Little Bay
The bay on Montserrat’s north-west coast where the island is building its new port and capital, a generation after the volcano buried Plymouth.
- Arrival
- V.C. Bird International, Antigua · ANU
- To the island
- About 20 to 30 minutes by air to Gerald’s
- Private jets
- At Antigua, then a light aircraft
- Best time
- February to April
The city
A new start in the north.
Montserrat is about 16 km long, nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean for its likeness to the Irish coast and the Irish ancestry of many islanders. From July 1995 the Soufrière Hills volcano buried Plymouth, the capital, and left the southern half of the island uninhabitable. Life moved north. Government sits in Brades for now, and Little Bay, on the north-west coast, is planned as the new capital and port.
Work on the port began in 2022, funded by the United Kingdom and the Caribbean Development Bank: an offshore jetty, a berth and a new access road. Yachts already anchor in the bay and clear customs at the Little Bay terminal. There are no chain hotels anywhere on the island, only guesthouses, villas and a couple of small hotels.
- Montserrat Volcano Observatory In the hills above Salem, with a view of the Soufrière Hills on a clear day and a film on how the volcano is watched.
- Plymouth The abandoned former capital, seen on tours with a certified guide who knows its stories.
- Rendezvous Bay A beach on the west coast reached on foot or by kayak; there is no food or water, so bring both.
Arriving
Land on Antigua, cross by light aircraft.
Montserrat’s airstrip at Gerald’s is under 600 metres long, without runway lights, and takes only small aircraft. Long-haul and private flights land at V.C. Bird International on Antigua, 57 km away, and the crossing to the island takes 20 to 30 minutes by air. The ferry from Antigua is suspended until further notice.
- San Juan 55 min
- Punta Cana 1 h 15
- Miami 3 h 05
- Geneva 9 h 20 long-range jet
- Johannesburg 14 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
February to April.
Rain can fall in any month, but February to April is the drier stretch, with under 100 mm a month and afternoons of 27 or 28 °C. The heaviest rain falls from July to November, and the tourism authority puts the peak of the hurricane season between early August and the end of October.
- 27° J 106 27°
- 27° F 65 26°
- 27° M 72 26°
- 28° A 92 27°
- 29° M 138 27°
- 29° J 133 28°
- 30° J 166 28°
- 30° A 181 28°
- 30° S 203 29°
- 29° O 167 29°
- 29° N 162 28°
- 28° D 120 27°
Elsewhere in Montserrat
More reasons to come.
Flying to Little Bay?
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