Guide to Montserrat

The British Overseas Territory of Montserrat is an island in the Caribbean, south-east of Puerto Rico.

This island was a very popular tourist destination until Hurricane Hugo caused widespread damage in 1989 and then in 1995, the island's volcano, Soufrière Hills, became active. A large part of the island was evacuated as a result. There have been on-going volcanic eruptions in the southern half of the island since that time, and that part of the island (the exclusion zone) is now ash-strewn and inaccessible.

The northern half of the island is untouched, as beautiful as it ever was, green and lush; visiting it is perfectly safe. The active volcano (which can be viewed from a good distance) has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Montserrat is still well worth visiting, and the locals go out of their way to be encouraging and welcoming to tourists.

Colonisation dates to the 1600s; a gun battery was strategically placed at Carr’s Bay in 1624 to defend the island against approaching ships. Montserrat was initially an agricultural economy; plantations and sugar mills were common in the 1700s with sugar cane juice and molasses processed for local consumption and export. Later, the well-to-do built their estate houses on the island; an elaborate main house was often a landmark because of its size and numerous rooms. In 1857 Joseph Sturge established the Montserrat Company, which cultivated lime fruit for export and sold small plots of land to settlers. Various old churches date to the late 19th or early 20th century. The first air charter flights on the island began in 1956; an eleven-hole golf course (now defunct) opened in the Belham River Valley in response to growth in tourism in the 1960s. A well-equipped recording studio, established by Beatles producer George Martin in 1979, attracted a long list of popular musicians in its one decade of operation. Tiny Montserrat promoted itself as "the way the Caribbean used to be".

Montserrat has been hit hard by the four elements, both from without and from within. First the wind and waves of Hurricane Hugo swept through in 1989, damaging 90% of the island's structures. Then the earth and fire welled up in 1995, with the volcano of Soufrière Hills forcing the long-term evacuation of 2/3 of the island's population, and closing the old airport and seaport in June 1997.

The capital, Plymouth, is now covered by 40 feet of ash, earning its nickname "the new Pompeii", and much of the rest of the southern part of the island is now quite uninhabitable and unusable. Government offices have since been set up in Brades on the northwest shore of the island, out of harm's way. Much of the island's population has returned, with the UN estimating 4,500 in 2019, compared to the pre-Hugo/Soufrière high of over 12,000. A new town is being built at Little Bay and the new port there is being expanded.

Climate

Temperatures year-around average between 76–88°F (24–32°C), with constant cooling breezes. Rainfall is a little more common from July to November. This is also the hurricane season, like elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Landscape

Montserrat is small, but getting larger. The erupting volcano is gradually extending the southern end of the island. The northern part of the island is mostly quite hilly.

Tourist information

• Visit Montserrat website

Montserrat had traditionally been divided into three parishes; since the 1995 volcanic eruption, only one (Saint Peter, which is Northern Montserrat) is inhabited.

Villages in the northern part of the island include:

• Brades – The de facto capital
• Little Bay – The new port, which is rapidly expanding to become a new town
• Saint John's
• Salem

The northern zone of Montserrat has a number of different beaches. Each one has its own appeal and all are worth visiting.

The old capital town, Plymouth, was in the south and has been destroyed or buried by volcanic eruption. While the Soufrière Hills Volcano Hazard Zone in the south is (de-facto) never publicly accessible, the level of access to Central Montserrat Hazard Zones in the centre of the island is variable, based on current volcanic activity levels.

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) has divided the at-risk areas of the island into zones as part of a Hazard Level System. A map on MVO's website (mvo.ms) updates frequently to indicate the level of permitted access for each zone by one of four colours: green (unrestricted), yellow (daytime access or transit), orange (controlled access), and red (authorised access only).

Entry requirements

Proof of citizenship is required, such as a passport. CARICOM, United Kingdom, Canada, and United States citizens may present a driver's licence or other government photo ID; all others require passports. All visitors must have tickets for departure, proof of accommodation, and funds to cover their expenses while on Montserrat.

Citizens from Afghanistan; Aland Islands; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Benin; Bhutan; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; China (PRC); Colombia; Comoros; Congo; DR Congo; Cote D'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Djibouti; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Georgia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Jordan; Kazakhstan; North Korea; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Mali; Mauritania; Mayotte; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Nepal; Niger; North Macedonia; Oman; Palestine; Peru; Philippines; Qatar; Reunion; Russia; Sao Tome and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Vietnam; Yemen will require an eVisa, which can be obtained from the Montserrat Government website. The cost of applying is $50. Citizens of other countries can travel to Montserrat visa-free.

