Marine to Wildlife – Touring Montserrat

A British Overseas Territory, Montserrat Island lies in the Caribbean. With an area of 102 sq. kms, it is located among the Leeward Islands that belong to the Lesser Antilles here.

Three-thousand and more Islands form the Caribbean group of Islands, separating the North Atlantic Ocean from the Sea of Caribbean. The Islands in the Lesser Antilles are the southeast group of Caribbean Islands, categorized as Windward Islands and Leeward Islands. The Bahamas are said to be the northernmost Islands of the Caribbean. The Islands in the centre are grouped as Greater Islands and include the Island Nations of Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

When to visit

With a tropical climate, Montserrat Island favours tourism all through the year though you can see it peak in the months of February to May – the cooler and dry season.

How to Get to Montserrat

There is only one airport in the Island of Montserrat – the Gerald’s Airport and the only airline serving it is the Winair from the Island of Antigua that takes 20 minutes to reach Montserrat. You can always cruise between the Caribbean Islands.

Montserrat Tourist Attractions

All the beaches here in Montserrat have the grey volcanic sand, barring the Rendezvous Beach. Most of them are in the west coast of the Island. Some of the popular beaches of this Island are the Bunkum Bay, The Foxes Bay, The Little Bay and the Lime Kiln Bay.

Fishing is not just an economic activity here. Thanks to the abundance of marine life, the Island hosts the International Fishing Tournament every year in the month of October.

The waters around the Island are great for snorkeling and diving. Some of the fine diving and snorkeling sites here are the Bunkum Bay reefs, the reefs from Woodlands Bay to runaway Ghaut, the Bay of Carr that’s in the north of the Island, the Rendezvous Bay and the Reef of Potato Hill. Marine life here comprises of tropical fishes, sea turtles, sponges and spotted rays.

What you should also so is rent a bike and travel through the quaint villages of this Island. Another activity tourists enjoy here is hiking. Most of the hiking routes of the Island are in the Central Hills. You can walk through the Oriole Walkaway – a rainforest which is inhabited by a rich wildlife such as the Oriole -Island’s National Bird and thirty-three species of indigenous birds.

Another good trail here is through the Oki Banana Plantation. You cross the rich vegetation and pretty villages of the Island and you will reach the Cot. In the Central Hills, you also have the Trail of Blackwood Allen where the climbs are steeps, there are valleys, flora such as Island’s National Flower of Heliconia and peculiar birds like Oriole; the trail of Runaway Ghaut, the trail of Silver Hills – oldest volcanic centers of the Island and the Little Bay- Rendezvous Bay Trail.

Also worth visiting here is the Island’s Capital – Plymouth. It lies within the volcanic exclusion zone.  For a deeper understanding of volcanoes of the Island, visit the Volcano Observatory of the Island. Under its observation are the Hills of Soufriere. The Montserrat National Trust informs you about the history of Island’s formation and its nature.

Other areas you must consider visiting for a tryst with the Island’s culture is the Cultural Center of Montserrat and the fort and other historical sites of Carr’s Bay.

Turtle-watching is a popular attraction here. Of the 7 turtle species in the world, three species, namely the Green Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle, can be spotted nesting on the sands of the beaches here from August to September.

You can also take a 2-hour boat trip around the Island and have a good look at it.

Historical sites, sandy beaches, water sports, scenic trails ready to be hiked, ecstatic marine life, flora and fauna – all this and more enchants you in Montserrat.