Nevis Botanical Gardens was such a colourful and lush place it was a photographers paradise. Armed with my new mobile and its top rated camera I got very excited trying out various settings in such a photogenic location.
The gardens are only open between 10.00 – 15.00 and are closed on Sundays. We arrived at about 10.20 am, parked outside and we were the only ones there to begin with. This is one of the bonuses of travelling slightly off-peak.
We paid 17 USD each by card although we were warned the machine doesn’t always work. Thankfully it did on this occasion as we were trying to conserve cash for the journey back to St Kitts.
We had been given a map and made our way by ourselves around the 5 acres of spectacular gardens.
The land upon which the Botanical Gardens is located previously belonged to the Montpelier Estates.
The plants are all clearly labelled although I didn’t capture the names of many of them so below is a series of colourful Botanical Gardens images:
The original colonial house is now a gift shop which was open and sells a range of paintings, crafts and clothing.
Dotted around are places for meditation and mindfulness.
Montpilier Plantation
The restaurant at the botanical gardens was closed so upon leaving we called into the nearby Montpelier Plantation Hotel for some refreshments. The history of Montpelier dates back to 1687 when the site was discovered by an Anglo-Irish doctor called Sir Hans Sloane who was said to have invented milk chocolate.
100 years later, in 1787 as a then sugar plantation, Montpelier was the site of the wedding of British Naval Commander Horatio Nelson.
With wealthy plantations such as Montpelier, Nevis experienced rapid growth and in the early 19th century was one of the wealthiest places in the world. Things declined with the reduction of the sugar monopoly and Montpelier became a ruin.
This was until 1960 when it was purchased, renovated and turned into a luxurious hotel.
We were welcomed in by a receptionist and with a friendly smile she walked us to the Indigo Bar.
The equally friendly barman made us the most delicious and refreshing mango colada and it was a real pleasure to sit in comfy chairs in the open sided Indigo Bar which overlooked the pool.
Montpelier is in the shadow of Nevis Peak… misty at the top again!
For those staying in one of the 15 rooms of the Montpelier Plantation you have peace and tranquility and amazing views of the surroundings.
Summary
Nevis Botanical Gardens was well worth visiting and showcased a huge variety of tropical plants. And our little half day venture was finished off perfectly with a delightful refreshing drink in the Montpelier Plantation hotel.
This is the final post for our St Kitts and Nevis holiday 🌴
frombluetogreen.com 
One comment