A Caribbean Treasure - Spectacular by Nature!

Long known as the Caribbean’s Emerald Isle for its Irish heritage and lush rainforests, Montserrat welcomes visitors with a green shamrock-shaped stamp in their passport. In fact Montserrat is the only Caribbean island that observes St. Patrick’s Day as an official holiday, with musical concerts, masquerades and other traditional activities.

The Volcano Is The Star Attraction...

Most easily viewed from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. Tours are conducted by scientists several days a week. The ruins of Plymouth are today a ghost town under a blanket of ash. Daytime access to the former capital is possible with a police escort, arranged through hotels or the tourist office.

Volcanic activity continues on and off, but Montserrat’s northern third remains a safe landing, with the volcano monitored round-the-clock by a team of scientists that keep the island’s current 4,700 residents aware of Mother Nature’s inner rumblings. In summary, Montserrat makes for an unusual holiday.

Montserrat also offers many of the Caribbean’s traditional activities. Most of the beaches are of the blacksand variety, but tawny Rendezvous Bay can be reached by a trail over a bluff or by hiring a boat. Lime Kiln Bay is a prime snorkeling location, and there’s also good diving. An expanding network of hiking trails accesses rainforests, old banana plantations and views from sea cliffs. Local forest rangers help visitors track the threatened Montserrat oriole, the national bird, and other rare species.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES:
Fly into the new airport at Geralds on scheduled services or charter operations. Several direct daily return flights from Antigua and St. Maarten on the carrier WinAir connect Montserrat with the rest of the Caribbean, North America and Europe. Charters are also available on Air Montserrat, Carib Aviation and Caribbean Helicopters also provide charters.

AIRPORT/GATEWAYS:
Canadian & US Gateways: From North America – Air Canada, American Airlines (via San Juan), Caribbean Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta and US Airways offer direct flights to Antigua and St. Maarten.

Other Gateways:
From Europe and the Caribbean – Air France, American Eagle, British Airways, BMI, Caribbean Airlines, Caribbean Star, Condor, LIAT and Virgin Atlantic provide services to Antigua and St. Maarten.

Gateways/Flying Times:
From Baltimore-3 hours. Boston-3 hours 40 minutes. Chicago-3 hours 45 minutes. Dallas-3 hours 20 minutes. Los Angeles-5 hours 30 minutes. Miami-1hour 25 minutes. Montego Bay from Atlanta-2 hours 40 minutes. New Orleans-3 hours. New York-3 hours 20 minutes. Toronto-4 hours.

CLIMATE:
Winter and summer temperatures average between 24 and 32 Celsius (76 to 88° F). with constant breezes from the sea and mountains. The annual rainfall is about 1,250-2,000 mm or 50-80 inches, well distributed throughout the year, with a wetter season from July to November.

DINING:
There are a handful of full service restaurants and a number of small welcoming eateries that serve hot tasty meals using locally grown produce and herbs - anything from lobster burgers, freshly grilled fish and saltfish (salted cod) with ground provision to pastas and fresh salads. If you really want to ‘go local’, ask for a sample of ‘Mountain Chicken’ better known as Frogs Legs, or Goat Water, the traditional national dish, a thick tasty stew with chunks of goat meat, eaten hot with a crusty bread roll.

LANGUAGE:
English is the official language, which is often spoken with an Irish brogue, a heritage left by the early Irish settlers.

NIGHTLIFE:
There are some small nightclubs and a host of roadside bars, better known as “rum shops”, where people gather informally to hang out or “lime”, have a drink and perhaps relax over a game of dominoes, especially on Friday nights. With limited evening culture. There is no closing time and most bars stay open “until...”Salem, St. John’s, Cudjoe Head, Davy Hill and Festival Village in Little Bay are home to many of these bars.

SIGHTSEEING:
Volcano Watching:
The magnificent (and still active) Soufriere Hills Volcano is the island’s stellar attraction, and the only live volcano in the Caribbean that you can observe at close quarters in safety. After centuries of lying dormant the volcano rumbled to life in 1995 and buried the capital of Plymouth lying in its foothills, reducing the once-vibrant city to a deserted shell - the Caribbean’s own version of a modern day Pompeii.

Diving/Snorkeling:
For snorkelers and divers, the coral reefs on Montserrat’s North West Coast offers a variety of tropical fish and other exotic undersea life. Among the more spectacular dive sites are Little Redonda, a rock that reaches the surface from a depth of about 80 feet; the Pinnacles on the northeast corner of the island; and Yellow Hole, south of the Pinnacles, where there is the wreck of the 19th century steel schooner which sank in 1886.

