We jammed a lot into our Nevis 2018 trip, not all of which will be formally reviewed. That said, we have reviewed the cottage we stayed in and some of the places we stopped for food. As we find free moments of weekend or evening time, we’ll probably write a few more reviews.
Seahorse Cottage
This is the place you want to stay when traveling to Nevis with your special someone. Heck, travel to Nevis just to stay at Seahorse Cottage. It truly is enchanted, from the monkeys swinging in the trees just beyond the porch, to the evening chorus of frogs, the beautiful gardens, and amazing sunset views. Oh, and the birds, the rainbows, the free-range goats, and other critters. It’s perfectly private, yet close to all the places you want to visit while on the island….beaches, beach bars, restaurants, hiking, the market, museums, art galleries, and more. Kay keeps Seahorse Cottage in trim shape, freshly painted, clean all around, comfortable linens, all the working appliances you could need (including a washer/dryer). We enjoyed morning coffee and evening wine on the spacious veranda, sometimes lounging in the hammock, sometimes sitting in the chairs. It’s a short walk up to Kay’s pool, through plantings that rival formal Botanical Gardens. So beautiful. And speaking of Kay, she’s one of a kind…a convivial hostess, a wealth of knowledge, happy to share insights and advice to help you get the most out of your stay (take her advice….use her contacts with the taxis and boats to make your arrival on Nevis swift and frustration-free; heed her warning and limit yourself to one Killer Bee per visit at Sunshine’s). Spend enough time with Kay and you’ll come to understand that she knows darn near everyone on the island. She cares about her guests and makes this evident, but you’ll never feel intruded upon. In fact, you may want to spend more time with her, sharing a glass of wine poolside as Lulu dances and Trixie shyly appreciates your presence. Yes, bring a few dog treats and you’ll make furry friends. We simply cannot wait to return to Nevis and when we do we’ll be staying at Seahorse Cottage!
[FYI for our readers on Goat Waters….the featured image on this page is a shot of Henry’s Orchid – a name referring to his planting of the orchid, among other close associations, and not a varietal designation – clinging to the trunk of a palm in Kay’s gardens; Henry was Kay’s husband and he established most of the exquisite gardens – and collected orchids. We were fortunate to find a few of his orchids in bloom.]
Sunshine’s Bar & Grill
Like everyone else, we’ve heard about Sunshine’s Grill and his infamous Killer Bee. We mentioned to our hostess on the island that we were planning a visit and we received good advice: limit yourself to one Killer Bee, and enjoy the great food! My wife & I both ordered the Lobster sandwich, and you’ll discover that there’s more meat on this $20.00 plate than you’ll get on a grilled lobster for $45.00 at most island restaurants – very generous portions, and tasty fries, too. My wife is a slim little thing, and she felt her first KB for about 4.5 hours. One drink, serious effects, but pleasant enough if you only have one. We heard elsewhere that if you land in the hospital at St. Kitts without an obvious injury (missing arm, impaled with a piece of rebar), the first question the admitting docs ask is: have you been drinking Killer Bees? So, yeah, be careful and stick to one per visit. Hot Damn, though, they’re good!
Families with youngsters, be careful. Many adults overindulge in the Killer Bee and other fine drinks and if the sailors have tongues, they all are on display….too much vulgarity. We felt bad for the young family dining near us when the table full of pilots on the other side of us let loose with the string of loud, jovial, F-bombs without regard for the elementary-age girl. This is not a reflection on Sunshine’s, but on the degradation of society which is so eroded that many folks don’t know when to turn on their ‘in-public’ voices or at least self-edit in the presence of children.
Pinney’s Beach
If you want to swim, this is the place. Calm, warm waters, with clearly defined swimming areas, and equally defined boat channels for reaching docks or reaching shore. It only got a four star review because my wife & I are rating this against other island beaches. From a strictly Nevisian perspective, it’s the five star beach. Park at or near Sunshine’s Grill, and you can eat, set up your own chair, rent a beach lounger and umbrella, or go for a long walk. If you’re a beach comber, runner, or walker, stroll left (as you face the water) or stroll right and go right on down through the Four Season’s property – yes, the entire surf-zone of the beach is open to the public, even if their lounge-chair area isn’t.
If you’re even a moderately early bird, the public portion of this beach is empty, even on weekends. Probably too many folks sleeping off yesterday’s sting from Sunshine’s Killer Bee, but that makes it perfect if you want the sensation of wandering on a nearly deserted, tropical island shore (just ignore the flotilla of boats moored offshore).
If the monkey-toting jewelry vendor wanders up to you, buy a necklace for yourself or any distant relative, and spend five minutes with the monkey. You’ll want to move to Nevis, just for the opportunity to make a pet out of one of their ‘nuisance’ animals.
Of course visit Sunshine’s or one of the other nearby bars. Check out the Lime in the Coconut for gifts, many of which are locally made on Nevis or St. Kitts…just ask if buying local products is important to you. It should be important. If you want stuff made in China or Indonesia, go there on your next trip.
Yes, this museum is tiny, but it’s worth the five US dollars to gain entry. If you take the time to read your way around the museum, you’ll find exhibits and information from the pre-history of Nevis up through the excitement of Alexander Hamilton’s dueling demise. I had no idea he was born on the wrong side of the blanket. There are hints that he took a lover. And it’s clear that Aaron Burr galled him, enough to provoke a duel. It’s this last that really got my wheels turning. Would it be possible, perhaps as a pay-per-view source of revenue to finance truly necessary government projects, to re-institute dueling amongst politicians? Imagine the millions flowing into each nation’s treasury. Happier still, imagine the potential in the first year to reduce the political class by half. Find each man (or woman, be fair, please) their Second, to ensure the quality of the weapons and the circumstances, then let the drama commence. Even if you don’t go in for duels, the Museum of Nevis History has much to teach about the natives before the European arrival, plantation life, the horror of slavery, and so much more. Definitely worth the visit!
Goat Waters 
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