Montserrat (UK) - Plymouth
"Modern Day Pompeii" in Caribbean.
Exclusion Zone also called Zone V
Eruptions destroyed Montserrat's Georgian era capital city of Plymouth. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's population was forced to flee to UK or others islands, leaving fewer than 1,200 people on the island. The city of Plymouth and the entire south of the island are in Zone V (like Volcano) and called the Exclusion Zone. The access to this area is strictly managed to ensure safe and rapid evacuation, should there be volcanic activity. Visits require absolutely the police permission and the company of an authorized tour guide. Relatively quiet since early 2010, the volcano continues to be closely monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO). It is one of the most studied volcano in the world and Plymouth is regarded as a 'Modern Day Pompeii' in the Caribbean.
BEST TIME to VISIT
MONTSERRAT
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to PLYMOUTH
from January to mid April
Zone V - a church is abandoned and surrounded by a thick vegetation
the policeman opens the gate to enter Zone V - it's very restricted and the guide is in radio contact with the Observatory to react quickly in case of volcanic activity.
Zone V - Plymouth was built too closed to the volcano
Zone V - shop surrounded by vegetation
Zone V - the Road to Plymouth is made of ashes
Zone V - This house almost disappears in the lush vegetation
Zone V - Plymouth - these big boulders were brought by the volcano eruption
Zone V - Plymouth - The city was built at the bottom of the volcano and was completely destroyed by eruptions and pyroclastic flows
Zone V - house - the glass and metals were distorted by heat during eruptions
Zone V - Plymouth - destroyed concrete building
Zone V - Plymouth - the old sugar mill resisted better than concrete buildings
Zone V - Plymouth - the size of the boulders is impressive compared to the size of the houses
Zone V - Plymouth - Mother Nature is taking its rights
Zone V - Plymouth - the church was also destroyed
MVO : picture of the volcano seen from the Observatory with comments. The Observatory is outside of the Exclusion Zone and has a view on the volcano.
Zone V - Plymouth - Terrific view of the abandoned city
Zone V - Plymouth - Destroyed buidings on the slopes of the volcano
Zone V - Plymouth - Our guide had the picture of the place before : it was the pool of a luxery hotel
Zone V - Plymouth - the Reception desk of a hotel - Everything was abandoned
Zone V - Plymouth - an accounting book was left in the hotel
Zone V - Plymouth - Our guide had the picture of the place before : it was the pool of a luxery hotel
Zone V - Plymouth - Room in a hotel
Zone V - Plymouth - an armchair and a book left in a house
Zone V - Plymouth - Books abandoned in a house
Zone V - Plymouth - the furniture is still in the house. Most of the people left in rush without their furniture
Zone V - Plymouth - the kitchen of a house - Everything was left inside.
Zone V - Plymouth - Destroyed house - Almost everything was left inside
Paintings of the Plymouth destroyed building in tne new city
The volcano is located further south behind this mountain
Zone V - the old airport was located in this area. The size of the island increases with the eruptions. Here you can see a new land gained on the sea.
Zone V - Road to Plymouth
Zone V - Landscape
Bird's eye on Montserrat island. Volcano is at the left
Bird's eye on the volcano
Bird's eye on Montserrat island - The flight is arriving at the northern part
Zone V - View of the volcano
Zone V - Plymouth - Many storeys of this building are buried and we can just see the top floors.
Zone V - Plymouth - Destroyed building and the volcano
Zone V - Plymouth - Overview