Montserrat

Montserrat is a small, mountainous British Overseas Territory with a population of about 5,000 people. It is known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean because of its green hills and its Irish heritage, going back to Irish settlers in the 1600s. It is one of the few places outside Ireland where St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday.

Since 1995, the Soufrière Hills volcano has reshaped the island. Eruptions buried the old capital, Plymouth, in ash and forced much of the population to leave. The southern part of the island remains an exclusion zone, and you can view the ghost town of Plymouth from safe lookout points.

Photo: Xb-70 at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Montserrat is reached from Antigua, either by a short flight of around 15 to 20 minutes on a small plane or by ferry. From Jamaica, you would first need to get to Antigua.

Because Montserrat is so small, it is a good idea to confirm flight and ferry schedules before you plan.

Montserrat is tiny, very quiet and very safe, with none of Jamaica's tourist crowds or resorts. There are no big hotels, just guesthouses and villas. The draw is nature and the story of the volcano, which is monitored day and night by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, which is open to visitors.

Music lovers may know that George Martin, the Beatles' producer, ran AIR Studios on Montserrat, where artists like Paul McCartney, The Police and Elton John recorded, until Hurricane Hugo damaged it in 1989. The island's beaches are mostly dark volcanic sand.

Photo: CommonismNow via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

• View the buried capital of Plymouth from lookouts such as Garibaldi Hill and Jack Boy Hill.
• Visit the Montserrat Volcano Observatory to learn how the volcano is monitored.
• Hike the Centre Hills to look for the Montserrat oriole.
• Dive or snorkel the uncrowded reefs off the west coast.
• Join the St. Patrick's Festival in March, which celebrates both Irish and African heritage.
• Relax at Rendezvous Bay, the island's only white-sand beach, reached by boat or a hike.

The dry season from December to April is best for hiking.

Montserrat has no large hotels. Instead, visitors stay in small guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and villa rentals, mostly in the northern and western areas around Little Bay, Salem and Olveston, safely outside the volcano exclusion zone. Many rentals have views across the sea toward the volcano. Because options are limited, book ahead and consider renting a car to get around. Staying in a local guesthouse is also the best way to hear firsthand stories about living with the volcano.

• Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD)
• Language: English
• Driving: left-hand side
• Best for: hikers, birdwatchers, divers and travelers who want somewhere truly off the beaten path

Respect the volcano exclusion zone rules at all times. Hiking trails through the Centre Hills forest are good places to spot the Montserrat oriole, the national bird, found nowhere else.