Charlestown travel guide

The main town is Charlestown, one of the best-preserved old towns in the Caribbean, with several interesting buildings dating from the 18th century. It is small and compact, on Gallows Bay, guarded by Fort Charles to the south and the long sweep of Pinney’s Beach to the north. Nevis had the only court in the West Indies to try and hang pirates. Prisoners were taken from the courthouse across the swamp to where the gallows were set up, hence the name, Gallows Bay. There are plans for a national park to protect the swamp, which is a habitat for many birds, animals and plants.

Along Government Road is the well-preserved Jewish Cemetery. The earliest evidence of a Jewish community on the island dates from 1677 to 1678, when there were four families. By the end of the century there were 17 households, a thriving synagogue and part of the main street was known as Jew Street, but invasion by the French in 1706 and 1783, hurricanes and the decline of the sugar industry in the 18th century led to an economic downturn and emigration. By the end of the 18th century only three Jewish households remained, and now there is no evidence of their presence except for the cemetery where 19 stones date from 1679-1730.