Drive-thru Caribbean volcano
This item appears on page 63 of the February 2017 issue.
In the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, visitors can drive right through the collapsed caldera of the Soufrière volcano and take a tour of Sulphur Springs geothermal park to see boiling springs and bubbling mud pots.
The tour, lasting around 30 minutes, takes visitors safely across a wooden walkway just feet away from the boiling waters. Just outside the park are two bathing pools, one filled with hot black, mineral-rich water and the other, warm water.
The park is located on Sulphur Springs Access Road, just south of the town of Soufrière on the west coast of Saint Lucia. It is open daily (aside from the first Friday each September), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $8 adult or $4 child. Visit www.sulphurspring
stlucia.com.
Saint Lucia’s Soufrière volcano is considered dormant, having last erupted in the 18th century. Three other volcanoes with the same name in the Caribbean — La Soufrière on St. Vincent, Soufrière Hills in Montserrat and La Grande Soufrière on Guadeloupe — all are active.