Caribbean Beat — September/October 2020 • Digital Issue

Page 38

Montserrat 39 square miles Highest point: traditionally recognised as Chances Peak, 3,002 feet, but ongoing volcanic activity in the Soufrière Hills has created a dome estimated to be 3,051 feet above sea level

courtesy Montserrat Tourism Division

It’s impossible to overlook the relentless power of nature in Montserrat, the Caribbean’s Emerald Isle. In 1995 the Soufrière Hills Volcano, long thought dormant, woke with a bang. A series of eruptions covered vast tracts of southern Montserrat with a thick layer of volcanic ash, rendering nearly two thirds of the tiny island uninhabitable. Yet, a quarter-century later, Montserrat is once again a jewel for visitors, with one of the region’s friendliest populations, untouched beaches, incredible dive sites — and a wealth of nature, easily accessible from the new capital at Brades. The forested slopes of the Centre Hills and Silver Hill are woven through with hiking trails, on which the National Trust organises regular excursions. Try to spot the rare Montserrat oriole, the national bird, found nowhere else in the world — there’s even an Oriole Walkway Trail. And for an unforgettable lesson in geology, you can join a tour — conditions permitting, and always putting safety first — into the exclusion zone with a certified guide, for a dramatic close-up view of the volcanic forces that created the island.

Though the Montserrat oriole’s habitat was affected by the Soufrière Hills eruptions, its numbers are rebounding

36

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Popular artists at El Museo del Barrio

1min
page 21

Must try: the taste of invention

3min
page 20

The Caribbean's rarest stamps

4min
pages 18-19

The Covid strategy

7min
pages 76-79

Music reviews

3min
page 24

Book reviews

3min
page 22

Inside this issue

2min
pages 6-7

Adam Cooper — Anti-stoosh

8min
pages 70-75

Discover St Lucia

1min
pages 68-69

Discover Curaçao

1min
pages 66-67

Discover Tobago

1min
pages 64-65

Discover Barbados

1min
pages 62-63

Discover Grenada

1min
pages 58-60

Discover The Bahamas

1min
pages 56-57

Discover Suriname

1min
pages 54-55

Discover Trinidad

1min
pages 52-53

St Vincent and the Grenadines

1min
pages 50-51

Discover Cuba

1min
pages 48-49

Discover Jamaica

1min
pages 44-45

Discover Guyana

1min
pages 42-43

Discover Montserrat

1min
pages 38-41

Discover Antigua and Barbuda

1min
pages 34-36

Discover Dominica

1min
pages 30-33

Q&A with Esery Mondesir

3min
page 26

Terri Lyons' calypso favourites

2min
page 16

T&T arts festivals move online

2min
page 14

A virtual Labour Day Carnival

1min
page 12

Shark Hole, Barbados

1min
page 10

Our unfinished revolution

4min
pages 8-9
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