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Top 5 Montserrat Beaches

By , About.com Guide

From secluded black-sand hideaways to strips lined with snack stands and historic monuments, Montserrat has a beach to suit almost any desire.

Woodlands Beach

© Bob Curley
A popular picnic spot, Woodlands Beach has a covered clifftop picnic area overlooking clear blue waters. The black-sand beach, evidence of the island's volcanic origins, is easily accessible and rarely crowded.

Rendezvous Bay

© Bob Curley
Montserrat's only white-sand beach is only accessible by boat or a rugged hike (but remember that a refreshing plunge is your reward at the end!). There's excellent swimming, snorkeling, and diving in the pristine bay.

Little Bay

© Bob Curley
You can watch boats coming in and out of the Little Bay Port at the northern end of the popular swimming spot, with beach bars located nearby for a drink or snack.

Carr's Bay

This beautiful black-sand beach is a hotspot for history lovers as well as sunbathers: a ruined fort still has cannons pointing out at sea, and the island's War Memorial and a model of the Plymouth Clock Tower---a victim of the Soufrière Hills volcanic eruption in the 1990s. Snorkelers can explore giant underwater boulders and reefs at the south end of the beach.

Old Road Beach

Volcanic mud flows have made this popular swimming beach a place to marvel at the earth's power, but a sandy beach remains attractive as well. The mudflows have moved the shoreline so far that a former jetty is now landlocked on the beach. The informal but very popular Jumping Jack's Beach Bar is nearby.

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