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 MVO staff no longer offers tours that explain monitoring techniques on sophisticated computerized equipment in riveting detail. But you can see graphic photos, artifacts like rock and ash, and diagrams that describe the various pyroclastic surge deposits. The Interpretation Center screens a high-impact film with IMAX footage.

Montserrat's former capital had been off-limits to general tourists because of volcanic activity since the 2006 dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills volcano. Before that, the adventuresome could stroll its streets, albeit at their own risk; the situation has changed with the volcano's relative quiescence, but entry is still somewhat limited. Many cabbies and tour operators, who have undergone basic safety training, can arrange escorted tours with advance clearance from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (the price varies). Once one of the Caribbean's loveliest towns, facing the vividly hued sea, it 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). There is a hazard allowance of EC$150.