Montserrat

Why Montserrat is special
Montserrat is famous for its active Soufriere Hills volcano.

Montserrat is a star-crossed island
Devastation
Hurricane Hugo severely damaged Montserrat in 1989 and volcanic eruptions in 1995 and 1997 devastated most of the lower two-thirds of this tiny island. Those eruptions (and the threat of new ones) make that area uninhabitable.

Little Pompeii
The volcanic eruptions semi-buried Plymouth, the capital city. Today it's a ghost town. Government offices were moved to the St John and Little Bay areas.

Best view of island
Montserrat Volcano Observatory
It has the best vantage point for seeing the Soufriere Hills volcano. The site also shows an educational film on the eruptions.

Garibaldi Hills and Jack Boy Hill offer interesting views of other volcano-damaged areas.

Tourism today
Why most visitors come
They travel to this British Overseas Territory to see the Soufriere Hills volcano firsthand. This is done at a safe distance.

More Montserrat tips & insights
Population drop
Montserrat once has 12,000 residents. About 7,000 settled elsewhere after the volcanic eruptions. Some are now drifting back to their homeland island.

Exclusion Zone
The lower portion of Montserrat has been declared an Exclusion Zone (see map). For safety's sake, few visitors are prohibited in this area (exceptions include scientific and military purposes).

Daytrippers
Many tourists come for the day by air or sea from nearby Antigua. Some tour agencies sell helicopter sightseeing rides to give you a close-up view of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Plymouth city, and other landmarks.

Location Map