Montserrat is one of the Leeward Islands, it lies in the Caribbean
between the islands of Antigua in the north and Guadeloupe in the south.
Montserrat is only 16.5 km long and 10 km wide. The island belongs
to the inner arc of the Lesser Antilles. It is of volcanic origin and
its appearance is shaped by three volcanoes of different ages. In the
north is the oldest volcano, Silver Hill, at 403 m high, in the middle
of the island is Katy Hill, 741 m, and in the south is the youngest
volcano, Soufriere, with the 915 m high Chances Peak, which drops off
into the sea as a steep cliff on its south side. Several hot springs and
sulphur deposits are evidence of the volcanic activities. Most of the
island's beaches have black sand, the only exception being Rendezvous
Bay with yellow-white coral sand. The agricultural areas and villages
are located particularly at the western foot of the volcanoes. Large
parts of the lowlands are also covered with acacia groves and cacti,
while in the higher elevations evergreen "fairy forest" predominates, as
long as the forest was not destroyed after the volcanic eruption.
Until 1995, the island was divided into three
administrative districts: St. Peter, St. George's and St. Andrew.
After the eruption of the Soufriere volcano, there are safety zones
instead. The northern third of the island is permanently inhabited and
subject to no restrictions. The rest of the island has been divided into
six zones.
Zone A: Salem, parts of Olveston and Old Towne. This
area is freely accessible, only when there is an imminent volcanic
eruption access is restricted.
Zone B: The Waterworks area and parts
of Old Towne around Garibaldi Hill can only be entered with a permit
when lava is erupting from the volcano.
Zone C: The area around
Richmond Hill and George's Hill is only accessible during daylight hours
and with a permit.
Zone F: The land south of Centre Hill and Katy
Hill is only accessible for agricultural work.
Zone T: The zone
between Trants Bay and Farm Bay is marked with red flags; it may only be
entered by selected people who mine sand and stones there.
Zone
V: The entire area around the Soufriere volcano and the former city area
of Plymouth may only be visited for essential work with prior
registration.
There are also two restricted areas off the coast.
Zone E: East coast between Spanish Point and Poche's Bluff, the
coast is closed to traffic for a width of 4 km.
Zone W: West
coast, in front of the former towns of Plymouth and St. Patrick's, the
coast is closed to traffic for a width of 2 km.
Brades. The Brades Estate is located on the Collins
River. About 1.2 km inland from Carr's Bay, the small town is grouped
around a crossroads. If you continue on the main road, you will reach
the town of Cudjoe Head after about 500 meters. Today, the island
administration and the offices of the Tourist Board are located in
Brades.
The small village of Cudjoe Head is located on a ridge
between the Black Ghaut and Soldier Ghaut rivers.
The town of Davy
Hill dates back to an Irish foundation. This small village is located
just 500 m east of Carr's Bay in the north of the island on the main
road to Sweeney's Estate.
The town of Gerald's is located on a
plateau in the north center of the island near Sweeney's on a dead end.
The Montserrat Heliport, Gerald's Park, has been converted into an
airfield. It has been usable for small aircraft since 2005.
Little
Bay on the bay of the same name on the west coast is now the island's
main port. The "Festival City", the island's event center, is also
located there. The port is to be expanded further. A pier for cruise
ships and a marina are to be built. At the moment there is only a pier
there that is 55m long, but the water depth is only 4.6 to 1.7 meters.
The new island capital is also to be built there, with the new name Port
Diana planned.
Directly north of the mouth of the Belham River
lies Olveston with the districts of Old Towne and Old Road Estate. The
island administration was housed there in 1998 until new buildings were
built at Brades. In Old Towne and Olveston there are mainly villas.
There used to be a golf course between Old Towne and the Belham River.
The volcano-endangered zone of the island begins south of the river.
Plymouth, the former capital of Montserrat. Many houses in Plymouth
were built on the ground floor using the ballast stones from sailing
ships. These stones all come from the southern English county of
Dorchester. Since the eruption of the volcano, the area has been cleared
by the authorities. Parts of it are now covered by a meter-thick layer
of ash, dust and rock. It is closed to tourists.
Above Olveston lies
the widely scattered village of Salem on the western slopes of Centre
Hill. To the south, towards the Belham River, lie the districts of Frith
and Happy Hill. These are only partially accessible.
