Montserrat’s gardens, trails and wild shores

Explore Montserrat’s forest trails, botanical gardens, volcanic views, freshwater ravine and beaches where wildlife thrives.

Montserrat’s outdoors range from rainforest trails in the Centre Hills to quiet coves and a forested freshwater ravine. The island’s volcano and its surroundings can be viewed from designated spots outside the exclusion zone.

1. Jack Boy Hill

   Things to do, Saint Georges Parish

   This landscaped viewpoint looks across to the Soufrière Hills volcano and the buried remains of the old W.H. Bramble Airport. Seating and picnic spots among the bougainvillea make it a place to pause outdoors.

2. Lime Kiln Bay

   Beach, Saint Peter Parish

   Almond trees shade the approach to this small black-sand cove, where calm water is favoured for shore dives. Sea turtles are regularly spotted just offshore.

3. Montserrat National Trust Botanical Gardens

   Things to do, Saint Peter Parish

   The National Trust gardens include an orchid house and a medicinal-plant garden. The site also serves as a starting point for trail information and visits to Trust-run sites around the island.

4. Oriole Walkway Trail (Centre Hills)

   Parks & Nature, Saint Peter Parish

   This Centre Hills trail climbs through rainforest to a clearing near the top of Lawyer’s Mountain. The forest shelters the Montserrat oriole, the island’s national bird.

5. Rendezvous Bay Beach

   Beach, Saint Peter Parish

   Reach this sheltered cove by boat or kayak from Little Bay, or by a steep trail over the saddle. Its clear, calm water lies over a reef, and there are no facilities or much shade.

6. Runaway Ghaut

   Parks & Nature, Saint Peter Parish

   A short trail leads from the roadside to this freshwater spring in a forested ravine. The greenery offers a close look at local flora and birdlife.

7. Soufrière Hills Volcano

   Parks & Nature, Saint Anthony Parish

   The Soufrière Hills volcano rises above the island’s closed southern zone. Visitors can view it from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Jack Boy Hill, Garibaldi Hill or west-coast boat tours; the summit area is off limits.

8. Woodlands Beach

   Beach, Saint Peter Parish

   This quiet stretch of dark volcanic sand has a nearshore reef for swimming and snorkelling, though currents can pick up. Sea turtles come ashore to nest between May and December.