Montserrat – the Caribbean island recently devastated by volcanic eruption – seemed like an unlikely place to go sailing. But it was one of our favorite stops. Here are 5 reasons YOU should visit.
- It is on the sailing route from Guadeloupe to St Kitts/Nevis.
- Tour the volcanic exclusion zone and see the buried city of Plymouth.
- Peak inside the former AIR Studios, where great musicians recorded their albums.
- Stroll and swim the stunning Rendezvous Beach.
- Dine at Little Bay beachside restaurants.
Sailing to Montserrat
As we approach Montserrat, we see the volcanic gases up close and even smell sulfur. These gas clouds are visible from hundreds of miles away, often confused as a cloud. Our plan is to anchor by the main town, which is Little Bay (a new city developed in June 2022), where we can do our customs & immigration check-in. It is the furthest anchorage from the volcano exclusion zone, but also the safest. We ended up anchoring on Rendezvous Beach, as it was calm enough, and the beach was absolutely gorgeous. Little Bay was undergoing some development and the noise from the construction was not ideal.
We sail along the east side of the island, and you can see where the lava flows have built new land as they touch the ocean. We are staying quite a ways off shore as these areas are not accurately charted anymore.
About one quarter of the way under the clouds, steam was coming out of the side of the volcano through some vents. We are navigating through the exclusion zone, threat level is a 1, so no worries.
Montserrat Island Tour
Our all day tour with Charles educated us on the island’s history – both before the volcanic eruption on July 18, 1995 and after. It’s a beautiful British territory island, called the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, settled by the Irish in 1632, who grew tobacco, indigo, cotton and sugar, and then limes in 1850.
Our tour guide, an island resident, experienced the volcanic eruption. He worked in the area for many years – at the Montserrat Springs Hotel. He took cover in a relative’s home in the northern part of Montserrat. Only 1200 residents remained after the volcano, about 1/3 of the population.
Jack Boy Viewing Facility
Our first stop gave us an aerial view of the lava flows stretching out into the ocean. They looked a lot larger from above than they did from the sea. We also could see the former WH Bramble airport and eastern villages.
Montserrat Volcano Observatory
Our second stop was complete with helicopter landing pad. Its location affords stunning vistas of the Soufrière Hills volcano and Plymouth. Inside, you can see graphic photos, artifacts like rock and ash, and diagrams that describe the various pyroclastic surge deposits, and view IMAX footage.
Garibaldi Hill
Our third stop was one of the monitoring stations where they analyze everything from gas in the air to the water, seismic movement of the ground and more.
Nearby villages for the most part are spookily intact however there’s no way to provide utilities. Geothermal drilling as an alternate energy source is under way. New roofs are needed of course as they were all burned from the ash. A bit farther away, homes are listed for sale that were not demolished by the volcano. Without the thriving capital city of Plymouth, the former owners have no reason to stick around.
Richmond Hill
On our fourth stop we explored the abandoned Montserrat Springs Hotel, where the rich and famous used to stay. A few interesting items still remain as they were left on the front desk in 1997. Old phone books from 1992, receipts, accounting records and such. The hotel’s hot springs are down the hill by the beach.
This once affluent suburb of Plymouth is just north of Then a Quick Look at the 18th-century sugar mill that once housed the Montserrat Museum.
On the way to Plymouth, we stopped at the Wyke house and bakery, former hot spots for refreshments.
Plymouth Port
Our fifth stop was the massive cement pier where the spoils of mining are exported today. There is quite a bit of mining occurring and it is shipped out of this port after being sold to the highest bidder. The mining helps fund the process of excavation and rebuilding towns in other areas of the island for the residents.
The main attraction – Plymouth
Plymouth, Montserrat’s former capital, will always be a ghost town. No nearby areas are safe for human life. It is off-limits to general tourists. Only cabbies and tour operators, who have undergone basic safety training, can arrange escorted tours with advance clearance from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.
We strolled by buried old hotels, Angelo’s- a super popular restaurant/bar, and drove by fields of lava flows.
AIR Studios Montserrat
We then continued on to Stephen’s favorite part of the tour.
According to Wikipedia, In 1979, The Beatles producer George Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat, making the island popular with musicians who often went there to record while taking advantage of the island’s climate and beautiful surroundings, situated on a hilltop overlooking the sea within a 26-acre farm and surrounded by mango, citrus, and coconut groves. It closed in 1989 after Hurricane Hugo damaged more than 90% of the island’s structures.
For more than a decade, George Martin’s AIR Montserrat studio played host to recording sessions by many well known rock musicians.
- Jimmy Buffett recorded Volcano at the Montserrat studio in May 1979, naming the album and its title song for the then dormant Soufrière Hills volcano on the island.
- Elton John recorded three albums at the Montserrat studio in the 1980s.
- Dire Straits recorded their hugely successful Brothers in Arms album at the studio between 1984 and 1985.
Other well-known studio clients at AIR Montserrat included:
- Police (Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity) (videos for “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World” were filmed in Montserrat)
- Earth, Wind & Fire
- Ultravox
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (pre-recorded Junk Culture)
- Paul McCartney
- Gerry Rafferty
- Rush (Power Windows)
- Rolling Stones
- Black Sabbath
- Midge Ure
- Little River Band
- Duran Duran (Seven and the Ragged Tiger
- Sheena Easton
- Luther Vandross
- Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull) recorded the song “Montserrat” on The Secret Language of Birds in tribute to the volcanic difficulties and feeling among residents of being abandoned by the UK government.
The 2021 Australian documentary film Under the Volcano interviews more than a dozen major artists and technicians who worked in the studio during the 1980s, and also includes archival narration and commentary by George Martin.
After the volcanic eruptions of 1995 through 1997, and until his death in 2016, George Martin raised funds to help the victims and families on the island. The first event was a star-studded event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in September 1997, Music for Montserrat, featuring many artists who had previously recorded on the island including Paul McCartney, Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Sting, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, and Midge Ure. All the proceeds from the show went towards short-term relief for the islanders.
Montserrat National Trust Botanical Gardens
After the volcanic zone tour, our last stop was the self-guided stroll among the gardens. Among the plants are herbs used in folkloric medicine, former economic staples like Sea Island cotton and limes, and uniquely indigenous flora. A collection of endemic orchids, found in the hills, is on display in the Orchid House.
Maybe next time…
If you are into bats, there is a Bat Cave off Rendevouz beach. We did not have any interest in this.
If you are going to hike, you can see the Petroglyphs on Soldier Ghaut. You will need a cabbie to find it.
Next Stop: Nevis!