
Montserrat
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Airports / Gateways / Flying times
Airport: John A Osborne Airport.
Gateways/Flying Times: There are no direct flights from UK; however, Air France, British Airways, BMI, Condor, and Virgin Atlantic provide services to Antigua with connecting flights on FlyMontserrat and SVG Air.
Antigua: 20 minutes.
Ferry
There's year-round ferry service between Little Bay and Antigua's Bryson’s Pier at Heritage Quay in St. John's, though the schedule changes depending on weather and sea conditions. The 90 minute trip takes place Wednesday–Sunday. The fare is EC$150 each way. Call Ferry Agent Roosevelt Jemmotte (664/496–9912) on Montserrat or Jennifer Burke (268/788–9786) in Antigua for more info. Also check the Tourism Division’s website for schedule updates.
Climate
Winter and summer temperatures average between 24 and 32 Celsius (76 to 88° F). with constant breezes from the sea and mountains. The annual rainfall is about 1,250-2,000 mm or 50-80 inches, well distributed throughout the year, with a wetter season from July to November.
Dining
There are a handful of full service restaurants and a number of small welcoming eateries that serve hot tasty meals using locally grown produce and herbs – anything from lobster burgers, freshly grilled fish and saltfish (salted cod) with ground provision to pastas and fresh salads. If you really want to ‘go local’, ask for a sample of Goat Water, the traditional national dish, a thick tasty stew with chunks of goat meat, eaten hot with a crusty bread roll.
Language
English is the official language, which is often spoken with an Irish brogue, a heritage left by the early Irish settlers.
Nightlife
There are some small nightclubs and a host of roadside bars, better known as “rum shops”, where people gather informally to hang out or “lime”, have a drink and perhaps relax over a game of dominoes, especially on Friday nights. With limited evening culture. There is no closing time and most bars stay open “until…”
Salem, St. John’s, Cudjoe Head, Davy Hill and Festival Village in Little Bay are home to many of these bars.
Sightseeing
Volcano Watching: The magnificent (and still active) Soufriere Hills Volcano is the island’s stellar attraction, and the only live volcano in the Caribbean that you can observe at close quarters in safety. After centuries of lying dormant the volcano rumbled to life in 1995 and buried the capital of Plymouth lying in its foothills, reducing the once-vibrant city to a deserted shell – the Caribbean’s own version of a modern day Pompeii.
Diving/Snorkeling: For snorkelers and divers, the coral reefs on Montserrat’s North West Coast offer a variety of tropical fish and other exotic undersea life. Among the more spectacular dive sites are Little Redonda, a rock that reaches the surface from a depth of about 80 feet; the Pinnacles on the northeast corner of the island; and Yellow Hole, south of the Pinnacles, where there is the wreck of the 19th century steel schooner which sank in 1886.
Nature and Adventure: The lush, forest Centre Hills is renowned for its biological diversity. The moist rainforest is home to many species of wildlife and most of the 34 species of resident land birds and migrant songbirds that inhabit the area. Birdwatchers will delight in a chance to spot Montserrat’s rare national bird, the Montserrat oriole, as well as the forest thrush; the shy bridled quail dove, the mangrove cuckoo, the trembler and purple throated carib. Other regional endemic species that may be found are the mountain chicken, which is actually a type of frog, and the harmless galliwasp, which is half-snake, half-lizard.
Hiking: There are numerous hiking trails through the lush vegetation that offer stunning views of land, sea and coastline.
Where to stay
