Martinique: Saint Pierre
Saint Pierre was founded in 1635, and rapidly became the most important town in the French Carribean, know as the “Paris of the Caribbean”. Alas, the stratovolcano of Mount Pele exploded violently in 1902, raining golden rocks and toxic hot ash on the former Martinique capital of Saint Pierre located at its foothills. This is known as the worst volcanic eruption of the 20th century. All 30,000 or so residents were killed almost instantly, except three (a prisoner in a deep underground dungeon, a farmer on the outskirts of the town, and a young girl who hid in a sea cave – the latter two suffered severe burns). The town was completely destroyed. It’s been rebuilt since, but the capital was moved south to Fort-de-France. St Pierre is now a beautiful town with a spectacular black sand beachfront and a grand volcano looming in the background.
