Dope AfrikaA trip to Montserrat will be a great decision if you’re looking to travel to a Caribbean island with a coastal and mountainous backdrop. For those interested in exploring the natural world, Montserrat is the perfect destination which has plenty of islands, rainforests, mountains, beaches, and a rich historical heritage.
It is a British Overseas Territory and the location of the Soufrière Hills volcano, which erupted in the 1990s and significantly damaged the island’s southern region. However, the island’s northern part, which has black-sand beaches, coral reefs, and coastline caves, was virtually unaffected.
The nation also goes by the nickname “Emerald Isle” in the area, providing breathtaking instances of nature’s might. It is a wonderful ecotourism destination with paths through the rainforest, possibilities to see a variety of birds, dive and snorkel, and beautiful beaches for sunbathing.
For better travel conveniences, Here is the list of things to do in Montserrat.
Best things to do in Montserrat
1 Visit Soufriere Hills Volcano
On Montserrat, a stunning Caribbean island, the Soufriere Hills Volcano dominates the southern region.
The huge Soufriere Hills Volcano is a truly breathtaking sight to witness, rising to a smokey summit on the island’s southern side.
Travelers can climb to Jack Boy Hill’s viewpoint spots or head straight for the volcanic observatory on Cedar Drive to enjoy a front-row seat to the cracked and chiseled summit, even though it is now surrounded by a seclusion zone.
Its most recent significant eruption occurred in February 2010, but for the 15 years before that, it must have been one of the planet’s most unstable mountains.
2 Explore Little Bay Beach
Great beach at the island of Montserrat’s northernmost point. Described as a black sand beach with “sparkly” fine sand, with an attractive outlook.
The Beach continues to be one of Montserrat’s most well-liked beach destinations, nestled between two headlands of cliffs and a wall of coastal mountains covered in scrub.
The sand is smooth and sparkles in shades of yellow as it slopes down into the lapping waves, and the shallow sea is ideal for swimming.
The water can be enjoyed every day but if you want to connect with the locals then visit on a Sunday. Even better if it coincides with a Buss a Lime event as the grill will be going and the music pumping. This is another regular hang-out spot for my family.
3 Montserrat Hiking Trails
Hiking is one of the favorite outdoor activities in Montserrat that draws many tourists visitors. The country is one of the most attractive travel destinations in the entire Caribbean region due to its abundance of hiking opportunities.
One of the more challenging hikes is the Blackwood Allen Trail, which offers stunning views and a close-up look at some of the island’s distinctive vegetation. The hike leads past the Blackwood Allen stream to a viewing area that overlooks the ocean and villages in the north.
One of the most well-known trails on the island is the Oriole Walkway. This hike provides a look at rainforest life and a chance to view the oriole, Montserrat’s national bird.
The Cot is a hiking trail that offers stunning vistas and a look into the island’s history. The route passes by an old banana plantation and is close to the remnants of a cottage that belonged to a well-known family on the island. A high vantage point offers stunning views of the ocean.
4 Centre Hills
Among the numerous things to do in Montserrat is to visit the Centre Hills, which are covered in tropical rainforests, and are well known for their wide range of biological species and diverse ecosystems.
This region is home to the majority of Montserrat’s 34 land bird species and a sizable population of migrant songbirds, including the endangered Montserrat oriole (the country’s symbol), the uncommon forest thrush, the bridled quail dove, and the mangrove cuckoo.
Along with two species of bats, the area is home to numerous reptile and amphibian species.
The hiking paths are the finest place to discover this wonderland of endangered animals.
5 Rendezvous Bay
The Rendezvous Bay provides expansive villas and oceanfront suites on one of the Caribbean’s most breathtaking beaches and also offers open-air eating in a dreamy island setting.
Rendezvous bay is a place where you can walk along the powdery white sand beach for over a mile without seeing another person. It’s the ultimate escape. Wake up to the sound of waves lapping the shore and birds singing in the coconut trees. Swimming, diving, and snorkeling are popular in the bay.
It is reachable by kayak or boat. Caves carved into the cliffs provide homes for large colonies of Antillean fruit-eating bats, which can sometimes be viewed from the bay.
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6 Redonda Island Scuba Diving
Divers like this bay for its healthy coral reefs. Divers might come to enormous sponges, brain coral, tropical fish with vibrant colors, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, and sharks. This small island environment is known for its green moray eels and visiting nurse sharks.
The most well-known dive shops are Scuba Montserrat at Little Bay and the Montserrat Island Dive Center.
