Area 106 sq km
Highest point Chances Peak 913m
Population about 12,000;
after the eruption around 4,500
Ex Capital Plymouth
Language English
Currency EC$
Political status Self-governing British overseas territory
Distances to nearby islands
Guadeloupe (Deshaies) 32M, Nevis 30M

Note Montserrat’s volcano (Galway’s
Soufrière) resumed activity in 1995 after
being extinct for a long time. The first
eruptions in 1995 required the evacuation
of the S of the island and Plymouth, the
capital. From April 1996 the build-up of
andesite lava created a large dome which,
collapsing in several stages, caused
pyroclastic flows. These successive
outflows and discharges, which are still
going on, were interspersed by explosive
eruptions of which some (as in August
1997) throw tons of ash up to 10,000m in
the air. The events have claimed several
lives and devastated the island’s whole
southern part, burying Plymouth and its
surrounding settlements as far as the
airport. Protected by the massif of Central
Hill, only the N of the island has been
spared. The part of the population from
the afflicted zone that hasn’t left the
island has taken refuge in the N. An
Exclusion Zone has been instituted,
covering the whole S of the island up
to 2M off the shores, to which access
is forbidden. Montserrat Volcano
Observatory follows the evolution of
Galway’s Soufrière so as to keep the
population informed and to issue timely
alerts.

AIRLINE/SEA CONNECTIONS
Gerald’s Aiport, N of St John’s,
✆664 491 6988
Daily flights to Antigua
Ferry service between Little Bay and Antigua

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Calling from abroad: ✆664 + 7 digits
Local call: 7 digits

TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist Office, Brades
✆664 491 2230 Fax 664 491 7430
www.visitmontserrat.com

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
New Year’s day (1 January), St Patrick’s Day (17
March), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour
Day (1st Monday in May), Whit Monday (7th
Monday after Easter), Emancipation Day (1st
Monday in August), Christmas Day (25
December), Boxing Day (26 December), Festival
Day (31 December)

VOLCANO SAFETY INFORMATION
Montserrat Volcano Observatory:
✆664 491 5647 Fax 664 491 2423
www.mvo.ms
Note In case of eruptions, access to the S of the
island may be affected.
See also:
Tourist Office ✆664 491 2230
Radio Montserrat ✆664 491 2885, FM 88.3, 89.5

FORMALITIES
www.eseaclear.com
Little Bay (VHF 16)
Open 0800-1600 Monday to Friday
Overtime: out of hours, weekdays 30$EC,
weekends (approx EC$100)
Fees and taxes
Port dues from EC$35 depending on tonnage.
For visits of less than 72hrs, entry and exit
clearance is done simultaneously.