Coralita

In Depth

Coralita is one of a number of villas in Nevis that use the best of traditional Caribbean design to create a fantastically pretty and liveable modern house. It is tucked away, set in gardens secluded by forest greenery, high on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic. A thousand feet below it is the windward coast of the island. Above it stands Nevis Peak, which sometimes broods and at others beckons alluringly.

The approach to Coralita is part of the magic of the villa. You leave the main road and climb up towards Golden Rock hotel, but before entering the hotel grounds you swing right and the track takes you forever uphill, meandering into the jungle, where trees overhang the road and the stone gates of hidden houses poke out of the overgrowth. Occasionally you pass troops of monkeys in the trees. After a couple of turns, now that you think you are thoroughly lost, the gates of Coralita appear at the trackside.

The house is built into the hill, its yellow walls trimmed with white and topped with a double-pitched white tin roof. It faces to your right as you arrive, downhill towards the ocean, and so you approach from the side, along a stone wall that spills over with bougainvillea. Stairs take you up to the veranda, which wraps around three sides of the house. This is tiled and has a wooden balustrade in a classic St Andrews cross pattern. The shallower pitch of roof stretches over the veranda, shading it when the sun is at its highest and hottest. The traditional Nevisian style is also most visible here, in the stepped corner stones painted white and the carriage lanterns. Like the house, the shutters are picked out in yellow and white.

You will spend quite a bit of time on the veranda. There is a ‘dining’ area on one side, with a table and chairs for eight, and a ‘living’ area on the other, where wicker armchairs and a sofa sit around a low table. Set at around 1000 feet, the view from the veranda is delightful. It carries over the garden and pool and across the border at the front of the property, then down to the east coast of Nevis, where the lines of the breaking waves are etched white on the blues of the sea, and eventually to Antigua and Montserrat, which stand on the sea horizon.

Two sets of full height doors lead inside from the veranda into the open-plan living room and kitchen, which takes up the whole front of the house. It is tiled (like the veranda), with white walls and a steeply pitched pickled pine ceiling with exposed white rafters. The sitting area has wooden furniture, some of it oriental – a music cabinet, a low table at the centre – and a comfortable sofa and two wicker chairs. A television sits against the forward wall. On the other side is the kitchen, which is separated off into the corner of the room by a breakfast bar. There is a full kitchen, with a cooker and fridge as well as a washing machine. The side door leads out to the entrance stairs.

Under a large clock-face on the rear wall a doorway leads to the two bedrooms, which are set at the rear of the house, slightly tucked away and dark. On the right is the master, which has a four poster bed and a wooden cabinet, a chest and a planter’s chair with extendable arms. The second bedroom has a simpler double bed with a white wicker headboard and furniture. They are fan-ventilated. In between the two bedrooms stands a shower room which they share.

The gardens at Coralita, laid out beneath the veranda, are exceptionally pretty. Set into the slope, they are layered with stone walls, which spill over with bougainvillea and hibiscus. There are banana plants, crotons, traveller’s trees, spiky agaves and water lilies in huge copper boilers. And at dawn and dusk you often see vervet monkeys playing in the overgrowth, or crawling along the telephone wire. Down to your left is the swimming pool, which is 20ft by 10ft and surrounded by a low deck and a criss-cross balustrade. The pool house overlooks the shallow end. Painted in the same yellow and white scheme as the house itself, it has a double pitched roof that reaches out to give a shaded area. Here you will find a table and chairs and a couple of loungers.

Inside, the pool house works both as day room – so it has a bar, with a sink – and as a third bedroom for guests staying at the villa. There is a double bed in the centre of the room and a shower room with a loo. It is ventilated by ceiling fan.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Coralita is the natural seclusion. The garden almost appears to have grown out of jungle. In fact there is another house just forty yards away, but the border between the two is so thick that you feel completely cut off. Life is centred on the garden and gravitates between the veranda and pool. Set so high and secluded in the Golden Rock Estate, the small villa, though relatively simple, makes a lovely place to hide away and get the best of natural Nevis.

