Plymouth, Montserrat

The deserted city of Plymouth is situated on the Caribbean island of Montserrat that was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. The story of the place is very tragic. The reason for its depopulation is an ecological disaster, which was caused by the eruption of Soufriere Hills volcano. It happened in 1995. The eruption was so heavy, that streets of the once picturesque and bustling town were covered with half-meter of ash.

Even now, a significant part of Plymouth streets are completely covered with ashes. It’s hardly possible to distinguish houses and car roofs in grey landscapes. Before the disaster, Plymouth was a thriving tourist town. Today, there is no hope for its revival. Luckily, residents were notified about the eruption of the volcano in advance. Virtually all of them were safely evacuated to the northern part of the island. It was managed to avoid massive human victims.

However, some citizens have refused to leave their homes, even on pain of death. According to official figures, before the tragedy, the population of the town was about 4 000 people; 19 residents died in the eruption. Currently, about 80% of the city is literally cemented in pyroclastic material. There are several streets where it’s still possible to walk. They attract fans of the unusual entertainment. Tourists have an opportunity to look into empty houses, where furnishings remain unchanged for almost 20 years. You can look at streets hidden under a layer of ashes, which were very lively until recently. Next - Chateau Miranda