Nevis Island

Nevis is an unspoiled island next to St Kitts. It seems very uncrowded, largely because the large cruise ships do not dock here. Only ferries come in from St Kitts.We anchored in the harbor at its capital, Charlestown. The lush landscape, the beaches, and Mount Nevis makes Nevis popular with hikers, snorkelers, and nature fans. The island is small and has only 10,000 inhabitants. The main road that circles the island is only 21 miles long.

We took a day to explore the island. Nevis' history includes Horatio Nelson, the British sea captain who married a local woman in 1787 and died in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It also focuses on Alexander Hamilton, the American statesman, founding father, and first Secretary of State, who died in a duel with his political enemy, Aaron Burr. We visited a cricket sports museum highlighting local and Caribbean sports stars, but for the most part, avoided the museums. Instead we walked around Charlestown, noting the Charlestown Methodist Church, built by freed slaves c. 1844. We also hiked to the ruins at Fort Charles, c. 1628, at the southern end of the island, then turned north and walked along the beach back to Charlestown. Our friend Rich found a beautiful unblemished conch shell on the beach.

It was a great day off from our sailing journey north. Our next destination: crossing to St Marten.