Most people who go to the Bahamas are not thinking about going higher than ten feet above the white-sand beaches, but that is exactly what Cat Island can provide. It has the highest point in the entire island nation; Mount Alvernia rises to a grand two hundred and six feet. While this does not exactly make it a monster as far as mountains are concerned, it does give Cat Island a bit more character than any other island in the Bahamas. There is a historic appeal to the site as well. The Hermitage Monastery sits on the top of the rise, having been built there by Brother Jerome.
The historic feel of the place does not stop with the monastery and the mountain, however. There is a lot of heritage to the island, a lot more than just beaches, sand, and tropical resorts -- though Cat Island has those as well, if that is what a traveler is looking for. The sense of history is tied to the United States since the first people of European heritage to settle on Cat Island were those who had fled during the American Revolution. They were loyal to the British Empire and sought a safe haven where they would not be killed in the war.
Money on the island has come in the past from cotton plantations. The evidence of these can still be seen today, offering places to explore for those who have come to the island and want to see a bit of what it was like in days that are now long over. What it left of Armbrister Plantation is a popular site for tourists who want to see all that remains of what was once a strong and vibrant way of life. This is located near a river of the same name, a river that can still be seen rolling along even though the plantation is no longer in use.
Today, farming is the main way of the life for the people who live on Cat Island. The population is less than two thousand, so there is enough land for this to work without massive overcrowding. There is also a fair amount of money to be made in tourism, either running little shops and restaurants or working at the Caribbean beach-side resorts where people love to come and stay. The combination is what keeps the economy of Cat Island going strong year after year.
There are two different airports providing service to the island -- the first is New Bright Airport and the second is Author's Town Airport. While neither airport is huge, nothing like a mainland airport, both are plenty large enough to accommodate the flights that come in every day from all across the world. It is also a short hop to the other islands if a person wants to fly around and see the rest of the Bahamas -- or if a person is staying somewhere else and wants to come to Cat Island for the day.
