As one of the earliest colonies and the closest (in nautical terms) St Kitts & Nevis in the Caribbean was prized by the British, creating a model for the lucrative plantation system based on sugar and slavery.
The beauty of lush tiny Nevis, combined with the reputation of its planter and merchant families for good living, caused it to be known as "the Queen of the Caribees".
Nevis is also famous for its connections with Admiral Nelson, who met and married local beauty Fanny Nisbet here.
When she met Captain Horatio Nelson on Nevis, Frances Nisbet was a young widow with a five-year-old son.
They were married under a silk cotton tree in Nevis in 1787. A copy of the marriage certificate is on display at the Saint John Figtree Parish Anglican Church and the cotton tree still stands on Montpelier Plantation, from where it is a short trip to Saddle Hill Fortress, Nelson’s lookout point for spying on enemy ships
Montpelier Plantation & Beach
Montpelier Plantation is now home to a luxurious boutique hotel Montpelier Plantation & Beach.
Romantic and chic; Montpelier Plantation has 19 rooms with an intimate and exclusive atmosphere.
Former guests include Princess Diana and today’s guests enjoy fine dining, fabulous views and 60 acres of lush tropical grounds.
The hotel is decorated in traditional colonial style with splashes of colour. The focal point is a beautiful blue freshwater mosaic pool and a 300-year-old sugar mill which is now the setting for an intimate restaurant.
Mill Privée hosts tasting dinners with wine pairing and is, according to the hotel’s owner Muffin Hoffman, the only restaurant in the world set in a sugar mill.
Restaurant 750 has smart al fresco dining and poolside Indigo Bar & Restaurant offers casual dining and superb cocktails.
The hotel has its own private and secluded beach. With stylish cabanas, parasols, loungers and a pavilion with your own personal bartender, you can enjoy a picnic delivered by the hotel for a private paradise experience.
Large rooms housed in individual bungalows have four poster beds and a relaxing cool ambience.
Each has its own terrace overlooking the greenery of the grounds with the sea in the background.
You may spot monkeys, lizards and mocking birds. There is plenty to do at and around Montpelier.
There are tennis courts, a spa and open air yoga. Relax in a hammock, curl up with a book in the Great Lounge or take a catamaran for a snorkelling trip.
As well as the fascinating Nevis Heritage Trail, which gives an insight into the cultures and historical influence to be found here, the tiny island of Nevis has all the sights and experiences that one expects from a Caribbean destination.
Beautiful beaches, hiking trails, water sports and golf are all here. You will spot donkeys, lizards and mongoose.
In addition to fine dining restaurants you can find a lively vibe and great food at beach bars such as Sunshine’s at the pretty Pinneys Beach.
Try local dishes such as chicken and ribs, or freshly caught fish such as snapper and mahi mahi, washed down with cold beer and the sounds of live calypso.
Montpelier Plantation Inn, PO Box 474, Montpelier estate, Nevis, West Indies. Tel: +1 868469 3462
Montpeliernevis.com
Rooms from £387
Getting there
British Airways flies to St Kitts twice weekly from London Gatwick.
From St Kitts guests take a scenic ferry crossing to Nevis.
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