Little Bay, Montserrat

Montserrat is the Caribbean island that time — and a volcano — almost forgot. In 1995, the Soufriere Hills volcano roared back to life, and over the following years its pyroclastic flows buried the capital city of Plymouth under metres of ash, rendering the southern two-thirds of the island an exclusion zone. Today, Montserrat is one of the most extraordinary destinations in the Lesser Antilles: a place where a vibrant, resilient community has rebuilt itself in the north, while the ghostly ruins of Plymouth — sometimes called the "Pompeii of the Caribbean" — remain frozen in volcanic time.

Little Bay, on the northwestern coast, has emerged as Montserrat's new hub. The town is modest, but the warmth of the Montserratian people more than compensates. This is a British Overseas Territory with an Irish soul: African slaves brought by Irish Catholic settlers in the seventeenth century created a unique Afro-Irish culture that survives in surnames like Sweeney and Riley, in the shamrock on the island's crest, and in the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Montserrat's cuisine is hearty Caribbean fare. Goat water — a thick, spiced stew — is the national dish. Fresh fish appears grilled, stewed, or as coconut-milk soup. Rum punch, made with the island's own rum and seasonal fruit, accompanies every sunset.

The northern part of Montserrat is a lush landscape of rainforest, hot springs, and hiking trails. The Centre Hills harbour the endemic Montserrat oriole. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory provides riveting scientific briefings. Boat tours along the exclusion zone's coastline reveal the partially buried ruins of Plymouth from the sea.

Little Bay is a port of call for Emerald Yacht Cruises, Explora Journeys, Seabourn, and Silversea. The best time to visit is December through May, when dry weather brings the best volcano views.