Boiling Lake
A cauldron of mineral-heavy water some 63 metres across, held a few degrees short of boiling, deep in Morne Trois Pitons National Park and three hours on foot from Laudat.
- Arrival
- Douglas-Charles · DOM
- To the lake
- About 3 hours on foot from Laudat
- Private jets
- Clear at DOM, open from about 6 am
- Best time
- February to April
The city
Three hours to the cauldron.
The Boiling Lake is about 63 metres wide and fed by two streams, and its water sits just below boiling point. Dominica's tourism authority calls it the second-largest boiling lake in the world. It lies about ten kilometres east of Roseau inside Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a World Heritage Site.
The approved trail starts at Ti Tou Gorge in the village of Laudat. Allow three hours each way, through the Valley of Desolation, where the path crosses steaming vents and boulders misted with sulphur. Rangers class the walk as difficult and advise a certified guide; set off by 10 am at the latest. Non-residents pay an entrance fee, US$8 for a single visit.
- Ti Tou Gorge The gorge in Laudat where the approved trail to the lake begins.
- Breakfast River The first landmark on the way up, and on the way down a place to soak in its coloured hot pools.
- Valley of Desolation Volcanic vents steaming across the valley floor, crossed on foot before the final climb to the lake.
Arriving
A short island, a long walk.
Douglas-Charles, on the north-east coast, is about 25 km from the lake in a straight line. Canefield, three kilometres north of Roseau, is the island's second airfield and takes light aircraft.
- Antigua 40 min
- Barbados 45 min
- Bogotá 2 h 45
- Madrid 8 h 20 long-range jet
- Cape Town 13 h 15 long-range jet
When to go
February to April.
There is no long-term record for the trail, so these are Roseau's figures, from the coast ten kilometres west. Up in the park the tourism authority warns that rain is erratic and the weather can turn in an instant. On the coast, February to April are the only months under 100 mm.
- 29° J 136
- 29° F 87
- 30° M 93
- 30° A 87
- 31° M 137
- 31° J 185
- 31° J 108
- 31° A 246
- 31° S 250
- 31° O 239
- 30° N 252
- 29° D 176
Where to stay
Roseau for the trail, Portsmouth for the coast.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa Near Portsmouth in the north-west, 151 rooms next to Cabrits National Park; Discover Dominica gives it five stars.
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Secret Bay Clifftop villas near Portsmouth, one of two Dominica hotels in the MICHELIN selection and the one with two Keys.
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Fort Young Hotel A four-star hotel on the Roseau waterfront, the nearest of the three to the trail.
Where to dine
Where to book on the island.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Dominica. These are a Fodor’s Choice in Roseau and the tasting-menu restaurant of Secret Bay.
- The Palisades Fodor’s Choice Caribbean, seafood $$$ Fort Young Hotel, Roseau, about 10 km west
- Zing Zing Signature restaurant, Secret Bay Caribbean tasting menu Secret Bay, near Portsmouth, about 32 km north-west
Flying to Boiling Lake?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.