Montserrat Information

Montserrat is a British territory and part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles located in the Caribbean Sea. Christopher Columbus gave the island its name in 1493 but nowadays it is often referred to as the “The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.” A quiet haven of extraordinary beauty, Montserrat is blessed with gorgeous coastlines, dramatic rock cliffs and smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves. The country that inspired a Paul McCartney song, Montserrat has since seen many famous visitors that included the likes of Princess Margaret, Elton John, and Eric Clapton.

For the astute nature lover, however, Montserrat is much acclaimed for its huge jagged pillars composed of strikingly pink conglomerates and rocks on the ridges of Sant Jeroni (Saint Jerome). On the mountains monasteries abound. The Santa Maria Monestir de Montserrat, despite located at the top of Montserrat Mountain and accessible only through railway, is known to have thousands of visitors a year. Tourists have marveled at its simple yet elegant architecture. Montserrat or “Serrated Mountain” to the locals is to many visitors both a natural and spiritual sanctuary. As one of the holiest places in Catalonia, Monestir de Montserrat (Monastery of Montserrat) has become the center of the Catalan faith. Pilgrims are staged here every year. One of them, the "La Moreneta," or the Black Madonna, attracts visitors from across the globe for its miraculous healing powers.

Montserrat is also covered in lush green rainforest with exotic black sand beaches such as Woodland Beach and Carr's Bay. The black color of the beach sand results from Montserrat's many active volcanoes that spew ashes around coastlines and hillsides.