Getting to Hermitage Nevis
The Road Up Into the Hills of Nevis
A clear guide to reaching Nevis, continuing into Gingerland and arriving at the gate.
Orientation
Where Hermitage Is on Nevis
Nevis is small. The island covers thirty-six square miles and you can drive right around it in about an hour. It is also steep, so where you are going matters more than how far away it is.
Hermitage stands about eight hundred feet above sea level on the southern side of Nevis Peak, in Gingerland, in the parish of St John Figtree. The postal address is Hermitage Road, Gingerland. It is inland and uphill: the land climbs away from the coast through villages and old estate land, and the last part of the drive is a narrow road between dry-stone walls.
That height is why the air is different up here. It is usually a few degrees cooler than on the beach, and cloud can sit on the mountain above while the coast below stays bright.
Choose your route
How you reach Hermitage depends on where you land and how you choose to travel from there. Start with your arrival point below; transport is arranged separately, and we are glad to help you work out the options.
The journey
Reaching Nevis
There are two ways on to the island, and which suits you depends on where you are flying from. Routes, sailings and sea conditions all change through the year, so treat what follows as the shape of the journey rather than a timetable, and confirm the detail with the operator before you travel.
Flying Directly to Nevis
Nevis has its own airport — Vance W. Amory International Airport (NEV), at Newcastle on the north coast, and the only airport on the island. It takes regional flights and private charters, so most guests who land here have connected through another Caribbean airport first. If you arrive this way you are already on Nevis, and only the road journey remains.
Arriving Through St Kitts
The larger airport in the federation is Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) on St Kitts, which takes non-stop flights from cities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For most long-haul travellers it is the simpler arrival — but St Kitts is a separate island, and there is still water to cross.
Crossing from St Kitts to Nevis
Passenger ferries run between Basseterre in St Kitts and Charlestown in Nevis. Water taxis make the shorter crossing of The Narrows and are booked for a particular time rather than a published sailing. Car ferries run as well, for guests bringing a vehicle over. Services vary by season and by operator, so check them close to your travel dates rather than months ahead.
The Nevis Tourism Authority publishes current guidance on both flights and sea crossings.
The last stage
From Your Arrival Point to Hermitage
From the airport at Newcastle the drive to Hermitage takes about twenty-five minutes, down the eastern side of the island and up into Gingerland. From Charlestown the road climbs south and east out of the town. Either way the last part is the same: up Hermitage Road, and in through the gate.
Most guests take a taxi for that final stage. Hermitage can help you understand the options, but transport should be confirmed separately — tell us your arrival details before you travel rather than working it out at the airport.
If you would rather drive yourself, reception can make the arrangements for car hire. Visitors need a local driving permit, which is issued on production of a valid licence from home.
Driving here is on the left. The roads are narrow, there are no pavements, and you should expect to find people walking at the edge of the road and goats, sheep, donkeys and chickens on it. Speed limits are low and slow is the right speed. Do not rely on a navigation app to find us — some of the roads they suggest are no longer drivable. Follow the road signs and the yellow Hermitage signs instead.
If you expect to arrive after dark, tell us in advance: the last stretch is easier to find in daylight. And if a flight or a sailing slips, message us rather than worry. Plans change here often enough that nobody minds.
Directions
The Final Approach to Hermitage
Hermitage Road is a working island road rather than a hotel approach — patched in places, single track in others, and shared with people on foot. Taken slowly it is one of the better parts of the journey.
Step 1: The Main Road Junction
From the main road, turn onto Hermitage Road at the National Heritage Site sign.
Step 2: Turn Left at the Turquoise-Green Building
Follow Hermitage Road to the junction beside the turquoise-green building with pink shutters and the Hermitage sign. Turn left here.
Step 3: Turn Right After About 20 Yards
After approximately 20 yards (18 metres), turn right at the next Hermitage sign.
Step 4: The Hermitage Entrance
Continue for another 20 yards (18 metres) to the final Hermitage entrance sign, then turn into the driveway.
The final turns are close together, so slow down as you approach.
Arriving at Hermitage
The drive brings you to the Great House, the long white timber building with the shingled upper storey at the centre of Hermitage. Reception is here, and this is where to head for when you arrive.
Hermitage is fifteen rooms, cottages and villas spread across the grounds rather than one building along a corridor, so it helps to arrive knowing the Great House is the place to start. The bar and dining porch are a few steps away.
If you expect to arrive late in the evening, let us know beforehand so that someone is expecting you.
Before you book
Access and Mobility
Hermitage sits on a hillside, and it is built the way hillside estates are built. The grounds are on more than one level, the paths and drives slope, the surfaces are a mixture of concrete, gravel and grass, and several of the buildings stand on stone or timber with steps up to a verandah.
We would not describe any route through Hermitage as step-free, and the distance between where a vehicle can stop and where you sleep is different from one building to another. None of it is difficult to plan around, but it is far easier to plan before you book than after you arrive.
If anyone travelling with you has limited mobility, is bringing heavy or awkward luggage, or would simply prefer as few steps as possible, contact Hermitage before booking so that the most suitable accommodation and arrival arrangements can be discussed.
Practical
Plan Your Arrival
The single most useful thing you can do is tell us how you are travelling. Send these details through the contact page once your flights are booked, and again if anything changes. Send what you know and fill in the rest later.
Arrival date: the day you expect to reach Nevis, not the day you leave home
Flight or sailing: the airline or operator, and the flight or crossing you are booked on
Arrival point: whether you are landing on Nevis, landing on St Kitts, or coming in by sea
Expected time: roughly when you expect to be on Nevis
Travellers: how many of you, and whether any are children
Luggage: anything unusually large, heavy or awkward
Access: any mobility or step-free requirement we should plan around
Transport: whether a taxi or hire car is already arranged, or whether you would like help
Reachable on: a phone number or WhatsApp we can use while you are travelling
Departure: your onward flight or sailing, so the return journey can be planned too
Where next
Useful Next Steps
Once the journey is settled, these are the pages most guests read next.
Beyond Hermitage, our Explore Nevis guide introduces the island itself, and a considered selection of things to do in Nevis is a good place to begin.
Ask Us About Your Journey
If anything about the journey is unclear — a connection that looks tight, a crossing you cannot find, a question about getting a heavy case or a wheelchair up to the door — ask before you book rather than after. We would far rather answer it now.