Black Sand Cove, a house at the beach set in wonderful gardens

Having just ended our 5th stay on the island of Nevis and at this amazing property we continue to expand our length of stay, but it will never be long enough. The property is secluded from the slightly less laid back other side of the island and this is what makes Black Sands special and perfect for us. The main home is modern and well supplied with all the necessities that are required to entertain and cook. Both bedrooms have separate bathrooms and AC units for those in need of these mainland amenities. There is also an outside bathroom and an additional outside shower which overlooks the small picturesque extinct volcano about 5 miles from the property. The property manager Adolfo and the rest of the staff have always extended a warm welcome and made sure each stay was memorable.

We enjoy spend the mornings at the home, taking in the black sands cove beach, cooling down in the pool and walking around the well maintained gardens. The vehicle is needed if you would like to explore the further reaches of the islands 36-mile circumference. Afternoons are spent on one of the many amazing beaches of Nevis, but watch out for the non-existent crowds as you may be the only ones on the beach.

The availability in the choices of restaurants for Lunch and Dinner dinning are many and one needs to make sure and try a variety from the very local Mems Pizza and sit under the very large mango trees to our personal favorites like Banana’s for sunset and Golden Rock which has a great vista of the easterly views from the island along with some great trails.

All said we enjoy each stay at Black Sands, relax and refresh ourselves from the winters challenges of the North East and hope to come back another year.

Mark

My wife and family visited Black Sand Cove for the first time in 2004. This time, it was just the two of us, celebrating our 30th anniversary. We chose Black Sand Cove again, because we couldn't think of a place we would rather be together for two weeks. It was a good decision.

It is even more beautiful here than it was 10 years ago. We like the fact that the road goes around the property now, rather than in front of the house. The landscaping is great! The mature trees now give the place more shade.

We went on several hikes that we didn't get to complete the last time we were here and ate at a few really good restaurants. We love the ocean view from the pool. Black Sand Cove is a great place to read a few books and with internet access now, to watch a few good movies. We even watched a season of episodes of a show we had been wanting to see.

It was a completely relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

We stayed in the cottage Aug 18-25. What you’ve read in other reviews and seen on the website is just a glimpse of this achingly-beautiful property in one of Nevis’s most pristine locations. Travelers seeking a unique, secluded, close-to-nature experience, while also demanding a residence up to modern vacation standards (and then some!), will find no better than this on the island. Everything about our first visit to Nevis - arrival/departure on St Kitts and everything in between - was arranged to perfection by the owner and her team, and completely worry-free.

The cottage is right-sized for a couple, distant enough from the main house to feel private and with its own hot-tub for the inevitable wine-fueled star-gazing evenings. The only passers-by will be the occasional fitness fanatic or the local fishermen - wave, and they might special-deliver you some fresh-caught lobsters or conchs! The cottage’s kitchen was well-equipped, and the porch overlooking the garden particularly nice for morning coffee. Bring a few extra memory cards for your digital camera - the grounds offer plants of incredible shape and color, as well as painterly vistas to the sea.

When removed from the small-but-vibrant village of Charlestown and the strip of more traditional lodging to the north, Nevis is serene. If the beach near the residence isn’t enough, there’s plenty of choice, each with a different character. The island’s sugar cane history lives on in the many evocative ruins and in the spectacularly-reclaimed properties at the Montpelier, Golden Rock and Nesbit Plantation Inns. At the other end of the spectrum, we found wonderful inexpensive local cuisine in the village. The owner has prepared a wonderful guide to the island - plan to use it daily, the recommendations being spot-on.

Words to the wise: There’s so much natural beauty in the vicinity that you won’t need a car full-time. However, unless you hope to cloister yourself away from human contact, you’ll need transportation to manage the not-inconsiderable distance to restaurants, tourist sights and food stores. We appreciated the provided bicycles and used them often. For those less fitness-confident, the owner’s car can be day-rented - handy for tours to the farther reaches or for night travel (taxis can be expensive). To limit the need for big food-shopping trips, House Manager Adolfo can help you pre-stock the house for your stay.

We highly recommend this property.

My sister, mother and I just spent a week at Black Sand Cove and enjoyed it immensely. I work in Lagos, Nigeria and after living in an environment with high population density and very few places to enjoy time outdoors, our visit provided just the kind of relaxation and rejuvenation I had hoped for. Black Sand Cove has so much space! I was so happy to be able to go outside in a beautiful environment and wander around the property with only the noise and action provided by nature. The property has been beautifully designed, with many different spaces and views to enjoy. My sister enjoyed the butterflies and the amusing sound of the donkeys in the background. My mother enjoyed the hammock by the pool, and I loved being able to wander down to an unoccupied beach whenever I felt like it. If you want to get away to a place that has many of the things you can’t find in a busy crowded city, this would be the right place.

The house had everything we needed to cook with and was very much like being at home, but much, much nicer! Adolpho provided excellent support if we needed anything and made arrival and departure vey smooth for us. The notebook describing restaurants and activities on the island made it easy for us to figure out what to do. We also got to meet the very friendly and interesting owner Linda, and talked with her about how the place had developed over the last decade.

My only regrets were - (1) we should have stayed longer and (2) a five star rating does not do this property justice. I want to give it seven!

Black Sand Cove is, as far as my wife, myself and our two teenage children are concerned, as close to perfection as imaginable:

- The property is spacious and well equipped.

- The views out over the gardens and sea are amazing.

- The extensive gardens are the most fantastic I have experienced in the Caribbean (my family has lived in the Caribbean for nearly 50 years, so I have plenty to compare it with)

- The private beach was fantastic for our daily swims

- The pool, looking out across the amazing garden to the sea just beyond, was a dream.

So the property was perfect. Add to that the amazing unspoilt beauty of Nevis and the fantastic welcome and assistance of Linda (Adolpho was away), and this truly was a perfect vacation.

When we return to Nevis, we will not look to stay elsewhere. I would go as far as to say that we would not return to Nevis unless we can stay at Black Sand Cove.

As far as Nevis is concerned, this is a true gem that befits such a lovely home. The people are friendly, the hikes are fantastic (we did the Source Trail & Nevis Peak), cycling is great (we did a tour of the island one morning on Linda's bikes). The historical sites are great. Charlestown is beautiful. The meals we had out were good (not always the case in the Caribbean).

All in all, our vacation at Black Sand Cove on Nevis was a real winner!