St. John's in
the northern center of the island, about 1.5 km south of Gerald's, was
originally a small mountain village on the main road that curves from
Davy Hill via Sweeney's to Cudjoe Head. Today it is a constantly growing
settlement that is expanding in all directions.
The widely scattered
village of St. Peter's on Bunkum Bay is about halfway between the harbor
in Little Bay and Olveston. It is a purely residential settlement.
The town of Sweeney's was also founded in Ireland. The long village is
located about 1.5 km from the harbor at Little Bay between Davy Hill and
St. John's on the main road to Gerald's.
Between St. Peter's in the
north and Olveston in the south, the village of Woodlands is spread over
several hills along Woodlands Bay. This is a purely residential area.
Archaeological excavations and finds from the area around Trant's and
Belham River Valley prove that there was Indian settlement between 500
BC and 500 AD. The Carib Indians called the island Alliouagana, which
means "land of thorn bushes". It was discovered by Christopher Columbus
on November 11, 1493. The sawtooth-like mountain ridges reminded him of
the monastery of Montserrat, near Barcelona, after which he named the
island. It is said to have been uninhabited at that time.
In 1630
the Frenchman D'Esnambuc came to the island, and in 1631 Sir Henry Colt
anchored on the west coast. The first colonists were Irish Catholics who
fled from the nearby island of ST. KITTS in 1632 under the leadership of
Thomas Warner from the town of Old Road. A strict Anglican government
ruled there, which suppressed their faith. On Montserrat they called
their first settlement Old Road Town. Old Road Bay was then called
Brisket Bay. The place was later renamed after the governor Colonel
William Stapleton. The place was mentioned in documents as late as 1696.
In 1712 the French burned it down when they landed on the island with an
invasion army of 3,500 men.
The first Irish settlers are the
reason why many islanders still have an Irish name to this day. In 1648
around 1,000 Irish families lived on the island. Some were very poor,
others owned a plantation. The most famous Irish families were the
Blakes and the Galways. Other Irish names include Brades, Bradshaw,
Farrell, Forgathy, Kinsale, Trants and Tuitt.
In 1633, Catholics
from Virginia (USA) followed them, bringing tobacco plants with them. In
1649, Cromwell sent political prisoners from Ireland to Montserrat. In
the same year, sugar cane cultivation began on the island. In 1651, the
Irishman John Blake, in the service of the English Guinea Company,
brought the first slaves from Africa.
In 1678, 761 Englishmen,
1,869 Irishmen, 52 Scotsmen and 992 African slaves lived on Montserrat.
In the ten years between 1721 and 1729 alone, over 3,200 "Negro
slaves" were brought to the small island.
Between 1674 and 1682,
the European colonists were attacked several times by the Carib Indians
of DOMINICA. It was also occupied by French troops and supported by
parts of the Irish population. Only after the naval battle of Les
Saintes, where the English under Admiral Rodney won an overwhelming
victory over the French fleet, and the subsequent peace treaty of
Versailles, did Montserrat finally fall into British hands in 1783.
The abolition of slavery in 1834 drove many plantations into ruin.
They were divided up and sold to small farmers. Some of the freed
workers went to Trinidad and British Guiana, where higher wages were
paid, others looked for work in Panama and the USA.
In 1869, the
Quaker Joseph Sturge, who was famous for his anti-slavery policy,
founded Sturge's Montserrat Company. He bought up farmland and employed
landless former slaves to work the land. His son renamed the company
Montserrat Company Limited, and by 1916 this company owned half of all
agricultural land on the island. After the collapse of the sugar
industry, Francis Burke brought lemon plants to the island with
financial support from Sturge's. Lemon juice from Montserrat quickly
became famous, the English Navy bought it as medicine for sailors, and
it was exported as far as New Zealand and Australia. A cyclone destroyed
all the plantations in 1899. Cotton was grown instead. During the heyday
of cotton cultivation, the weaving machines in Lancashire were supplied
almost exclusively from Montserrat. Even Japan still prefers to buy this
cotton today because of its good quality. This industry was successful
until 1963.
The exodus of the islanders continued, however.
Between 1946 and 1964, over 5,000 islanders emigrated to the British
Kingdom. Some of the emigrants became a little richer than the others.
