Montserrat is stunning and worth a peak. spend the day touring the exclusion zone - i hired winston a retired police officer with a wealth of knowledge - including the famous hotel seen on youtube.. the phone was recently stolen.., air studio where elton john and stevie wonder recorded ebony and ivory and where elton john met his british wife decades ago..., visit the volcano observatory and hike down to Desert Storm bar for some bush rum.

if you are looking for some down time.. sit and watch the ever changing volcano. no two blinks produce the same results.

the local and expat community are extra friendly.

the island is clean and the water is safe and delicious. stop at the gaunt for a sip... to ensure your return.

hiking trails can be easily found. i hiked up a steep mountain alone and never saw a soul. it was several hours in a meditative state.

i will be back to montserrat soon.

as for activities in barbuda.. do check out the frigate sanctuary. 20000 birds in a 1.5 sq mile area mating. the tour guide was fantastic and we stayed just long enough to get a real feel for the wonders of nature, up close and personal.

the longest caribbean beach, at 17 miles, is found in barbuda, and is where we took the canoe over to the sanctuary.

beaches are quiet and picturesque.

i can't comment on anchoring.... but keep us in the loop.

ps you'll enjoy antigua as well. check out shirley heights on sundays, nelson dockyard and english harbour areas. so much to do and see.

ahhhhhhhhh to be in your shoes....