Montserrat is located in the Caribbean, about 80 kilometres southwest of Antigua. The island consists of 4 main mountain ranges: the Silver, Central, Soufriere and Southern Soufriere hills. Montserrat is known as the emerald island of the Caribbean, it has abundant deserted beaches and hiking trails, a blue horizon and white beaches. In June 1995, however, the Montserrat volcano erupted and devastated the island. Prior to this event, Montserrat was the favourite resort for movie stars and other individuals seeking privacy. Since the volcanic eruption, Montserrat has lost two thirds of its 12,000 inhabitants who lived on the island. Meanwhile, the island is being rebuilt gently with a new capital, new airports, but half of the island remains closed to visits. At the same time Montserrat is affordable with good restaurants, secluded and romantic beaches and excellent dive sites.

History
English Irish settlers from St Kitts settled first in 1632, the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The English and French fought for possession of the island much of the 18th century but Montserrat finally became a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar cane plantation economy was converted to small farms in the mid-19th century. The majority of the island and two thirds of the population fled following the eruption of the Soufriere volcano which began on 18 July 1995. Since then, Montserrat has experienced more or less regular seismic activity with the last eruption in July 2003.

Culture
Montserrat is the result of a mixture of Irish, African and Caribbean heritage. It is the only island in the Caribbean that still retains St. Patrick's Day as an official holiday with its musical concerts, masquerades and other traditional activities.

To see
The volcano is the star attraction and can be most easily seen from the Montserrat Observatory. Excursions are led by scientists several days a week. The ruins of Plymouth are now a ghost town buried under a blanket of ashes. During the day, you can access this former capital under police escort and arranged through hotels or the tourist office. Volcanic activity continues intermittently but the northern third of Montserrat remains a safe ground and the volcano continues to be monitored at all hours by a team of scientists who warn the current 4700 residents of mother nature's mood swings. Montserrat also offers other traditional Caribbean activities. Most beaches are black sand varieties but the tan-coloured Rendezvous Bay beach is accessible by a trail or by renting a boat. Lime Kiln Bay is a great place for snorkelling but there are also other good dive sites. A network of hiking trails access tropical forests, ancient banana plantations and views from cliffs overlooking the sea. In short, Montserrat is an extraordinary holiday destination. The eruption of the Soufriere volcano in the south of the island to lead to evacuations and relocation of its residents beyond the exclusion zone. This part of Montserrat is dangerous and it is also illegal to enter.