Since 1960, the island has become a second home for the winter months
for many of those who emigrated to America and England. Many villas in
the Roman architectural style were built on the island. This
construction boom and the rental of the houses led to a new source of
income.
The strong Irish influence on the country's history can
still be seen all over the island today, starting with the island's
national emblem - a shamrock. The flag shows a white cross with a virgin
and a harp. Irish names can be found everywhere and Saint Patrick's Day
is a public holiday.
In 1995, the Soufriere volcano became active
again after more than 400 years of dormancy. At first there were only a
few small eruptions with long periods of rest in between. In June 1997
there was a major eruption in which 19 people died. Two thirds of the
south of the island were declared a no-go zone and more than 5,000
islanders were evacuated to neighboring islands. The government of
Montserrat then asked the British government for financial assistance of
$14,800 per head of household and $7,400 for each additional family
member to relocate to Great Britain or a neighboring island. However,
England was only willing to pay $4,040. Montserrat's Chief Minister
Bernard Osborne then resigned from his post. His successor David Brandt
then invited all Caribbean governments to the island and asked the
Caribbean Community for support.
British musicians led by former
Beatles manager George Martin, who lost his studios on Montserrat, were
able to donate $1 million to the island's population after charity
concerts. In February 1998, the British government provided a further
£73,000.
There were earthquakes on the island in 1672, 1834 and 1935. After
more than 400 years of rest, the Soufriere volcano began to become
active again in July 1995. On July 18, a small cloud of ash rose from
the northwest crater. Between August 12 and 13, over 30 strong tremors
were recorded. On August 19, a layer of ash covered Cork Hill, two days
later, at around 9 a.m., a large cloud of ash enveloped the capital
Plymouth and the surrounding area for almost an hour, and the following
day, all areas south and east of the Belham River were evacuated. On
September 2, residents were allowed to return because Hurricane Luis was
approaching and personal belongings had to be secured. In November, the
volcano erupted properly, lava erupting. Half of the island's population
spent the Christmas and New Year holidays in emergency shelters after
more intense activity.
In January 1996, the mountain became quiet
again and the population returned to their homes. At the end of March
and beginning of April, the first lava flowed out of the volcano, and on
May 12, the first lava flow reached the sea. Large amounts of grey ash
and rock rain led to the evacuation of Long Ground. In the capital,
Plymouth, the fire brigade had to wash ash from houses and streets, and
schools were closed there. The government moved its headquarters to
Olveston.
On the night of September 17, the first major volcanic
eruption occurred. Ash was hurled about 12 km into the atmosphere and
600,000 tons of ash and rock, about a quarter of the volcanic cone, were
scattered over the southeastern part of the island.
On March 30,
1997, a lava flow flowed 3.6 km down the White River and buried the
Great Alp waterfall. On June 25, another lava flow came within 50 meters
of the airport, destroying the towns of Tuitt's, Bramble, Harris and
Spanish Point, and killing 29 residents. On September 21, the
northeastern crater wall collapsed and the airport building was
destroyed. The greatest volcanic activity occurred between September 22
and October 21. 76 major volcanic eruptions occurred at intervals of 3
to 33 hours. Lava rock was spread across the entire island. On December
25, a lava flow and hot air devastated the southwest of the island
around St. Patrick's within 30 minutes.
About half of the
island's population had been brought to the surrounding islands of
Guadeloupe, Antigua and Nevis or to England for safety reasons. The
British warship HMS Liverpool was ordered to Little Bay to assist with
rescue efforts. Britain initially provided $70 million in emergency aid.
On September 20, 1998, Hurricane Georges passed by nearby and
brought heavy rain. This led to mudslides. The former capital city of
Plymouth was buried, as was the bridge over the Belham River and the
airport runway.
In July 2001, the cloud of smoke from the volcano
reached as far as Puerto Rico.
In July 2003, there was a major
eruption that scattered ash and rocks across the island.
On
February 11, 2010, after a series of eruptions lasting several days, the
top of the 915-meter-high Soufrière Hills volcano collapsed. According
to the institution responsible for volcano observation, a
15-kilometer-high column of ash rose above the mountain. A pyroclastic
flow flowed down the slope at high speed - this is a mixture of gas, ash
and magma with tremendous destructive power. A fine rain of ash fell on
the neighboring islands of Antigua and Guadeloupe.
