5 Best Sights in Montserrat

The ravages of volcanic ash and hurricanes are visible at this deserted taupe crescent: a former bird sanctuary and mangrove swamp with denuded tree trunks and the ruin of a former Rotary Club refreshment booth. The beach lacks facilities and shade. Plans perennially call for rebuilding the coastal main road, but for now the only access is via the old Belham Valley Road. After years of being off-limits, it's now listed as Zone C (accessible, but check daily). Amenities: none. Best for: solitude.

Boats chug in and out of the port at the northern end of this otherwise comely crescent with calm waters. Several beach bars—Pont's (fine cheap local lunch Tuesday through Sunday), Soca Cabana, Seaside and Sylvia's—provide cool shade and cooler drinks. Carlton's Fish Net Bar specializes in barbecued stuffed trunkfish (a shellfish delicacy). A number of bars and restaurants were recently built in the adjacent section dubbed Marine Village, including Monty’s Bar and Montserrat Island Dive Centre. You may see locals casting lines for their own dinner. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming.

Follow the yellowing signs to Old Towne's Vue Pointe Hotel to reach this mile-long, pearl-gray beauty, a favorite swimming beach that has expanded greatly thanks to volcanic flow. There's little shade, but now that the Vue Pointe has reopened on a limited basis, the restaurant offers lunch most days. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

The island's sole white-sand beach is a perfect cove tucked under a forested cliff whose calm, unspoiled waters are ideal for swimming and offer remarkable snorkeling. It's accessible only via the sea or a steep trail that runs over the bluff to adjacent Little Bay (you can also negotiate boat rides from the fishermen who congregate there). There are no regular facilities or shade, but its very remoteness and pristine reef teeming with marine life lend it exceptional charm. Quan Jo Boat Tours & Camping offers Sunday beach activities, including boat rides and snorkeling, as well as food, music, and tents for shade. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.

The only drawback to this secluded strand is the occasionally rough surf (children should be closely monitored). The breezy but covered picnic area on the cliff is one of the best vantage points to watch migratory humpback whales in spring and nesting green and hawksbill turtles in early fall. From here, you can hike north, then down across a wooden bridge to even less trammeled Bunkum Bay, which has a friendly guesthouse and beach bar. Amenities: restrooms. Best for: solitude; surfing.