Once I arrived on St. Kitts, I knew I couldn’t leave without exploring its smaller sister island, Nevis. Being so close and not taking the chance would haunt me later.
The name Nevis comes from the Spanish phrase “Nuestra Señora de las Nieves,” meaning “Our Lady of the Snows.” Legend has it that when Columbus discovered the island in 1493, he saw the peak wrapped in clouds and thought it looked dusted with snow. And so, “Nevis” (from las Nieves) became the name that stayed.
This quiet island is mostly known for two things: its volcano, Nevis Peak, which rises to 985 meters (3,232 feet) and offers challenging hikes, and its place in history as the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. His childhood home in Charlestown is now a museum.
I looked into the available tours, hoping for something interesting, but most options seemed limited to catamaran trips with snorkeling and swimming around the island—not quite what I had in mind. There weren’t any tours that actually stopped on Nevis itself, so I decided to hop on a ferry, and go on adventure by myself.
The adventure began sooner than expected—before I even made it out of the hotel! I hadn’t withdrawn cash for the taxi in advance, thinking I’d take care of it in the morning. But as it turned out, the only ATM nearby was inside the casino, which wouldn’t open for another two hours. The receptionist suggested I hop in a taxi and stop at the nearest ATM on the way to town.
So, I got in a taxi, and just 100 meters down the road, we stopped at a bank. Unfortunately, the ATM was out of order. We drove a little further and found another machine, but it wouldn’t accept my MasterCard. At this point, I was starting to feel a bit nervous, but the driver assured me there were more ATMs in town.
The ride from the Marriott to downtown St. Kitts took about 10 minutes. We found another ATM, which finally accepted my card but refused to give me money without specifying why. I lowered my withdrawal from 350 to 100 EC dollars, and—hallelujah—it dispensed 100, with an 8 EC service fee. Only then did I realize it was only giving out hundreds.
Back at the taxi, the driver cheerfully informed me that the fare was 80 Eastern Caribbean dollars (about $32 USD). I was a bit shocked by the price, but nothing was going to stop me from sticking to my plan.
After handing over nearly all my cash to the taxi driver, I figured I’d just buy the ferry ticket with a credit card. The ferry station was about 500 meters from downtown, so I walked over, only to discover that they didn’t accept credit cards. The fare was 31 Eastern Caribbean dollars, which meant another trip back to the ATM for an extra 200 EC—plus another 8 EC service fee—just in case I’d need cash on the island.
With ticket in hand, I boarded the ferry and braced myself for a 45-minute bumpy ride. In hindsight, I was glad I’d skipped breakfast!
I finally arrived in Charlestown, the main town of Nevis. My plan was to explore the city first and then, if I had time, maybe grab a taxi to tour the island or visit the Botanical Gardens.
The main square in the center of Charlestown is quite small. At the heart of Memorial Square stands a short obelisk, dedicated to honoring the soldiers of Nevis who lost their lives in World War I and II. I learned that 20 people died in WWI and 8 in WWII. The square is charming, but it’s not exactly a must-see.
Charlestown turned out to be smaller than I expected. I walked around it twice in about an hour and took in the sights. The architecture was interesting—colorful but a bit worn down.
The streets were quiet, as the taxi driver had explained earlier: it was Sunday, so most people were at church. Of course, anything that seemed worth checking out was closed. Including places I wanted to visit – the Nevis History Museum, as well as the house where Alexander Hamilton was born.
So, I just walked around and snapped a few pictures.
The most well-known portrait of Alexander Hamilton is this:
By 11, I had finished my walk around town. Meanwhile, the sky kept growing darker, and I started thinking it might be a good idea to check the ferry schedule and possibly head back to St. Kitts before the storm hit.
According to the official schedule, the ferry was supposed to depart every hour on Sundays. But in reality, the schedule wasn’t quite accurate. The ferry driver scheduled for 11 was on vacation, so I was told the next ferry would leave at noon. That gave me a bit less than an hour to kill, so I decided to stroll along the sea embankment.
I took a moment to snap a picture of Nevis’ volcanic mountain.
I got to see the far end of the island and drive along a road with breathtaking views.
The driver dropped me off right at the door of my hotel, so in the end, whatever happens, happens for the best! Even though I didn’t get to explore all of Nevis and probably missed some amazing views, I’m glad I took the adventure and stepped foot in the hometown of General Hamilton.