I do my best to embrace Canada’s long winters. We own a lovely ski chalet in the Caledon Hills and participate in our ski club’s adult ski racing program. I take long, rigorous walks in the snow and I have a closet full of winter gear to keep me warm. That all said, there comes a point in the long Canadian winter when enough is enough, we are sick of the cold and snow and we need to escape. Nevis has become our “go to” spot, as it ticks all of the boxes of what we are looking for in a sunshine destination. Each year we think we might try a different location for our week of warmth and sunshine, however we are always drawn back to Nevis.

Nevis is a small island paradise, nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and paired with the island St. Kitts. Aside from St. Kitts, Nevis’s closest island neighbours are Antigua and Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands. The official name of this pair of tiny islands is the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas. Christopher Columbus discovered Nevis in 1493. Pronounced “Nee-viss”, the island was named by Columbus for what appeared from a distance to be a snow-capped mountain. The Spanish word for snow is “nieves”. This snow-capped mountain is in fact a dormant volcano that is often shrouded in cloud, creating a lush rainforest at the top of the mountain.

Nevis is the perfect winter getaway destination for Paul and me- we love it so much that we have been there five times. We stay at the beautiful Four Seasons Resort on the west side of the island. Following a 5-hour direct flight from Toronto, the Four Seasons staff pick us up at the airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts and whisk us off in a speed boat across a 3 km stretch of water called The Narrows, to the hotel. The first time we arrived, we felt like we were arriving on Fantasy Island. As returning guests, we enthusiastically tell the excited newcomers on the boat all of the secrets of a wonderful stay and then hear about their adventures on the return trip at the end of the week.

What makes this resort and island so incredibly special are the people. People from Nevis are proud of their island and are quick to tell you that they were, “born and raised” there. The staff learn your name, greet you with a smile and hello and go above and beyond to make sure your needs are being met. There are 12,000 permanent residents on Nevis and most are descendants of slaves, brought to the island in the 1700s to work on the sugar plantations. Nevis was fought over by the French and the English, and ultimately came under British control in 1782. In 1983, St. Kitts and Nevis became an independent member of the British Commonwealth and is now a federal parliamentary democracy.

There are several lovely hotels on the island of Nevis including Golden Rock Inn, Montpelier Plantation, Nisbet Plantation and The Hermitage Plantation. Each of these hotels has a fine dining room and to mix it up, we head away from The Four Seasons for dinner several times during our stay. The Four Seasons does not have an “all-inclusive” meal plan and we like that. Our favourite dinner spot is not in a hotel, rather it is a small restaurant, high on the mountain side and tucked into the jungle. This restaurant is called Bananas and it is our favourite place to eat on Nevis. If you go, try to arrive for sunset and have a glass of wine on the rooftop while you watch the sun set. Order the hummus appetizer- it is outstanding! The restaurant dog, Jody, will make you feel at home and keep you company while you eat. We also love to eat at the waterfront restaurant called Mangos at the resort. We sit by the water at our candlelit table, watching cruise ships in the distance and the flickering lights of St. Kitts. The freshly caught spiny lobster (or anything freshly caught) is always our first choice.

On our first night out, we get acquainted with a local taxi driver and then request the same driver for the rest of the week. My favourite has been an elderly gentleman named Teach, who loves to quiz his passengers with island trivia and other fun facts while he drives. The local taxi drivers are always pleased to give daytime island tours. The main town on the island is sleepy Charleston, where the public ferry boat arrives from St. Kitts and where locals gather during the day. Surprisingly, wealthy people from all over the world have created off-shore tax shelters in this tiny town. Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States was born here and his birthplace is a stop on the tour. On the island, you will not find gambling, traffic or a robust nightlife. It is a step back in time and a place where time is not important.

Over the years we have gotten to know the staff at the Four Seasons, many of whom have worked there for their entire careers. One of the resort managers, who I befriended at a fun tennis round robin on our first visit, told us that 80 % of the guests spend most of their time on the beach or at one of the gorgeous pools. We are part of the 20 % who go to this resort and hit the ground running early each morning and fill our days with activities. I LOVE our early morning 6 km walk up the golf course, with challenging hills and spectacular and rewarding views of the ocean coming down. The Green Vervet monkeys are particularly playful at this time of day. Monkeys are not indigenous to the island. They were brought to the island in the 17th century from West Africa by French settlers as pets. Now there are more monkeys on the island than residents and they are considered to be huge pests as they strip fruit trees and raid vegetable gardens. On the golf course, it is not uncommon to find cattle grazing on the fairways or herds of wild donkeys hiding in the bushes. On our early morning walks we feel like we have the resort to ourselves. It is the coolest time of the day to do strenuous exercise and often a brief, refreshing rain shower cools us off, with the hot sun drying our clothes within minutes.

The tennis facilities at this resort are excellent with numerous high quality hard and red clay courts. The clinics are basic, catering to a variety of skill-levels however the weekly round robin tournament often draws some A-level players and provide a fun challenge. The facility is top-notch and there is so much potential for great tennis programs- I hope these will be developed in the future.

We really enjoy playing golf at the resort’s Robert Trent Jones ll golf course, which is in immaculate condition most of the time. The staff at the golf course- everyone from the booking desk, back-shop, drink cart and grounds-workers are VERY friendly and helpful. The course is quiet each time we play, so pace of play is never a problem. On our first visit, we met a stray dog whose home was the golf course. The staff had named her Coco. Coco lead us through the golf course on our first round and found us each time we played. We could not believe it when we saw her again the next year and during our joyful reunion it appeared like she remembered us. We brought along some dog treats and Coco again became our dog for the week. Four years after we first met Coco, we returned and were saddened to hear that she had disappeared. We wistfully hoped that she found her forever home with another resort guest who had also fallen in love with her.

When we are not hiking, playing tennis or golfing, we enjoy hanging out at the adult only pool or walking along the beach. Sunscreen is complimentary, the pool attendants bend over backwards to take care of us, complimentary treats are offered throughout the day and we always find chairs. The crazy reserving chairs game that you find at most resorts doesn’t exist here. We sometimes stroll down the beach to local favourite restaurants, Sunshines or Lime for lunch. Unlike Jamaica, there are no annoying drug dealers pushing weed at the water’s edge. We love to swim out to the water trampoline and bounce like teenagers, hoping that nobody is looking. It is entertaining to observe the action around the super-yachts parked in front of the resort housing superstars or Russian Oligarchs. Several times we have gone horseback riding and were thrilled when the horses went into the ocean for a swim while we were riding! We ride through the neighbouring community of Cotton Ground catching a glimpse at island life. We always visit the spa for massages to relieve our tired muscles and relax in the serene spa setting. A quick game of shuffleboard before we change for dinner, completes our daily routine. Life is good in Nevis!

One major perk of this hotel are the free laundry facilities in each building- how great is that?!! We prefer the less expensive mountain view rooms near the adult pool, which are much more private and have stunning views of the mountain. The ocean view rooms are set well back from the ocean and the view is shielded by palm trees, so not really worth the heftier price. We prefer the second floor of these two floor buildings, simply for privacy and our desire to sleep with our door open at night.

In 2018, the hotel started phase one of a two-year renovation plan. Our room in April 2019 was newly renovated and we love the new, fresh design. Phase two started in May 2019, and we can’t wait to see the changes when we next return. At that time, we know that we will be greeted with warmth and hospitality, because that is what Nevis is all about. Needless to say, we will jump into our familiar routine and feel like we have come home. There really is something about Nevis!