Several tour operators in Antigua offer day excursions to Montserrat, including observation of the Soufrière Hills volcano. Charter helicopters from Antigua offer another way to view the volcano.

Antigua-based day tours, such as Carib-World Travel and Jenny Montserrat Tours, typically package existing scheduled flights or ferry runs to reach Montserrat. Any same-day boat tour will therefore be limited to days with more than one scheduled ferry run (Tu Th, sometimes Sat). Once in Montserrat, the tours typically offer a view of the volcano sites or a boat tour to Plymouth.

Antigua's customs departure taxes are EC$37.50/US$15.00 per person. Montserrat departure taxes are EC$10.00/US$4.00 per person for same-day trips, higher for an overnight stay. Many of the advertised package prices do not include this extra cost.

By plane

Fly Montserrat (phone: +1 664 491-3434) operates scheduled flights twice daily between Antigua and Montserrat's John A. Osborne Airport (MNI) in the north of the island. BMN Air also regularly serves Montserrat from Antigua, in addition there are charter flights from many other Caribbean islands by the two former airlines and Trans Anguilla Airways. Antigua, in turn, has flights from elsewhere in the Caribbean, Canada, the United States and United Kingdom.

The Britten Norman Islander aircraft seat nine people with very limited luggage space for a 20 minute flight with amazing views of Antigua, Montserrat and other islands in the distance. Approx US$118 (one-way, adult), US$201.90 (return). Private charters Antigua-Montserrat from US$950 (one way).

By boat

The primary transportation harbour (the new port) is at Little Bay, north of Brades. Since 2014, Little Bay has been the target of redevelopment. Regular ferry service from Antigua was interrupted in April 2016, but has returned under a new operator; check the schedule in advance. On some public holidays there may be boat tours with fantastic views of the volcano, pyroclastic flows, abandoned and destroyed towns as well as beautiful scenery.

• Jeans for Freedom has infrequent "discovery days" from Guadeloupe

By car

Traffic drives on the left. Montserrat has one main two-lane road that winds along the coast on the east and west sides of the island. Cars can be rented from several businesses. Traffic is light (there are no traffic lights) but there are only two gas/petrol stations on the island. In 2011, a 4-door Suzuki Vitara (residents would call it a Jeep) rented for approx US$250 per week.

A temporary Montserrat driver's licence can be obtained at the police station in Brades or Salem, all that is required is a completed form, presentation of your home country/territory licence, and a payment of US$20 or EC$50.

Other

Bicycle rentals are also available. Taxis and buses run, mostly during the day. Hitch-hiking, during the day and early evening is safe and considered normal - just point your finger in the direction you are going.

Walking, while safe and possible to all points, is quite an arduous task, as the roads traverse very steep hills. Locals tend to walk within a local village or housing area, but find other transport from village to village.

The people of Montserrat all speak English (British variety), albeit with a local accent.

Nature

The Volcano! An observation area on Jack Boy Hill on the eastern side gives a view of the ash flows covering the old airport. Huge boulders may sometimes be seen, crashing down the slope in a cloud of dust. Tours into the exclusion zone are sometimes possible on Monday through Friday but require a permit to be arranged days in advance. This depends entirely on the official volcano risk level as assessed by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory staff. If you are able to go into the exclusion zone you will pass through a landscape of abandoned homes and fields, see the volcano close-up, and gaze down at the old capital of Plymouth, now buried in ash and mud.

The Soufrière Hills Volcano Hazard Zone covers the southern part of the island of Montserrat. The unpredictability of the Soufrière Hills Volcano has made 2/3 of the island a high-risk place to go due to lava bombs (flying rocks), pyroclastic flows and lahars, and so the Montserrat authorities have excluded people from this area. The Central Montserrat Hazard Zones (to the north) are also considered to still be vulnerable to the effects of volcanic phenomena, although full or partial access (usually daytime only, during times of low volcanic activity) may be allowed to these various zones depending on hazard levels. If you still want to have access to controlled areas, you'll need to get a license from the Royal Montserrat Police Force. File an application at the Salem Police Station.

Boat tours around the island are one way to see what remains of the capital city and airport, although they are not permitted to stop or disembark in Plymouth. Various operators include Hubert ‘Buffy’ Buffonge in Little Bay (+1 664 492-1590) and Danny Sweeney in Old Towne (+1 664 496-0574); tour duration is about two hours.

Culture

Montserrat is blessed with natural beauty, with lush tropical forests crossed by trails of varying difficulty. Many can be enjoyed on your own, however, some require a guide to make the path clear. Stop by the National Trust or Tourist Information for a map.

