Eat a hearty breakfast then hike up the stone staircase of 206-foot Como Hill to Mt. Alvernia Hermitage on Mount Alvernia, the highest point in The Bahamas. This small stone monastery, is at the peak and is worth the trek up this steep rocking incline, as well as the awe-inspiring view.The Hermitage is a medieval monastery that was built on Cat Island by a Roman Catholic priest in 1939. Monsignor John Hawes, known by Cat Islanders as Father Jerome, was a skilled architect and sculptor. A self-described contemplative, he built it so that he could get away from the world. Father Jerome chose Como Hill, the highest point in The Islands of The Bahamas at 206 feet, as the site for his project, an obvious choice with its beautiful 360-degree view around the lush island. Hiking up the hill to the monastery, visitors can see his beautiful and detailed hand-carved stone relief's of the Stations of the Cross. An admirer of St. Francis of Assisi, Father Jerome called the getaway Mount Alvernia, after a mountain in Tuscany that was given to Assisi as a place where he could peacefully contemplate. Father Jerome is also known for building cathedrals and convents throughout The Bahamas. He died in 1956 and is said to be buried somewhere on the site of the Hermitage.