Cat Island is 48 miles long, largely undeveloped, and home to fewer than 1,500 permanent residents. It has an eight-mile pink sand beach, bonefishing flats, and a reef on its western edge. But what makes Cat Island singular is what sits on top of its highest hill: a hand-built stone monastery constructed by a single Catholic priest on what is simultaneously the highest point in all of The Bahamas.
The Bahamas is a flat archipelago. Eighty percent of its land sits less than three feet above sea level. Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, formerly called Como Hill, reaches 206 feet above sea level, making it the highest natural point in the entire country.
The Hermitage
Father Jerome, formally Monsignor John Hawes, an English-born architect and Catholic priest, arrived on Cat Island in 1939. He purchased the summit of Como Hill, renamed it Mount Alvernia after the Tuscan hill given to Saint Francis of Assisi, and spent the remainder of his life building a small stone monastery by hand using local materials.
The Hermitage includes a chapel, a bell tower, a living quarters, and hand-carved stone Stations of the Cross along the path to the summit. Every stone was hauled up the hill by Father Jerome and local laborers. The chapel is barely large enough for one person. The bell tower is perhaps 13 feet tall. The structure reads as a medieval monastery in miniature, correct in every architectural proportion, just compressed to the scale of a house. Father Jerome was buried here in 1956 in a simple tomb he prepared for himself.
The hike takes 15 to 30 minutes. The path is steep, rocky, and fully exposed to the sun. At the top, the view is 360 degrees: Atlantic to the east, Bahamian bank to the west, the green interior of Cat Island in both directions. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the Bahamas.
Getting to Cat Island
Bahamasair flies from Nassau to New Bight Airport in approximately 45 minutes. Round-trip airfare runs $130 to $180 USD. New Bight is the most convenient arrival point, as Mount Alvernia sits directly above the town and is visible from the road. For current flight schedules, Bahamasair handles most Out Island routes from Nassau. For official Cat Island travel information, bahamas.com has current details on attractions and transport.
What to Do Beyond the Hermitage
Fernandez Bay Beach, a few miles from New Bight, is among the best on the island, with calm water, white sand, and almost no development. Fernandez Bay Village allows day visitors and has a restaurant for lunch. The Fish Fry at New Bight serves fresh conch, fish, and rice, the best Bahamian lunch option before or after the hike. Armbrister Creek just south of New Bight flows into Boiling Hole, a blue hole-like tidal lake with rays and juvenile sharks, accessible from the road.
Planning the Full Day
Morning flight to New Bight, taxi to Mount Alvernia, hike to the Hermitage and back (one hour including time at the top), lunch at the Fish Fry, afternoon at Fernandez Bay Beach, late afternoon flight to Nassau. This covers the best of Cat Island in a single day. For the wider context on Out Island day trips, the Best Day Trips from Nassau guide covers logistics and timing for several islands including Cat Island. For couples considering it as a romantic destination, the Bahamas Honeymoon Guide includes Cat Island alongside other Out Island options.
Cat Island has no tourist infrastructure in the conventional sense, no resort strip, no chain restaurants, no organized excursion industry. What it has is one of the strangest landmarks in the Bahamas, a genuinely beautiful beach, and the quietest version of island life within an hour of Nassau.
Practical Notes
Wear proper footwear, as the path is steep and uneven rock. Bring water and sunscreen. No entry fee for the Hermitage but a donation box at the base is worth using. Cat Island runs primarily on cash.
FAQ
How high is Mount Alvernia? 206 feet, the highest natural point in The Bahamas.
Who built the Hermitage? Father Jerome (Monsignor John Hawes) built it by hand in 1939 and was buried there in 1956.
How long does the hike take? 15 to 30 minutes. The path is steep and rocky, wear shoes with grip.
How do I get to Cat Island from Nassau? Bahamasair flies to New Bight in approximately 45 minutes. Round-trip airfare runs $130 to $180 USD.