7 Runaway Ghaut
One of Montserrat’s most well-known attractions is Runaway Ghaut, which is popular with tourists destination. The natives frequently pronounce it as “guts.” These steep ravines carry rainwater to the sea from high in the mountains.
There are more than 20 different bird species to witness when walking the short 10-minute Runaway Ghaut Trail, which is lined with lush greenery and enormous tropical trees.
According to folk tales by the locals, anyone who drinks from this fountain’s spring water would eventually return to Montserrat.
8 Plymouth (The Pompeii of the Caribbean)
Being Montserrat’s formal capital, Plymouth is a devastating destination located on the island’s south side.
It pokes eerily out of the layers of ash and mud that suffocated it before the eruptions of the late 1990s.
Promptly abandoned in the face of the same geological forces that destroyed Pompeii in Italy all those centuries ago, the whole town now lies in ruins.
Although it’s still considered officially unsafe, the spot has been opened for fly-in visits by tourists, who can just spy out the tops of the historic Georgian and Victorian mansions that once made the city such a pretty capital of the Caribbean.
9 Montserrat Cultural Centre
A popular destination in Little Bay is the Montserrat Cultural Centre. This multipurpose performing arts center was inspired and funded by ex-Beatles producer, Sir George Martin.
The building houses a recording studio and has space for up to 500 people for conferences, weddings, and cultural events. It is covered with a red roof that stands out against the green mountainside.
The Wall of Fame exhibition displays bronze handprints of well-known musicians who made recordings in Montserrat in the 1980s, including Paul McCartney and Elton John. Indeed a visit to the Montserrat Cultural center add to things to do in Montserrat.
10 Montserrat National Trust
A nice spot to go when you first arrive on the island is the headquarters of the Montserrat National Trust. Here, you can learn a little about this fascinating island through permanent and rotating exhibits on the island’s history, arts and crafts, and local way of life.
Take a self-guided stroll through the botanical gardens and nature paths after viewing the exhibitions. There are medicinal plants, orchids, and plants with historical economic significance among the native and exotic flora.
In addition to offering guided hikes on the island’s natural paths, this location has a gift shop with handcrafted trinkets for sale.
11 Woodlands Bay
The tranquil Woodlands Bay is located near the communities at the southernmost point of the Northern Zone. Although the little, black-sand beach is great for sunbathing, swimming might be risky due to the sometimes choppy waves. If you brave the waves, be aware of riptides.
The beach is a sea turtle nesting area, and it offers some good snorkeling opportunities, particularly near the rocks at the southern end of the beach.
The cliffs above the beach are a great spot to enjoy a picnic and a good vantage point for spotting migrating whales.
12 Blackwood Allen Trail
The Blackwood Allen Trail is one of the best things to do in Montserrat. The Trail is a well-known popular tourist destination that provides wonderful vistas and the chance to observe some of the island’s most distinctive vegetation.
The path leads past the Blackwood Allen stream and provides views of the villages and ocean to the south. The popular Oriole Walkway offers views of rainforest wildlife as well as the opportunity to witness the oriole, the island’s national bird.
13 JavaLava Art Café
The JavaLava Art Café in St. Peter’s offers cinnamon-filled Danish pastries, crusty flatbreads, and piles of pancakes covered in fruit and syrup as tempting menu options.
Healthy fruit smoothies and blended mocktails incorporating local Montserrat fresh fruits are also a big draw.
Those who are sufficiently persuaded to enter will find a bustling tiny Caribbean-style shack restaurant, where the a la carte is bursting with curried chicken and jerk, saltfish patties, and even all-American burgers.
14 Attend Montserrat Festivals
One of the interesting things to do in Montserrat is to attend its seasonal Festivals. These two weeks are dedicated to St. Patrick highlighting the Irish and African heritage of Montserrat. It concludes on March 17, which is a federal holiday and St. Patrick’s Day.
The country is the only nation outside of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday and it commemorates a thwarted slave uprising in 1768.
Festival highlights include outdoor soca and reggae concerts, street parades, pub crawls, and food fairs. Land and sea tours, hikes, and a road race round out the slate of activities that make this a truly unforgettable 2 weeks.
Another interesting festival to attend in Montserrat is the Calabash Festival. The Calabash Festival has been linked to the iconic calabash fruit, a symbol of our African Heritage. It has historically been used to create dining utensils, musical instruments, stylish bags, and decorative things. A family fun day, hike, island tour, African fashion display, coastal excursions to Plymouth, the old capital city, and a craft and food fair are all part of the festival.
Best time to Visit Montserrat
Although Montserrat is a year-round vacation destination, January through May is the greatest period for travelers to come here and experience this wonderful country.
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