The Centre Hill is covered in moist rainforest. There you can find the national bird, the oriole, as well as pigeons and cuckoos. In the uninhabited regions of the Centre Hill and in the dry forest of the Silver Hill you can find 34 native songbird species and a large number of migratory birds. You can also find amphibians and reptiles: mountain chickens, anoles, ground lizards, geckos and iguanas. The only breeding ground for the frigate bird is at Pelican Point on the east coast.
Around 1790, sugar cane was grown on 2,400 hectares, and cotton and vegetables were planted on 800 hectares each. Earthquakes, hurricanes, drought, plantation owners living outside the area and incompetent administrators led to crop failures. The abolition of slavery in 1834 drove many plantations to final ruin. They were divided up and sold to small farmers. After the collapse of the sugar industry, the plantations switched to growing lemons. However, a hurricane destroyed all the plantations in 1899. Cotton was then grown. By 1941, the area had grown to 2,158 hectares with a harvest of 533,873 kg of cotton thread.
Bunkum Bay. A very small bay.
Carr's Bay. Separated from Little
Bay by Potato Hill. There are a few fishing boats on the beach.
Little Bay. Separated from Carr's Bay by Potato Hill.
Rendezvous Bay.
The beach is just over 500m long, but it is the northernmost and the
only one on the island with light sand.
Woodlands Beach. This very
narrow beach is good for diving.
By boat
MV Fjortov. The MV Fjortov runs between Heritage Quay in
Antigua and Little Bay in Montserrat. The fast ferry has a capacity of
300 seats and the journey takes about 60 minutes. The fare is US$75 for
trips from Monday evening to Friday morning and US$52 on weekends, both
ways. Bookings and information can be obtained in Montserrat from MONAIR
Port Services, Tel. +1-664 491-2533, +1-664 491-2362 and in Antigua from
Twin Island Ferries, Tel. (+1-268) 721-0756.
Ferry departures
Mondays at 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., from Montserrat at 10:00 a.m. and
5:50 p.m.
Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., from Montserrat at
10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Fridays at 5:00 p.m. - no return on Friday.
Saturdays from Montserrat at 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., from Antigua at
5:00 p.m.
By plane
W. H. Bramble Airport (MNT). Tel.: 491-4300.
Runway length: 1,100 meters. This airport is closed.
John A. Osborne
Airport (MNI). Tel.: 491-3434. Runway length: 1,781 feet (543 m),
asphalt. There is a helicopter connection between Antigua and Montserrat
every day except Wednesdays. Luggage is limited to 30 pounds on these
flights. The flight time is approximately 20 minutes. The flight price
is around 112 US dollars for a round trip.
Departure times
Daily with Montserrat Airways from Antigua at 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.,
from Montserrat at 9 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Flight time 25 minutes. Prices
for a round trip Antigua - Montserrat - Antigua 187.80 US dollars,
including taxes.
Airlines
Montserrat Airways, John A. Osborne
Airport. Tel.: 491-3434.
WinAir, c/o Montserrat Aviation Service,
Nixons. Tel.: 491-2362, 491-2533, Fax: 491-2362.
Departure
regulations
An airport tax of 25 US dollars must be paid when leaving
the country.
On presentation of a valid international driving license, a temporary
national driving license can be obtained at the police headquarters in
Brades, Tel. 491-2555, price US$19. Opening hours: 24 hours, Monday to
Friday. Attention: left-hand traffic!
Rental cars
Be-Beep's
Car Rentals, Olveston. Tel.: 491-3787, Mobile: 492-1083.
Danny Lyons
Rentals, Woodlands Beach Road. Tel.: 491-6216, 492-1455. Off-road
vehicles.
Equipment & Supplies, Olveston. Tel.: 491-2402.
Ethelyne's Car Rental, Olveston. Tel.: 491-2855.
Gage's Car Rental,
Sweeney's. Tel.: 491-3363, Mobile: 493-5821.
Grant Enterprises,
Brades. Tel: 491-9654.
Jefferson Car Rental, Palm Loop, Woodlands.
Tel: 491-2126.
Joel Osborne & Associates, Woodlands. Tel: 491-6300,
492-1555. Jeeps.
