. Oulie Beach Resort is home to the only dive shop on the island.
• Top dinner spots: the Hermitage Wednesday evening pig roast (hermitagenevis.com), Coconut Grove Restaurant (coconutgroverestaurantnevis.com) and Bananas (bananasrestaurantnevis.com).
• Top activities: hiking, exploring, snorkelling, diving, golf, horseback riding, visiting the botanical gardens or the beach bars — Sunshine’s, Chevy’s, Double Deuce, or Chrishi Beach. It’s a good idea to rent a vehicle on Nevis — just remember that they drive on the left side of the road.
• For more information, visit the official tourism site of Nevis: www.nevisisland.com.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. Follow Debbie’s travels at www.wanderwoman.ca. If you have an interesting travel story you would like to share, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.