History and Culture

History and Culture

Though Christopher Columbus named the island in 1493 (after the hillside Santa Maria de Montserrate monastery outside Barcelona), most locals are descended from 17th-century Irish Catholic settlers escaping English persecution. They routed the resident Caribs (who themselves had "evicted" the indigenous Saladoids and Arawaks) and eventually imported slaves to work the plantations. The Gaelic influence lingers in place and family names, folklore, jigs, even a wispy brogue.

The island's captivating beauty, low profile, and difficult access made it a hip destination in the 1970s and '80s. Sir George Martin (The Beatles' manager) founded Air Studios in 1979, luring icons like Eric Clapton, Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder to record. Destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, it was never rebuilt. But locals and expats alike still like a good band. The combined Carnival and Christmas festivities go on for nearly a month, when the island is awash with color, from calypso competitions to parades and pageants.

Other than the volcano, the steamiest activities are the fiercely contested domino games outside rum shops. That may soon change. The government speaks optimistically of building a new golf course, developing spa facilities to offer volcanic mud baths, even running tours—pending safety assessments—of Plymouth as a haunting Caribbean answer to Pompeii. An airport was constructed, partly in the hope of recapturing the villa crowd that once frequented the island. But these developments—as well as debates over the new capital and threatened lawsuits against the British government for restricting access and utility service to homesites—will simmer for quite some time. One thing won't change: the people, whether native-born or expat, are among the warmest anywhere. Chat them up, and don't be surprised if you're invited to a family dinner or beach picnic.