2 Best Sights in Montserrat

The island's must-see sight occupies capacious, strikingly postmodern quarters with stunning vistas of the Soufrière Hills volcano—a lunarscape encircled by brilliant green—and Plymouth in the distance. Unfortunately, the Monserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) staff no longer offers tours that detail how monitoring is conducted using sophisticated computer equipment. You can, however, see photos, rock and ash samples, and diagrams that describe the various pyroclastic surge deposits. In addition, the Interpretation Center screens a high-impact film with IMAX footage.

Once one of the Caribbean's loveliest towns, facing the vividly hued sea, Plymouth now resembles a dust-covered lunarscape, with elegant Georgian buildings buried beneath several feet of ash, mud, and rubble, though rain is slowly washing layers away. Years after the 1995 volcanic devastation, the adventuresome could stroll its streets, albeit at their own risk. After the 2006 dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills volcano, however, the town was once again off-limits to general tourists. The status has changed yet again owing to the volcano's relative quiescence, but entry is still somewhat limited.

Cabbies and tour operators who have undergone basic safety training can take you on escorted tours with advance clearance from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. There is an EC$160 fee for each tour, and a list of certified tour operators is available on  www.visitmontserrat.com. Payments and application forms, which must be submitted 24 hours in advance of the tour, are handled by the operators.