My husband and I recently returned to the peaceful, private, safe, beachfront Hamilton Beach Villas on the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis which is more beautiful than ever. All of the Hamilton's villas are just a few steps away from the beach and the blue Caribbean Sea. The back section of the Hamilton is now finished and includes a long, lovely pool surrounded by lush, colorful landscaping, a poolside bar, a new office featuring a large, hand-painted mural depicting Alexander Hamilton (who was born on Nevis), and even more luxurious, air conditioned, modern villas plus a newly-built spa which is due to open any day. The entire Hamilton staff is very friendly and always willing to help. The front section of the Hamilton still features a lovely pool plus one, two and three bedroom villas. All of the Hamilton villas have free TV and internet service plus modern kitchens stocked with dishes, silverware, pots, pans, coffeemaker, tea pot, etc. plus a large washer and dryer. Most of the villas have queen beds and our only suggestion to management is to offer king beds in some villas as well. The Caribbean sun here is early and bright so if you want to sleep late then bring eyeshades with you. It’s also helpful to pack a mask and snorkel (we saw lots of fish near the rocks at the edge of the Hamilton beach and a variety of coral and fish at...My husband and I recently returned to the peaceful, private, safe, beachfront Hamilton Beach Villas on the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis which is more beautiful than ever. All of the Hamilton's villas are just a few steps away from the beach and the blue Caribbean Sea. The back section of the Hamilton is now finished and includes a long, lovely pool surrounded by lush, colorful landscaping, a poolside bar, a new office featuring a large, hand-painted mural depicting Alexander Hamilton (who was born on Nevis), and even more luxurious, air conditioned, modern villas plus a newly-built spa which is due to open any day. The entire Hamilton staff is very friendly and always willing to help. The front section of the Hamilton still features a lovely pool plus one, two and three bedroom villas. All of the Hamilton villas have free TV and internet service plus modern kitchens stocked with dishes, silverware, pots, pans, coffeemaker, tea pot, etc. plus a large washer and dryer. Most of the villas have queen beds and our only suggestion to management is to offer king beds in some villas as well. The Caribbean sun here is early and bright so if you want to sleep late then bring eyeshades with you. It’s also helpful to pack a mask and snorkel (we saw lots of fish near the rocks at the edge of the Hamilton beach and a variety of coral and fish at Chrishi Beach down the road), sunblock, a good hat and mosquito repellent (because nearly all of the restaurants and bars on the island are open-air so we carried mosquito repellent with us everywhere). You can also buy sunblock and mosquito repellent when you arrive. U.S. dollars are accepted but not British pounds or Euros so bring US $5, $10 and $20 bills. You can also change your money into EC (East Caribbean) dollars at one of the local banks in nearby Charlestown. A rental car is best if you want to explore Nevis at your leisure but there are also local taxis that can take you to see the sites. “Miss Hilarena” lives near the Hamilton and has a large, new, air-conditioned Toyota van and she was our favorite, most dependable, friendliest taxi driver. The on-site, beachfront Yachtsman Grill restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but not breakfast so it’s best to ask the Hamilton management to stock your villa refrigerator with coffee, tea, milk, juice, bacon, eggs, bread, cheese, cereal, etc. prior to your arrival (and laundry detergent, too). There are two large grocery stores located near the only traffic circle/roundabout on the island where you can purchase anything else you need. We spent most days on the quiet, peaceful Hamilton beach where the on-site Yachtsman Grill offers beach lounges, beach shower, restrooms, beach volleyball, etc. and still makes the best pizzas on the island as well as delicious fish tacos, burgers, steaks, etc. Chef Lesley also cooks daily specials and will be happy to prepare a delicious lobster feast for you from the restaurant's you-pick, fresh lobster tank. YG owners Greg and Evelyn and their friendly staff can show you the YG wine room and its incredible selection of fine wines, champagnes, etc. Cigars are available at the YG bar which also offers big screen TVs and YG bartender Keston’s famous “Special K” rum drink. Greg and Evelyn also own the most popular tourist attraction on Nevis called “Funky Monkey Tours” which has a selection of colorful, off-road vehicles and guides that will take you off the beaten paths of Nevis or you can drive yourself to see wild donkey herds, sugar plantation ruins, beautiful mountain vistas, etc. You can book Funky Monkey tours or jet skis at the Yachtsman Grill or go to their office location on the Main Road just around the corner from Hamilton. Other fun things to do are hiking majestic Mount Nevis which is Nevis’ dormant volcano (some trails are challenging so guides are available) or taking the Leeward Island Charters morning or afternoon catamaran trip to a snorkeling cove with friendly Captain Lennox (snorkel equipment, towels, drinks and music are provided); or soaking in the 108F degrees, extremely therapeutic, healing Hot Spring located just off the Main Road between Charlestown and the traffic circle (the Hot Spring doesn’t look like much but if you are courageous enough to step in you will understand why sailing ships crossed the sea hundreds of years ago to soak in Nevis’ “Fountain of Youth.” There are numerous, experienced fishermen, fishing boats and water taxis (Clivin is our favorite for both) plus bike rentals, a dive shop, etc. available for hire down the road at Oualie Beach. For such a small island Nevis has a variety of good restaurants. For breakfast, lunch and dinner there’s the Four Seasons (all of its restaurants are open to the public) or Mount Nevis Hotel (you might see monkeys on the Mount Nevis entry lane in the morning and at dusk) or the incredibly lovely Golden Rock Inn on the other side of the island. For lunch and dinner there’s Bananas on the mountain or the Oasis in the Garden Thai restaurant located in the Nevis Botanical Garden - both have great views of the sea and sunset or the Gin Trap restaurant on the Main Road not far from the Hamilton. And just 10 minutes down the road on Pinneys Beach are four more restaurants/beach bars: Turtle Time, Double Deuce, Sunshine’s (famous for its Killer Bee drink) and Lime. Be sure to call or email these restaurants and all other Nevis attractions before you go to make sure they are open. Our favorite restaurant was the Yachtsman Grill because it is so friendly, convenient and on site at the Hamilton Beach Villas where we could spend hours swimming and “liming” (Nevis word for “relaxing”) on the Hamilton/YG beach sipping rum punch while watching pelicans glide high into the air then dive into the sea for fish. We liked to retire to our villa for a quick afternoon nap then return to the beach in time to watch the magnificent sun set into the Caribbean and at dark turn around to watch the huge moon rise over the mountain behind us.More
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