“This British oversea territory located in the Lesser Antilles chain is home to the Soufrière Hills volcano which, after a destructive eruption in the 1990s, led to the creation of an exclusion zone.
On the north of the island, picturesque black sand beaches, cliffs, coastline caves and coral reefs compose a landscape that was thankfully largely untouched by the eruption.”
Juxtaposing vibrant hues of green and humbling shades of grey create the dramatic landscapes of Montserrat, an island where flamboyant nature and majestic moonscapes collide to provide visitors with a very singular Caribbean experience.
Mixing breathtaking topography and tragic history, this British Overseas Territory offers a balance of outdoor explorations and cultural discoveries that will amaze the nature lover in you. Montserrat is a land of adventures, one where every effort is rewarded with incredible vistas, hidden coastal gems, and extremely rare wildlife. A land where both bountiful marine life and globally endangered species are found.
With a length of 16km and a width of 11km, the island boasts no less than 40km of impressive coastline, dominated by the sumptuous Soufrière Hills Volcano, to which Montserrat owes both its stunning landscapes and painful losses.
Part of the Leeward Islands, in the Eastern Caribbean, Montserrat’s tropical climate benefits from consistent northeast trade winds, giving the island a fairly dry climate with a maximum of 27°C (80.6 °F) on average, and cooler temperatures during the winter season (December to February), and potential adverse conditions during the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season (July to November).
Following the natural tragedies that afflicted the island in the 1990s, Montserrat saw a decrease in its population, with Montserratians leaving the country to start over again in neighbouring islands, or in the United Kingdom. However, this drop in numbers has not affected the local culture, which remains strong to this day, whether in the shape of festivals, national dishes or other symbols that perpetuate the Montserratian traditions.
