There are a chain of islands in the Eastern Caribbean that flaunt their volcanic origins with towering spires rising straight out of the sea thousands of feet. Ok, generally two to four thousand feet, but impressive enough when everything else is flat and coral or limestone. Nearby offshore these islands plunge a half-mile or more beneath the surface.
Two interesting things about these type of mountain islands: first, the topography is not conducive for building big towns or resorts, so they are generally sparsely populated; and second, the highest peaks, whether active or inactive volcanos, are magnets for clouds, dragging the cooler heights of the atmosphere to mix with the heat and humidity produced by the vegetation on land. The clouds generate light rain on the leeside, making the land a little more fertile and green. So the windward side of the island may be scrub and dry, but the leeward side could be wet and green.
Our visit to the chain started in Montserrat with the active volcano; then St. Kitts/Nevis each with a tall dormant volcano and a lava cone called Brimstone Hill; followed by Statia (stay-sha) the former richest trading island in the area topped by the Quill volcano which you can hike the inside of the rainforest crater; and finally Saba (say-ba) with no suitable horizontal buildable land on the slopes of Mt. Scenery. In fact, Saba’s Dutch masters refused to build either roads or an airport claiming significant engineering challenges. Thank goodness for island tenacity and ingenuity.
Each island has it’s own character, challenges and beauty. All are friendly and opening to visiting boats, and full of interesting sights and history. One could spend six seasons cruising the islands and still not explore or see everything. But maybe I should try it and find out?