The Best Sight in Montserrat

Background Illustration for Sights

Though the more fertile—and historic—southern half of Montserrat was destroyed by the volcano, emerald hills still reward explorers. Hiking and biking are the best ways to experience this island's unspoiled rain forest, glistening black-sand beaches, and lookouts over the devastation.

National Museum of Montserrat

The National Trust, which aims to conserve and enhance the island's natural beauty and cultural heritage, moved its headquarters and museum to this handsome building in March 2012. Permanent and rotating exhibits cover things like Arawak canoe building; colonial sugar and lime production (the term "limey" was first applied here to English sailors who used the citrus fruit to avoid scurvy); indigenous marine life; West Indian cricket; the annual Calabash Festival; island folklore like mocko jumbies (spirits); and the history of Sir George Martin's AIR Studios, which once lured top bands and musicians, from Dire Straits to Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney. The back room houses a charming small-scale re-creation of pre-eruption Plymouth depicted via blown-up photos, cutouts, and dioramas.