St. Kitts and Nevis are a pair of laid-back islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Just two miles apart, they tick all the boxes for an amazing holiday – from exotic beaches and brilliantly clear warm waters to lush rainforest, dormant volcanoes, and even a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This two-island country may be the smallest in the Americas both in size and population but it packs a mighty punch as a holiday destination. For us, there was no better base to discover its charms than the Four Seasons Resort Nevis.

This post is not only about what to expect from the Nevis hotel, but also filled with inspiration and practical information to plan your St. Kitts and Nevis holiday. Read to the end for the best things to do in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Here are some background and facts about St. Kitts and Nevis to give you a better idea of what to expect when arriving on the islands.

The Four Seasons Resort Nevis has been welcoming guests since 1991. Over the years, the Nevis hotel has received many awards, including the first AAA Five-Diamond Award within the Four Seasons brand.

Here are just some of the reasons to consider staying at the Four Seasons Nevis on your St. Kitts and Nevis holiday.

Right next to the white sands and clear waters of sheltered Pinney’s Beach, this Nevis hotel spans 350 acres of a former sugar and coconut plantation. Despite being in the midst of nature (you’re sure to see a green vervet monkey), it’s also only minutes away from island attractions such as museums, plantation homes, and historic churches dating to the 1600s.

Renting a car is unnecessary when staying at Four Seasons Nevis. The local airport is 10 minutes away, while there is a pier at the property for transfers from St. Kitts.

The Four Season Nevis Resort has seven restaurants and bars where you can expect locally sourced ingredients such as aubergine, coconut, papaya, mango, passionfruit, lemongrass, red snapper, and lobster.

On the Dune is an upscale yet relaxed beachside restaurant where Caribbean and American cuisine comes together. Their signature dish, the “Bang Bang” shrimp and lobster, is a must-try.

At the waterfront Mango restaurant, you won’t mind getting your fingers sticky nibbling on the BBQ ribs.

EsQuilina and the Kastawey Beach Bar complete the Nevis hotel’s culinary offering. And don’t forget to have a rum-fuelled nightcap at the Crowned Monkey Bar. A special Crowned Monkey Rum was created in honor of the resort’s 29th anniversary. Produced by Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, it was aged in a single Jim Beam bourbon barrel for 14 years.

The Private Villas at the Four Seasons Nevis

There is no reason not to stay fit and healthy on your St. Kitts and Nevis holiday. The Four Seasons Resort Nevis isn’t called a “350-acre playground” for nothing.

Here are just some of the activities and facilities to help you stay fit:

The Four Seasons Nevis offers 189 rooms and suites spread out across the resort grounds. If you’re joined by more people on your St. Kitts and Nevis holiday, you can even rent one of the larger Private Retreats rental homes.

All rooms and suites were renovated a few years back to encapsulate the spirit and soul of the Caribbean. The light and fresh decor – incorporating aspects of the island’s culture, history, wildlife, and nature – adds to the relaxing beach holiday atmosphere with private patios or balconies that overlook the sea, gardens, or Nevis Peak.

For even more privacy, you can book a villa with a private pool on the slopes of Nevis Peak. Getting to the beach is just eight minutes away by golf cart.

The staff of Four Seasons Resort Nevis is 95% Nevisian team members. It has always been the resort’s policy to hire as many local residents as possible. Before the opening of the Nevis hotel, the economy mostly relied on agriculture and fishing. It meant many high school graduates left the island to find work elsewhere.

Bring the kids on your St. Kitts and Nevis holiday and let them be entertained in the Kids For All Seasons club. They offer a big range of activities, including sandman building competitions, movie nights with s’mores and face painting and creative cooking, baking, or mocktail making classes. You can even join them if you feel bad about leaving them on their own.

Older kids and teenagers can join in activities like beach cricket, crab hunting, and eco-bio golf on the beach driving range. The latter means no matter if you hit the ball into the sea, it will dissolve into fish food within 72 hours.

Treating yourself to a massage or a facial in the Four Season Nevis’ Garden of Eden-inspired Spa is compulsory to complete the ultimate St. Kitts and Nevis holiday.

The treatment to have? The signature Nevisian massage, of course. This full-body massage incorporates a locally infused blend of oils, scents, and Caribbean spices. It begins with a foot cleansing ritual and ends with tension-releasing strokes that mimic the ocean waves. Afterward, you can come back to earth on a lounger in the spa’s tropical garden.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site of historical, cultural, and architectural significance, Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is recognized as a “remarkable example of European military engineering” in a Caribbean context.

The fortress, which dates to the 17th and 18th centuries, was built by African slaves on a steep volcanic slope of St. Kitts which became known as Brimstone Hill. The fortress, which was to provide a safe refuge for the island’s citizens and help protect them from a sea attack, is nearly 800 feet high.