Montserrat is known for its quiet beaches. Check out each one, they are all different. The island is surrounded by reefs; snorkelling and scuba diving can be enjoyed from shore or by boat. Redonda, a steep uninhabited island 15 miles to the Northwest of Montserrat, is a scuba destination with six-foot barrel sponges, Eagle Rays, Stingrays, and the occasional nurse shark.

Little Bay, Montserrat's only seaport, has a good solid pier where boats dock but no breakwater (a £14.4 million upgrade is planned for completion in 2021). As scuba and tour boats operate from this pier, tours may be cancelled for a day or two if there's a strong southerly wind with big swells. Once the weather changes, the boats can get out. Be prepared to go hiking, sightseeing, or just relaxing by the pool or at the beach while waiting for the seas to calm enough for the boats to be able to leave Little Bay.

Scuba Montserrat in Little Bay offers diving, snorkelling, daily diving, full courses, clear bottom kayaks, volcano boat tours and equipment. Green Monkey Dive Shop is permanently closed as a hotel is to be built on their Little Bay site. The Tourist Board has listings of local guides for other boat tours or land excursions.

Carr’s Bay Gun Battery is now a picnic area; the ruins of the master's house at Carr’s Plantation remain visible at Little Bay.

Among radio amateurs, a confirmed country or island contact with a Montserrat VP2M callsign is a rare catch. Fewer than two dozen active "ham" operators live on the island. The Montserrat Amateur Radio Society can provide a local callsign to a visiting, foreign-licensed radio amateur on eight weeks notice. Over a busy ham radio contest weekend, CQ CQ CQ DE VP2M... might get a few thousand responses as hams worldwide seek a rare contact for the logbooks.

Iguanas are everywhere! Large ones, too. Don’t worry; they won’t bother you (unless you try to feed them). Just be aware, and do not be afraid.

Events

Money

The currency of the country is the East Caribbean dollar, denoted by the symbol: "$" or "EC$" (ISO currency code: XCD), which is also used by seven other island nations in the Caribbean. The EC dollar is subdivided into 100 cents. It is pegged to the United States dollar at an exchange rate of US$1 = EC$2.70.

Coins circulate in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 cents and 1 dollar. Banknotes circulate in denominations of 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars.

Often, accommodations are priced in the more valuable US dollar, so the designation EC$ is useful to distinguish the two.

Items for sale in shops are generally 'expensive' compared to US and European standards.

Shops take cash, and may not accept debit cards. Also as a bonus, the ferry service only takes cash!

There are only two ATMs on the island, but the Bank of Montserrat cannot withdraw from international accounts (not even UK). As with the rest of the Caribbean the Royal Bank of Canada charges a flat fee of US$4.50 to withdraw, so if you want to avoid fees or being in a cashless state, stock up in your previous ECD currency country!

Most establishments are casual. Some bars on the beach are okay with folks walking right in sand and all. There are no international fast-food chains on Montserrat. In additions to the ones listed here, many places to sleep also have a restaurant.

Most meal choices consist of chicken or seafood, with most having a red meat option, though the type of meat varies greatly. Few places are open at night for dinner, and most of those that are require reservations (not because they're fancy or expensive, but because business is slower and they want to ensure they have fresh food available.)

Goat Water is a dish enjoyed on Montserrat. Despite the name, it's actually a spicy goat meat and bread fruit stew.

Accommodation on Montserrat is a bargain compared to many of its less geologically active neighbours, as the island is anxious to re-establish its tourism industry. The tourism board has listings of private villas for as little as US$700/week. Beware of hidden "service charges", as a few properties have been known to tack on an extra 10% in addition to the room cost and taxes.

Prices do not include the 7-10% tax on accommodations unless otherwise indicated.

Like almost all Caribbean islands, Montserrat may experience a tropical storm or even a hurricane during the season from June to November.

Volcanic eruptions still pose some danger, though volcanic activity is primarily on the level of a nuisance. Travel to the Soufrière Hills Volcano Hazard Zone on the south end of the island is generally not permitted, for safety reasons. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory monitors current risk assessments and exclusion zone limits.

Montserrat is considered to be the safest Caribbean island (as of 2019) based on the number of crimes or murders reported to law enforcement agencies. General safety precautions, including not walking in an alleyway at night, are advised.

No vaccinations are required to enter Montserrat unless coming from a country that has suffered a cholera or yellow fever epidemic.

Tap water is drinkable.

• Antigua – the only island with scheduled air and boat transport from Montserrat.