KC's Car Rental, Olveston. Tel: 491-5756.
Lea Car
Rental, Salem. Tel: 491-8533, Fax: 491-8533.
Montserrat Enterprises,
Bishop's View Road, Old Towne. Tel: 491-2431-32. SUV.
Neville
Bradshaw Agencies, Olveston. Tel: 491-5270, 491-2070.
M.S. Osborne
Ltd., Brades. Tel: 491-2494, 491-3288.
Pickett Van Rentals, Salem.
Tel: 491-5513.
Zeekies Rentals, Judy Piece, Baker Hill, Cudjoe
Head. Tel: 491-4515, Mobile: 493-5281.
Gas Stations
A & F
Service Station, Sweeney's. Tel: 491-6204, Fax: 491-6205. Open: Mon -
Thurs 7am - 8pm, Fri + Sat 7am - 9pm, Sun 4pm - 8pm.
Tower Hill
Service Station, St. Peter's. Tel: 491-4070. Open: Mon - Sat 7am - 9pm.
By Bus
Private minibuses operate on the main roads as needed,
generally between 6am and 7pm. You can hail them anywhere by raising
your hand.
Taxi
B&D Taxi Service, St. Johns. Tel.: 491-8797,
Cell: 496-5927.
Cliff's Bus Service, Clifford Ryan, Baker Hill. Tel.:
491-5349, Cell: 492-1849.
George Christian, Salem. Tel.: 491-5593,
492-1999.
George White. Tel.: 491-3678. Bus for 15 passengers.
Thomas Lee. Tel.: 491-2347, 492-1649. Bus for 9 passengers.
Winston
Telesford. Tel.: 491-2855.
Sights
Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Flemmings, above Salem. Tel.: 491-5647, Fax: 491-2423. There is a small visitor center with a viewing platform. Open: Mon - Thurs 10:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Price: Admission costs 10 EC $.
Carnival is celebrated on Montserrat between Christmas and New Year.
The first preparations begin on December 12th, when the festival
committee meets. Churches and social groups collect donations. In the
week before Christmas, cakes are baked and punch is made. The village
choirs and music groups rehearse.
On the evening before Christmas
Eve, pigs are slaughtered: Christmas without pork is not Christmas! On
Christmas Eve, so-called "jumbie tables", beautifully decorated tables
with food and drinks, are set up in the villages. This is an invitation
to the deceased to take part in the Christmas celebrations.
During the 12 days between Christmas and New Year, parades with costumed
and masked groups take place. A carnival queen is crowned. A beauty
queen is chosen. Calypso bands compete and plays are performed.
The highlight of the carnival is January 1st. From 6 a.m. the entire
island population flocks together. Horns are blown and church bells
ring. Costumed music bands march through the whole town. People come
together for the last "jump up", to jump from the old year into the new.
Bruce Farara, Brades. Tel.: 491-8802.
Carlton O`Garro's, Little
Bay. Tel.: 491-8902.
Danny Sweeney, Olveston. Tel.: 491-5645. Price:
1/2 day US $300, full day US $500.
The Green Monkey Inn Dive Shop (PADI), Little Bay. Tel.: 491-2960,
496-2960.
Scuba Montserrat (ex Sea Wolf Diving), Little Bay. Tel.:
491-7807.
Blackwood Allen Trail. In the Centre Hills area, you walk on a
difficult path over steep climbs and through depressions. There is a
viewing platform at a strategic point. From there you can enjoy a
beautiful panoramic view of the northern villages and the coastline.
Oriole Walkway. This walk leads into the rainforest of the Centre Hills
and is particularly recommended for nature and animal watchers.
Runaway Ghaut. The Runaway Ghaut stream near Woodlands is suitable for
family walks. There is a car park, hiking trails and picnic tables.
Silver Hills Trail. This walk starts and ends in the Drummonds
settlement. It leads over the former Silver Hill volcano, from where you
can enjoy breathtaking views of the entire coastal region. You will
encounter various species of birds along the way.
"The Cot"
Trail. Another hiking trail in the Centre Hills. It leads to the centre
of the mountain up to a height of 330m above sea level. There you will
find the ruins of "The Cot". It is the former summer residence of the
influential Sturges family. Along the way you will repeatedly have
breathtaking views of the surrounding villages, including the exclusion
zone and the volcano.