Of all the things to do in St. Kitts and Nevis, this is one worth leaving your hotel for. Set aside at least two hours for your visit. On a clear day, you can see up to six other islands in the distance if you take the time and effort to climb to the upper levels.

Interesting tours of the fort’s interior are available. Entry costs $15 and children under 10 have free access. The Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is open daily between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm.

The capital of both St. Kitts (Basseterre) and Nevis (Charlestown) are worth exploring.

The best way to get a feel for daily life in Basseterre is to enter through the impressive archway of the Old Treasury Building. From here, you can take a leisurely stroll past vendors selling fresh produce and colorful crafts and other souvenirs.

If you keep on walking, you’ll arrive at the Circus, the town’s unofficial center which was modeled after London’s Piccadilly Circus. With the clock faces of the Berkeley Memorial looking out in every direction, you can take your pick of cafes and restaurants in the surrounding streets.

Just a short boat ride away on Nevis island, Charlestown has a completely different vibe with cobbled-stone streets adding to the quaintness. Your best bet is to grab a free walking tour map and start finding the interesting historic points of interest. These include the Bath Hotel, the first-ever built in the Caribbean, a Jewish cemetery, Alexander Hamilton House, and the Museum of Nevis History.

The “last railway in the West Indies” allows you to take a 30-mile round-trip of St. Kitts from the comfort of passenger train cars (18 miles) and modern buses (12 miles). This must be one of the most unique and spectacular sightseeing tours in the world and one of the best-rated things to do in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Built between 1912 and 1926, the railway’s original purpose was to transport sugar cane from St Kitts sugar plantations to Basseterre. Today, it lets tourists enjoy beautiful vistas of the ocean, beaches, and nature. You’ll cross canyons and pass through small villages and farms, always keeping an eye on the volcanic cone of Mount Liamuiga.

The St. Kitts Scenic Railway tour lasts about three hours. Apart from being entertained by a choir and listening to interesting facts about St. Kitts and Nevis, guests are treated to complimentary drinks including rum punch and frozen daiquiris.

Learn all about St. Kitts and Nevis’ sugar plantation heritage on visits to some of the sugar cane plantation manor houses that remain as a reminder of this part of the islands’ history.

There were around 68 sugar cane plantations on St. Kitts at the time when it was the most important economic activity on the island. The last sugar was delivered to the sugar factory at Needsmust in 2005.

Romney Manor, which belonged to Samuel Jefferson, is one of St. Kitts’ best-restored plantation houses. It is surrounded by a lush botanical garden and home to a batik factory where unique clothing is made by waxing and dyeing.

Other plantation houses worth visiting include Wingfield Estate and Fairview Great House.

From a challenging hike to Mount Liamuiga, at 3,792 feet the highest point on the islands, to a leisurely beach stroll – there are more than enough hiking opportunities for all fitness levels on a St. Kitts and Nevis holiday.

Even if it’s the steepest on the island, the hike to Mount Liamuiga is relatively “short”. Depending on how fit you are, it will take three to four hours to complete. The best place to start and end your hike is at Newton Ground in St. Paul Capisterre Parish.

On Nevis, hiking to Nevis Peak covers a distance of over 4 miles. It can take anything between 2,5 to 4 hours depending on how many times you stop to enjoy the views. Beware that some parts require some climbing.

Those who prefer staying on level ground will find many beautiful beaches to walk along. Here are some to seek out:

• St. Kitts – Majors Bay, South Friar’s, Frigate Bay North and South, Cockleshell, Sand Bank Bay, Turtle Beach, Banana Bay
• Nevis – Pinney’s Beach, Oualie Beach

A founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton is also Nevis’ most famous native son. He was born on the island in 1757 and lived here until he was nine. Later in his life, he became well-known for fighting in the American Revolutionary War, helping to draft the Constitution, and serving as the first secretary of the treasury.

While the temperatures in St. Kitts and Nevis are pleasant throughout the year, the best time to avoid extreme heat and rain is between December and May. From July to November is hurricane season when the weather can be pretty bad.

Currently, only fully vaccinated travelers are allowed entry into St. Kitts and Nevis. Non-vaccinated children under 18 may also enter with fully vaccinated parents or guardians, but must have a negative nasopharyngeal or anterior nasal swab RT-PCR or NAAT test of which the results must be uploaded to their parents’ travel entry form.

In addition, all travelers over the age of 18 to St. Kitts and Nevis must submit a negative nasopharyngeal RT-PCR or NAAT test result from a CLIA/CDC/UKAS accredited lab taken no longer than 72 hours before arrival. Hard copies of the negative RT-PCR or NAAT test results and vaccination certificates must be on hand.

Check all the latest requirements here.

Have you been to St. Kitts and Nevis or is a visit on your bucket list? Tell us all about your experiences and expectations in the comments below.