The Hermitage sits at the top of Mount Alvernia — the highest point in the Bahamas at a distinctly un-mountainous 63 metres — and is Cat Island's most visited sight. The stone hermitage was built by Father Jerome Hawes, an architect-turned-priest who spent decades on Cat Island and designed several churches around the Bahamas. The hermitage itself is miniature: a tiny chapel, a bell tower, and a few small rooms, all hand-built from local limestone and fitted with carved religious imagery.
The walk up from the road takes about 20 minutes on a clear path, with the Stations of the Cross carved into stone markers along the way. At the top, the views extend across the island's narrow width in both directions — the turquoise shallows of the Bight to the west and the deeper blue of the Atlantic to the east. On a clear day you can see the whole island from north to south. The hermitage is a peaceful and slightly strange place, well worth the climb.