Trail from Little Bay to Rendezvous Bay.
This hike should only be undertaken by experienced hikers. The trail
leads from the light-sand Rendezvous Bay over a very steep mountain path
to the black-sand Little Bay Bay. You can return over the mountain or
take a fishing boat back.
Information and maps for the hikes can
be obtained from: The Montserrat National Trust (MNT), Salem Main Road,
Tel. 491-3086.
English is the official language. People often speak in a local dialect and sometimes very quickly.
The largest collection of shops can be found on the main street of
Brades. There is even something like a small shopping center, the BBC
Plaza, with a jeweler, art gallery, internet café and bike rental.
In the center of Salem you will also find several shops and
restaurants / bars within a radius of around 200m.
Handicrafts
made from raffia and straw
Wood carvings
Baskets and bags
Montserrat has two national dishes, Goat Water and Mountain Chicken.
Goat Water is a meaty stew made from goat meat and vegetables, and it is
said that the Irish based the recipe on Irish stew. Mountain chicken is
frog legs, a large variety of this amphibian that only occurs on
Montserrat and Dominica.
Oriole Cafe Restaurant & Bar, Terrace,
Farara Plaza, next to the government buildings, Brades. Tel.: 491-7144.
West Indian, medium prices.
Tina's Restaurant & Bar, Brades Main
Road. Tel.: 491-3538. West Indian, inexpensive. Open: Mon - Thurs 8 a.m.
- 6 p.m., Fri 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Cockpit Bar & Restaurant, airfield,
Gerald's. Tel.: 491-4478.
Gourmet Gardens, Olveston Estate. Tel.:
491-7859. International, mid-range prices. Open: 11am-2pm + 6pm-8pm,
reservations recommended.
The Attic Restaurant & Bar, Olveston. Tel.:
491-2008. West Indian, inexpensive. Open: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.
Wholesome
Bar & Restaurant, Salem. Tel.: 491-3922. Creole.
J J's Cuisine, St
John's. Tel.: 491-9024. Restaurant & Bar. Open: daily.
Jaxxxonz
Hideaway, St. John's Main Road. Tel.: 491-6087. West Indian.
La
Colagé Restaurant & Bar, St. John's. Tel.: 491-4136. Creole, fast food,
inexpensive.
Venelle's Cook Shop, St. Johns. Tel.: 491-5940. Open:
Fri + Sat.
Bunkum Bay Beach Bar, St. Peter's. Tel.: 491-6077. Fast
food. Open: daily from 12 noon.
Ziggy's, Mahogany Lane, Woodlands.
Tel.: 491-3787, 491-8282. International, expensive.
Good Life Bar, Little Bay. Tel.: 491-4576. Open: Fri + Sat from 10 p.m.
Erindell Villa, Woodlands. Tel.: 491-3655. Rooms, restaurant, bar,
pool, renovated in 2009. Price: All year round: single / double room US$
75, plus 7% tax.
Essence Guesthouse, Old Towne. Tel.: 491-5411. 1
apartment and 1 room, pool. Price: In summer: apartment US$70, room
US$50; in winter: apartment US$80, room US$60. Rental prices include
taxes.
Gingerbread Hill, St. Peter's. Tel.: 491-5812. 2 rooms and 2
cottages, bicycle rental. Price: All year round: single US$35-55, double
US$45-65, cottage US$125, plus 7% taxes.
Grand View Guest House,
Bakers Hill, Cudjoe Head. Tel.: 491-2284. Rooms, restaurant. Price: All
year round: single US$65, double US$90. Rental prices plus 17% taxes,
including breakfast.
Montserrat Moments Inn, Manjack Heights, Davy
Hill. Tel.: 491-8707, Fax: 491-7707. 12 rooms, pool. Price: All year
round: single room US$48, double room US$78.
Olveston House.
Tel.: 491-5210. 6 rooms, restaurant, pool, tennis court. Price: In
summer: single room / double room US$75, in winter: single room / double
room US$99. Rental prices plus 17% tax.
Tropical Mansion Suites,
Scooters's, Sweeney's. Tel.: 491-8767, Fax: 491-8275. 18 rooms,
restaurant, bar, pool, souvenir shop, car and scooter rental, conference
room. Price: All year round: single room US$90-130, double room
US$120-140.
