Best things to do in Plymouth
Find out more about those top places in Plymouth
With amazing beaches, exciting festivals and picturesque volcanoes, it is not surprising to see Montserrat on every traveler’s itinerary. The island nicknamed “The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” because of its similarities to Ireland’s coastal region and its Irish background is situated at the West Indies, 25 miles (40.23 km) south-west of Antigua.
Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory and it was named by famous explorer Christopher Columbus after the Virgin of Montserrat in Catalan, Spain.
Famous for its volcanoes most especially Soufriere Hills Volcano, the island is wonderful place to visit.
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Soufriere Hills Volcano
Volcanoes are very common in Montserrat and anyone familiar with the nation’s history would have no doubt heard the Soufriere Hills Volcano. The great volcano is an active one and it is situated at the southern part of the country. The Soufriere Hills Volcano played a huge part in the nation’s history erupting in 1997 after years of dormancy leading to mass evacuations, destroying the capital city and leaving a huge part of it uninhabitable. When exploring Soufriere Hills Volcano, you might see remnants of the magma from the eruption.
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Montserrat Beaches
Typical of most island nations, Montserrat is packed with beautiful beaches. They usually attract many tourists and often have a plethora of activities to do such as swimming, sunbathing and beach sports. Some beaches include Bunkum Bay, Foxes Bay, Carr’s Bay, Rendezvous Bay and tourist’s favorite Little Bay. Most of these beaches have bars and restaurant around them, they are Montserrat’s best spots for relaxing.
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Montserrat Festivals
One thing you can expect from Montserrat is its festivals, also the love for them from outside Montserrat is easy to notice with the sheer number of population increase during each festival. The festivals feature many activities like dancing, drama, beauty pageants parade and sport competitions. One of such festivals and perhaps the most important one is the Montserrat Saint Patrick’s Festival (March) which is a symbolic way to celebrate the nations' path to independence. There are other notable festivals like Montserrat Calabash festival (July) and Allioagana Festival of the World (November).
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Montserrat Volcano Observatory
Set up by the Montserrat Government because of the activities of Soufriere Hills Volcano. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory is situated in Salem, Plymouth and it is one of the most important places on the Island. Since its establishment, it has been receiving many visitors who seek to learn more about volcanoes. Visitors are usually treated to an educational lesson about volcanoes that features a short documentary, there are also posters and artifacts displayed at the Observatory.
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National Museum
It is well-known that the secrets of most nations lie in their museums and Montserrat is no different. Established in 2012 at Little Bay after the former location Plymouth was destroyed, the museum houses most of Montserrat’s important material from Amerindian times, colonial era and modern times. Some exhibits you would see displayed include ancient documents, sculptures and traditional attires.