St. Patrick’s Festival (March)
Montserrat’s St. Patrick’s Festival is the Caribbean’s longest and most culturally rich St. Patrick’s celebration, offering yacht visitors a unique opportunity to experience the island’s distinctive Afro-Irish heritage. Held over ten days each March, the festival brings the island to life with cultural performances, local cuisine, guided hikes, Buried City Tours, open-air concerts, and vibrant street celebrations. From the symbolic lighting of the festival flame at the historic Silk Cotton Tree to j’ouvert and the Heritage Feast and St. Patrick’s Day parade, visitors can immerse themselves in Montserrat’s history, music, and traditions while experiencing the warmth of the local community. As the only place outside of Ireland where St. Patrick’s Day is recognized as a national holiday, Montserrat offers a truly unique Caribbean cultural experience.
Calabash Festival (Mid July)
The Calabash Festival celebrates Montserrat’s creativity, culture, music, and community spirit, making it a perfect time for yacht visitors to experience the island’s authentic character. Held annually in July, the festival features local food experiences, cultural showcases, island tours, hikes, boat excursions, live entertainment, and the Produced in Montserrat Expo (P.R.I.M.E.), highlighting the talent and craftsmanship of local entrepreneurs. Visitors can explore the island’s heritage, sample traditional flavours, and connect with the people who make Montserrat such a welcoming and memorable destination.
Cudjoe Head Celebrations (August)
Held during Emancipation Day celebrations, the Cudjoe Head Festival is a vibrant tribute to Montserrat’s African heritage, resilience, and freedom. Yacht visitors can step ashore to experience traditional masquerade performances, steel pan music, cultural displays, local crafts, and community celebrations. Centred around the historic Silk Cotton Tree in the village of Cudjoe Head, the festival offers a meaningful glimpse into Montserrat’s history and the enduring strength of its people.
Montserrat Carnival (Mid December – January 1)
Montserrat Carnival is a lively year-end celebration showcasing the island’s music, creativity, and Caribbean culture. Taking place from mid-December through New Year’s Day, the festival features calypso competitions, masquerade performances, the Festival Queen Competition, and the energetic New Year’s Day Parade. For yacht crews visiting during the holiday season, Carnival provides the perfect opportunity to experience Montserrat’s vibrant spirit, join in the festivities, and celebrate alongside the local community.
Diving & Marine Experiences (Year-Round)
Beyond its dramatic landscapes, Montserrat offers an unforgettable underwater experience for sailors and ocean lovers. The island’s volcanic history has created a unique marine environment where coral communities and sea life continue to thrive, offering opportunities to encounter colourful reef fish, turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks, lobsters, and other marine species. With guided diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding and boat excursions available, yacht visitors can discover the beauty beneath Montserrat’s waters and experience one of the Caribbean’s most untouched marine environments.
See Little Bay - Activities & Attractions, for more things to see and do in Montserrat.
See the full calendar for 26/27 below.
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The best restaurant on Montserrat is Ziggy’s; Marcia and John are delightful, and to the extent that any place on Montserrat is “upscale”, Ziggy’s is it. It is a little hard to find, but they are on Google Maps.
The last time I cleared in, I was told that it was permitted to anchor in Isles Bay, (4.5 miles south of Little Bay), which is a better anchorage in most ways than Little Bay. But the Customs agent told us we were only permitted to leave the boat in Little Bay. That said, I have seen many people come and go off their boats while anchored in Isles Bay. The holding in Isles Bay is excellent, since the bottom is thick mud laid down by ash from the volcano over the last 30 years.
And uf somebody can tell somebody at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (website mvo.ms) that their website does not work, that would be nice (I forgot).
The MVO is a must see, especially for the movie about the eruption.
Montserrat is a lovely green island with nice inhabitants and a history shattered by the volcanic eruption. .
We visited the outskirts of the buried capital, Plymouth, and other parts of the island, with Cecil Wade, +16644922814, who made the visit very interesting and lively.
There is extensive dredging going on in Montserrat, Little Bay as of August 2023, which unsettles the sea floor. That means your anchor won’t hold well, and in addition you may be in the way of a 80m Ro-Ro cargo ship anchoring stern-to to the crumbling wharf, or facing a dredging barge, both prospects being stressful. In addition, two wrecks marked on the map in front of the beach seem to exist.
All the formerit existing moorings for yachts have been removed, as well as those for the local fishermen.
All this makes anchoring in Rendezvous Bay (north), or maybe Carr’s Bay, just south, the only reasonable option. The Cap’t’n alone must dinghy to the wharf for formalities.
Tying the dinghy to the wharf can be done on the south side. This is a rough place, do not go barefeet (customs won’t let you in without shoes and shirt anyway).
We enjoyed our visit at Montserrat.
Visiting the volcanic-buried town of Plymouth was a special experience of a lifetime.
The Montserrat Tourism Division, phone +1664 491 4703, was very helpful in finding a tour guide. We connected with L&Yve’s Tours, phone +16644935031, visit Plymouth and many more. We enjoyed the tour with highly recommended guides.
Free Wifi in the harbour. Try to go during the week as museums and Volcano Observatory are closed not the weekend.
I can recommend the following Tour Guide – Joe Philips. His knowledge of the island and it’s history is extensive and he complements the tour with pictures and videos of the island both before and after the extensive volcano devastation. At the end of the tour he will email a link to some of the information that he has provided. His tours last 3-5 to 4 hours.Contact details are:
Joe Phillip
Box 432
Brades
Montserrat
West Indies
Phone: 1-(664)-492-1565
Email: joephillip@live.com
Marine VHF Channel 08: Avalon