January 1st - New Years Day - New Year
March 17th, St. Patrick's
Day - St. Patrick's Day - has been a public holiday since 1983, comes
from Ireland
Good Friday - April 18th, 2025
Easter Monday - April
21st, 2025
1st Monday in May - Labor Day - Labor Day
Whit Monday -
June 9th, 2025
3rd Saturday in June - King's Birthday, official
birthday of the English king
1st Monday in August - Emancipation Day
- abolition of slavery
November 11th - Discovery Day - day of
discovery (by Columbus)
November 23rd - Freedom Day
December 25th
- Christmas - Christmas
December 26th - Boxing Day - Christmas Day
December 31st - Years End - New Year's Eve
Crime is practically non-existent on the island. It is said that Montserrat is the safest island in the Caribbean.
Doctors
Glendon Hospital, St. John's. Tel.: 491-2552, 491-2836, Fax:
491-6413.
Ambulance Emergency number in case of accident, Tel. +1-664
491-2802
Lee's Pharmacy, Brades Main Road. Tel.: 491-3444. Open: 9am - 7pm.
Bank of Montserrat, Brades Main Road. Tel.: 491-3843. Open: Mon, Tue
+ Thu 8am - 2pm, Wed 8am - 1pm, Fri 8am - 3pm.
Montserrat Building
Society, Brades Main Road. Tel.: 491-2391. Open: Mon - Thurs 8:30 a.m. -
2:00 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Royal Bank of Canada, Brades
Main Road. Tel.: 491-2426, Fax: 491-3991. Open: Mon, Tues + Thurs 9:00
a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Wed 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Fri 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
St. Patrick's Cooperative Credit Union, Brades Main Road. Tel.:
491-3666. Open: Mon - Fri 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Montserrat Tourist Board, 7 Farara Plaza, Brades Main Road. Tel.:
491-2230, 491-8730, Fax: 491-4730.
Tourist Board Montserrat, The West
India Committee, Lomerstr. 28, 22047 Hamburg. Tel.: (0)40-6958846, Fax:
(0)40-3800051.
Police Headquarters, Government House, Brades. Tel: 491-2555.
Cudjoe Head Police Station. Tel: 491-5222.
Salem Police Station. Tel:
491-5255.
Department of Administration, Government Headquarters, Brades Main
Road. Tel: 491-2365. Open: Office hours: Mon – Fri 8am – 4pm.
Customs Department, Little Bay. Tel: 491-3816, 491-2456, Fax: 491-6909.
Open: Mon – Fri 8am – 4pm.
General Post Office, Government Headquarters, Brades. Open: Mail: Mon – Fri 8.15am – 4pm; Parcel post: Mon - Fri 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. + 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Andy's Internet Cafe & Repairs, BBC Building, Brades Main Road. Tel.:
491-9768, 493-1421.
Grant Enterprises & Trading, Brades. Tel.:
491-9654, Fax: 491-5854.
The island has healthy tropical maritime weather, with average temperatures of 28-30 °C from July to October, falling to 25 °C in January. The average annual rainfall is 152 mm, which varies depending on the location and time of year. The rainy season is from November to February. A refreshing northeast wind blows all year round. Hurricanes occur from July to October, and have repeatedly caused severe damage. In September 1995, “Luis” passed very close to the island. In 1998, “Georges” brought heavy rain. In 1999, there were three storms, “Floyd” in September, “Jose” in October and “Lenny” in November.
Travel agencies
MonAir Travel Service, Brades. Tel.: 491-2362,
Fax: 491-7186.
RTT Travel & Tours, Brades. Tel.: 491-4788, Fax:
491-2974.
Runaway Travel (IATA), Brades. Tel.: 491-2776, 491-2800.
Travel World International, Davy Hill. Tel.: 491-2713, Fax: 491-2715.
Tours
Avalon's Taxi-Tours, Brades. Tel: 491-3432, Mobile:
492-1565.
Grant Enterprises & Tours, Olveston. Tel: 491-9654.
Jig
Tours, Davy Hill. Tel: 491-2752, 492-2752, Mobile: 496-2752.
Peter's
Agency, A & F Service Center Complex, Sweeney's. Tel: 491-2244, Fax:
491-2245. Shipping agency.