Beach & Swimming

Set at 1000ft the coast in Golden Rock Estate in the south-east of the island, Coralita is clearly not on the beach. The closest beach is Windward, which is down the hill on the Atlantic side of the island. The water is swimmable but pretty lively with the breaking waves and there are no facilities. The best active beach to visit from the villa is probably Pinney's Beach. The area around Sunshine's is quite lively. It has beach facilities, some sports and of course Sunshine's bar itself. If you want somewhere quieter then you can just walk slightly farther along the beach.

There is a swimming pool at Coralita. It is 10ft by 20ft and set down below the main house next to the pool house. There are loungers on the deck.

Sports & Recreation

Hiking is one of the pleasures of Nevis and there are a number of excellent guides, who bring the place alive with their knowledge and stories. Although it is normally not recommended to go hiking without a guide because it is so easy to get lost, a clearly defined track (Water Source Trail) can be reached within two minutes of Coralita. It leads for a couple of miles anti-clockwise around the island.

Other activities in the area include horseback riding (both in the hills and down on the beach). Farther afield, on Oualie Beach, mountain bike hire and scuba diving are available, along with deep sea fishing, windsurfing and kayaking. If you are interested in horse racing, the race track is about 10 minutes drive away.

Use of the Golden Rock's tennis court and pool is also permitted - they do an exceptionally good lobster sandwich if you are there around lunchtime. Golf is available at the Four Seasons Resort (about 20 minutes by car), also a spa. However, if you would like, a massage therapist can come to Coralita.

Locality

Coralita is set high on the mountainside above Golden Rock in the south-east of the island. The Golden Rock Hotel is about ten minutes walk down the hill. This is an excellent spot to spend cocktail hour if you want to do a bit of socialising. It is not far to several of the island's other excellent plantation inns, which also make for an excellent dinner in romantic surroundings. Montpelier Plantation Inn, Old Manor Hotel and The Hermitage are less than 10 minutes' drive from Coralita. Mem's Pizza, also about 10 minutes away, is ideal for a cheap and cheerful alternative. Down on the coastline beneath the villa is the Nevis racetrack - horse-racing is a very popular day out in Nevis and you should go along if you hear that it is taking place when you are on island.

Most of the restaurants and bars, however, are in Charlestown (20 minutes drive) and beyond. Look out for Eddy's and the Café des Arts in Charlestown, Bananas in Hamilton, Coconut Grove on Pinney's Beach and Miss June's in the north of the island. The nearest supermarkets are on the edge of Charlestown 20 minutes away and the airport is about 30 minutes away by car.

Useful Hints

Coralita comes down firmly on the 'mountain' side of Nevis's beach/mountain dilemma (should you be near the beach and action but hot and more crowded/or in the heart-stoppingly pretty mountains, where you are cool and secluded?) - and so you should be aware that the villa is not near the beach. Instead you have seclusion and the quiet sophistication of Golden Rock and the other plantation hotels.

Monkeys often visit Coralita and while they provide entertainment you should take care. They are wild animals and you should not attempt to approach them or feed them.

The first night's meal, essential breakfast provisions and some beverages are offered complimentary with all main house bookings. Additional shopping with no service charge is also offered for arrivals.

Rental rates for villas on Nevis do not include 'tips' about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.

Airport Meet & Greet

The managing agent will arrange for a taxi to meet you at your arrival point (either the airport or the ferry terminal) and the agent will meet you personally at the house. We advise that rental cars be left at the house for your arrival, and not at the airport. This should be arranged at the time of booking your vehicle.

Getting Around

With its location a mile from the main road, a hire car is definitely needed for a stay at Coralita. It will be good for exploring the island and visiting the beaches by day and the restaurants in the evenings. You will also need it so bring back provisions. You can ask the rental agent to arrange a car for you. He will have it delivered to the property and issue your Nevisian driving licence, price US$25, or you can book direct with TDC Rentals. For a small fee vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Be aware that over Christmas, February and even in August there can be a shortage of cars on Nevis, so you are advised to book well in advance.