Tranquility Annexe: A Quiet Gingerland Hideaway on Nevis's Windward Side
A family-run apartment retreat where Old Manor Road slopes toward the sea and time slows to the pace of the trade winds.
Why Go
Tucked into the greener, sleepier flank of Nevis in Zetlands, Gingerland, Tranquility Annexe is the retirement dream turned quiet welcome of Selwyn and Edith Hobson, who came home to the island in 1992 after three decades in England. It isn't a resort, it isn't a guesthouse in the polished sense ΓÇö it's a small, five-room family compound with the doors open, the kettle warm, and the kind of hilltop stillness that reminds you exactly why people fly to the Caribbean in the first place.
The Experience
You reach the Annexe up a curling lane off Old Manor Road, past hedgerows of hibiscus and the occasional grazing donkey. The apartments are self-catering and unfussy ΓÇö fully furnished, laundry on-site, high-speed Wi-Fi if you must, and a dual US/Caribbean voltage setup that quietly signals how many long-stay travelers pass through. Mornings are ridiculously quiet; you'll hear the wind moving through the cane fields before you hear another human voice. Nevis Peak looms behind you, the Atlantic rolls out below, and the pace of a day here tends to be dictated less by an itinerary than by when the light shifts on the mountain. Edith and Selwyn are the real amenity: they'll steer you to the best roadside cook shop, the right taxi driver, the Sunday church service worth attending, and the beach the cruise crowd doesn't reach.
What to Try
Base yourself here for a week rather than a weekend ΓÇö the Annexe rewards travelers who want to live on Nevis, not just visit it. Cook one night with produce from the Charlestown Saturday market, then walk (or short-drive) to Gingerland's small restaurants for the rest. Take a sunrise coffee on your porch before heading to the Botanical Gardens just up the road, then loop through the ruins of New River Estate and Coconut Walk on the windward coast. On a still evening, drive five minutes to Indian Castle Beach for a swim you'll likely have to yourself.
Insider Tip
Gingerland sits several hundred feet above sea level, so it runs noticeably cooler and breezier than Charlestown or Pinney's Beach ΓÇö pack a light layer for evenings on the porch, and don't be surprised if you skip the AC entirely. Rent a car (or arrange one through the Hobsons in advance); taxis from this side of the island add up fast, and half the pleasure of staying up here is being able to chase a sunset down to Indian Castle or nip over to Golden Rock for lunch on a whim.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Old Manor Road, Zetlands, Gingerland, Nevis. Roughly 15ΓÇô20 minutes by car from Charlestown and the Sea Bridge ferry; about 25 minutes from Vance W. Amory (Newcastle) Airport on the north end of the island. Five self-catering apartments, family rooms available, non-smoking, free Wi-Fi, self-serve laundry, in-room refrigerators, dual-voltage outlets. Best suited to travelers comfortable with a car and a self-catered rhythm ΓÇö there is no on-site restaurant or bar. Book direct or via major listings; low-season shoulder months (MayΓÇôJune, SeptemberΓÇôearly November) are the sweet spot for both weather and rates.
Pair It With
- Botanical Gardens of Nevis — Just over a mile from the Annexe ΓÇö an easy morning stroll through orchid houses, a rainforest conservatory, and the best views back toward Nevis Peak on this side of the island.
- Bananas Restaurant Guide — A nearby Gingerland favorite for a candlelit dinner in a plantation-style setting when you want a proper night out without driving down to Charlestown.
- Golden Rock Inn Guide — A short drive up the road ΓÇö worth a lunch or a rum punch for the Oscar de la RentaΓÇôdesigned gardens and the sweeping windward views.
- Indian Castle Beach — A wild, near-empty windward beach about five minutes away ΓÇö pair a Tranquility Annexe stay with a late-afternoon swim and a beach picnic here.
- Pinney's Beach Guide — The classic leeward strand roughly 3.5 miles away ΓÇö the perfect contrast day when you want calm Caribbean water, Sunday Killer Bees at Sunshine's, and people-watching.