Ravaged by volcanos and hurricanes, Montserrat is perhaps the most tortured of all the Caribbean Islands. It was once a famed rest and relaxation destination, known for its rugged beaches and salty waves on the windward side of the Leewards. But in 1995, the volcano called Soufrière Hills that dominates the island with a peak of nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, began erupting, thus ending centuries of dormancy. The lava and ash plumes made Montserrat a modern-day Pompeii, bathing its curiously Irish-influenced capital at Plymouth in meters of rock and dust. Montserrat tour guides today make the formidable volcano that wreaked such destruction their main attraction, with treks to lookout points like Jack Boy Hill and the Centre Hills one of the top draws on the menu. There’s still a colossal volcano exclusion zone though on the island’s southern side, marking where it’s considered unsafe to venture. However, Soufrière Hills is closely monitored, and local life is taking hold below its peak once more, between the beautiful cliffs of Little Bay and with the occasional clutch of surfers and scuba divers in the shoreline seas.