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Once upon a time, not too long ago, a distant and beautiful island discovered by the most daring navigator of all time: Christopher Columbus in 1493. This strip of land, located in the Caribbean Sea, immediately fascinated the English aristocrats of the Georgian era, who chose to settle here.
Montserrat, an island in the Lesser Antilles, and a territory of the United Kingdom, he chose Plymouth as its capital and life began here for many colonists. At that time, however, perhaps overshadowed by the charm of this earthly paradise, the new inhabitants of the island did not take an important detail into consideration: the presence of a giant volcano.
Of course, the fact that the Soufrière Hills volcano had been asleep for centuries must have reassured the new inhabitants of Montserrat. And for a long time, that atmosphere of peace and tranquility that characterized this earthly paradise remained so, at least until July 18, 1995.
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That was the day the great volcano awoke, in all its power, destroying a large part of the island. Plymouth, the capital, was completely submerged by rivers of incandescent lava. Most of the population has left the island, while those who have chosen to stay have confined themselves in the northern part of Montserrat.
Plymouth is today considered the modern one Pompeii of the Caribbean. What was the liveliest area of the whole island is now always a lunar-looking plain, fascinating and evocative. But in reality, under those craters and those ashes, the history of a population is preserved.
The images of Caribbean Pompeii show the desolate landscape of what is a ghost city. You can see the roofs of some submerged buildings emerging from the ashes, such as that of a cathedral and the former governor's residence. There is also the roof of the former courthouse. Still standing, and rather battered, is Plymouth's Coconut Hill Hotel, the oldest hotel on the island built in 1908.
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The eruptions that have continued over the years have made the completely uninhabitable territory. Although the crater and ruins of Plymouth are considered very fascinating by travellers, the area is often off limits due to the activities of the volcano which is constantly monitored.
Even the citizens of what was once the island's capital occasionally return to the ghost town. They do it to visit the ruins of their homes, to find some forgotten object, but above all to honor the memory of those who are no longer here.
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