Saint Pierre in the north of Martinique was a very interesting place not only for its spectacular sunsets! We will definitely return as we have unfinished business.... there are a number of shipwrecks in the harbour which we would like to dive on. Why so many shipwrecks in a safe anchorage??? ... read on....
Below is Mont Pelle, a world famous volcano. The town of St Pierre is at its foot.
In 1902 the whole population of 30,000 was wiped out in a blast from the volcano that had as much power as a number of Hiroshima bombs. No survivors except for 1 - someone in a cell, in jail, awaiting trial for murder. He was subequently let off as there were no judges, jurors, police, people....
Very eerie looking at a whole town that was destroyed catastrophically in 3 minutes of 1 day. We saw a number of these chairs dotted around one particular set of ruins. They were chairs used to restrain patients at the mental sanatorium - or lunatic asylum. We can guarantee that at least 1 person ended their life strapped in one of these.
Today St Pierre has a population of about 5000. Much less than at it's hey day. The town has retained the character of the period by restricting the type of construction allowed. The blast wiped out ships in the harbour also, and there are 7 diveable wrecks dotted around the harbour. Too deep for snorkelling alas. And apparently the volcano is active but currently dormant. I still breathed a sigh of relief as we sailed safely northward!
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