
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