Nature and Adventure:
The lush, forest Centre Hills is renowned for its biological diversity. The moist rainforest is home to many species of wildlife and most of the 34 species of resident land birds and migrant songbirds that inhabit the area. Birdwatchers will delight in a chance to spot Montserrat’s rare national bird, the Montserrat oriole, as well as the forest thrush; the shy bridled quail dove, the mangrove cuckoo, the trembler and purple throated carib. Other regional endemic species that may be found are the mountain chicken, which is actually a type of frog, and the galliwasp, which is half-snake, half-lizard.

Hiking:
There are numerous hiking trails through the lush vegetation that offers stunning views of land, sea and coastline. Biking: is another great way to discover the island’s hidden charms. Cycle along at your own pace, admiring the breathtaking views of the ocean, and the dramatic sweep of green hills, which many visitors say are very much like the Irish countryside.

****** WEDDING REQUIREMENTS IN MONTSERRAT ******

MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS:

For persons wishing to marry in Montserrat, there are three certificates, which can be granted before the marriage can be performed:
The special or Governor’s Licence,
Certificates of due publication of banns and the Registrar General’s certificate.
A minimum stay of three working days in Montserrat is required before application can be made to obtain a special or Governor’s Marriage Licence. This licence is the most appealing to most visitors as it does not entail an extended waiting period. Banns however, must be published for three Sundays before the certificate is issued, while for the Registrar’s certificate; a notice has to be posted for twenty-one days. Application for the special or Governor’s licence is made through the Department of Administration.

Applicants must have the following documents:

(a) Marriage Application Form (issued by the Department of Administration),
(b) Passports of both parties, Original Absolute Divorce Decree (if divorced), Original Death
(c) Certificate of deceased spouse (if widowed),
(d) Non-Marriage Certificate (if applicable).
These must all be ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS and must be presented when the application form is submitted.
• All applicants under the age of eighteen years would need written parental consent for the marriage to take place.
• No blood test or medical certificate is required.
• Any documents presented in any language apart from English must be presented with a certified translation into the English language.
• Processing of the application takes approximately three working days to one week.
• The cost of the licence is EC$ 200.00, which must be paid in Montserrat stamps.

The Application Form is obtainable in Montserrat but may be sent to the applicant in advance. Applicants must complete the form and have it certified before submission.  Applications must state when they wish to be married, the type of ceremony, i.e. religious or civil, and the venue, if they choose a civil ceremony (i.e. performed by the Registrar). Persons wishing to marry in Montserrat by special or Governor’s licence should contact the Department of Administration soon after their arrival on island so that they can be properly advised.

Civil Ceremony:
If the couple should choose to be married in a civil ceremony, the Registrar will perform the ceremony. Enquiries can be made at the Registrar’s Office, Government Headquarters, Brades, Montserrat. A Marriage may be performed by the Registrar-General between the hours of ten in the morning and three in the afternoon. The Registrar or the Marriage Officer will decide whether an interpreter is necessary. The couple will then be issued with a duplicate copy of the registration. The official certificate can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office within one week of the ceremony.

A copy of the signed registration of marriage is given to the couple after the ceremony, but the official marriage certificate must be obtained at the Registry at a fee of $20.00, in Montserrat stamps. Please ensure that you get your certificate before leaving the island.

Religious Ceremony:
• The major religions on the island (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, etc) all require that the couple receive several hours of religious marriage counselling- for some religions up to at least three months of counselling. In some cases this counselling may preferably be done in the couple’s hometown but permission to do so should be sought. Also, all necessary documentation certifying that a properly ordained Minister of Religion has done the required counselling must be submitted. In the case of the Roman Catholic, this communication must be from Bishop to Bishop. A donation may be offered to the church if you desire.

• Many churches also prefer not to marry divorced persons, but as an alternative, the Registrar can perform a civil ceremony. If you wish to be married by a Minister of Religion, you are advised to make these necessary queries to clarify all this pertinent information. A Marriage may be performed by a Marriage Officer between the hours of six in the morning and eight in the evening.

• All mail should be directed to, and enquiries made at the Department of Administration, Government Headquarters, Brades, Montserrat, West Indies. The Department’s hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm. Enquiries can also be made at the Tourist Board, P.O. Box 7, Brades, Montserrat, West Indies, Phone (664) 491 2230 /8730, Fax (664) 491 7430 or by e-mail at mrattouristboard@candw.ms

Please Note: Wedding requirements above are for information purposes only and may be out of date as of this print. Only use this information on this page as a guideline, and for more current and up to date information, please contact the countries Consular Affairs, Embassy, or the countries Tourism Bureau.