My friend Vanessa is a proud Montserratian — who is often mistaken for a Jamaican, mainly because not a lot of people in the U.S., where she lives, have heard of Montserrat. Her island home in the Caribbean made for a perfect podcast episode — small enough to be covered in 5 or 6 minutes.
A volcano that erupted in 1995 after being dormant 400 years, caused the evacuation of two-thirds of the population. The volcano is still active, and occasionally spews ash and lava. But in a case of “making it work,” it has also become a tourist attraction. Additionally, sand, gravel, and soap products, all manufactured as byproducts from the volcanic ash, are exported.
As the island is a British territory all residents were offered permanent residency in the UK, but 5,000 elected to remain on the island, attracted by the extremely peaceful way of life. Most people are employed by the government or in tourism. Just one school and virtually no crime. Deserted black sand beaches and deep ravines to explore. Sounds pretty good.
Practical Info
How to Get There: Take a ferry or plane from nearby Antigua (on Fly Montserrat or SVG Air). It’s two hours by ferry or a half hour by air. (Montserrat is a popular day trip from Antigua). Many major airlines like American and Delta fly to Antigua.
When to go: Winter will be the most popular time, as the weather will be nice and warm. You’ll probably want to avoid hurricane season (August and September).
Upcoming events: Volcano Half Marathon: November 26, 2011
St. Patrick’s Festival: March 9 – 18, 2012
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Filed under: The Coolest Stuff on the Planet Tagged: Montserrat, travel, volcano
