Lava domes
On the summit.
Patrick Hawks — CC BY 3.0 · Gunthram at German Wikipedia — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pat Hawks — CC BY 3.0 · Godot13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Patrick Hawks — CC BY 3.0
Soufrière Hills is an active complex volcano crowned by lava domes in the south of the Caribbean island of Montserrat, about 10 km in a straight line south-east of Brades. Its French name means «sulphur outlet», a name shared by several Caribbean volcanoes. The volcano lay quiet for centuries, then reawakened on 18 July 1995; its eruptions continued until 2010, with a last eruption in 2013. They reshaped the island: more than half of it became uninhabitable, the capital Plymouth was buried, and about two-thirds of the population left. Today visitors view the volcano from lookouts in the north and centre of the island, including the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, which monitors its activity. From there you see the grey summit under cloud, broad valleys of ash and rock swept to the sea by volcanic flows, the remains of the old airport, and green hills at the edges. The volcano lies inside an Exclusion Zone that can only be entered on authorised tours. Check the official hazard level before visiting; mornings are clearest for seeing the summit before cloud covers it.
On the summit.
Down to the sea.
Views and information.
Southern Montserrat
Only on authorised tours into the Exclusion Zone.
From lookouts in the north and centre, including the Observatory.