The name Liamuiga (say it: lee-ah-MOO-ee-gah) comes from the language of the Kalinago people who lived on the island long before anyone else. It means 'fertile land', because the rich volcanic soil around the mountain is perfect for growing plants. The whole hillside is wrapped in lush green jungle full of birds and butterflies.
Hikers who climb Mount Liamuiga walk through layers of rainforest that get quieter and mistier the higher they go. Near the top, the trees become shorter and tangled by wind. Then, peering over the crater rim, they see the still, greenish water of the crater lake far below — one of the most surprising sights on the island.
The volcano last erupted a very long time ago, so scientists keep a careful eye on it but it is not dangerous right now. Because the soil is so rich from old volcanic ash, farmers on Saint Kitts have always been able to grow wonderful things here. Sugarcane used to cover the slopes, and today you can still find mango, papaya and breadfruit trees growing wild.
Vervet monkeys — small, cheeky, grey-green monkeys — live all over the rainforest slopes. They were brought to the island hundreds of years ago and now roam freely. Visitors hiking up sometimes spot them leaping through the canopy overhead.