Nevis Named Among Top Caribbean Islands in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Awards
Nevis is ranked 13th, with a score of 91.33, in The Caribbean & The Atlantic section of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Islands: Readers’ Choice Awards 2026. The list was published by the magazine’s US edition on 6 October 2026. Neighbouring St. Kitts is ranked 17th in the same section, with a score of 91.01.
Regional media have since reported the result, including Associates Times.
What a readers’ choice ranking means
The Readers’ Choice Awards are based on votes from the magazine’s readers rather than a panel of editors. The scores show how voters rated each island, so the list is best read as a measure of how much travellers enjoyed their time there. It is not an inspection or an endorsement of any particular hotel, beach or business.
The suggestions below are our own, based on what visitors most often ask us about. They are not part of the awards.
Planning a Nevis holiday
Beaches
Pinney’s Beach runs for several kilometres along the west coast north of Charlestown. It is the island’s best-known stretch of sand, with beach bars and calm water on most days. Oualie Beach in the north looks across the Narrows to St. Kitts and is a good base for watersports. Our guide to Nevis for nature lovers covers quieter spots too.
Small hotels and inns
Nevis has no high-rise resorts. Much of the accommodation is in small hotels, beach villas and former plantation estates turned into inns on the slopes of Nevis Peak. Our hotels and villas guides explain how to reach each property from the airport. Rooms are booked directly with the hotel.
Charlestown’s heritage
Charlestown, the island’s small capital, is where Alexander Hamilton was born. The Alexander Hamilton Museum explores his connection to Nevis, and a recent heritage grant will fund conservation of Hamilton House and a redevelopment of the museum. A short drive south, the Bath Hotel and its hot springs recall the island’s era as a spa destination. For a wider overview, read our guide to Nevis history and culture.
Local dining
Eating out on Nevis ranges from beach bars on Pinney’s to family-run restaurants in the villages, serving local fish, goat water, saltfish and seasonal fruit. Our review of Passion Bar & Grill in Cox Village is a good starting point for Nevisian home cooking.
Outdoor experiences
Nevis Peak dominates the island and can be climbed with a local guide. There are also rainforest walks, horseback rides and fishing charters. Our Nevis wish list gathers more ideas in one place.
St. Kitts’s separate placement, and visiting both
St. Kitts and Nevis share a federation, but Condé Nast Traveler ranked them as separate islands. St. Kitts, at 17th, has the international airport, the cruise port at Port Zante and a busier pace. Many visitors spend time on both. Our guide to getting from St. Kitts to Nevis compares the ferry, water taxi and private transfer options, and the ferry schedule page covers the public crossing.
Getting there and getting around
Most visitors fly into Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB) on St. Kitts. Book Nevis arranges private transfers from SKB to Nevis: a driver meets you as you exit the customs area, and the journey continues by private water taxi across the Narrows. Our step-by-step guide explains how to get from St. Kitts airport to Nevis. Please book your airport transfer at least 48 hours before your scheduled transfer.
Once on the island, our private Nevis tours include a two-hour Island Highlights Tour and a five-hour Half-Day Private Island Tour covering heritage sites, the hot springs and garden stops.
Nevis has had other attention this autumn. It is shortlisted in the 2026 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, and St. Kitts and Nevis were included in a Times feature on Caribbean islands.
