This was a huge adventure for me, and I felt it deserved its own post!

Boiling Lake is Dominica’s signature hike, passing through many different types of terrain and ending with a spectacular view of the lake, which does in fact boil. I did this hike with Bloxie and Kyle, and was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them (I even packed a book in preparation for being dropped off the back) but in fact I made it, and am glad I did!

Our day started at 6:30 with a taxi ride from Portsmouth, where our boat was moored, to the other end of the island. After battling a little rush hour traffic in Roseau, we reached Titou Gorge, where the trail starts, and met our guide, Ninja. You must use a guide to do this hike, and Ninja was excellent. He started us off slowly, warning us that the hardest parts of the hike were later on, and as he stopped to show us native plants and talk about their uses for food, water and medicines, we worried that this was going to be more of a nature walk than a hike. We soon realized that he was just checking to see how out of breath we were (not at all!) and off we went. He is part Kalinago (indigenous people) and is very knowledgeable about the rain forest environment.

The park rangers keep the trail well maintained, and it didn’t seem too long before we reached the Breakfast River, where we filled our water bottles. Then the fun began! It was a steep climb of about 45 minutes to the top of Morne Nicholls, the highest point on the trail. We stopped for water and local fruit which Ninja had brought, and admired the spectacular views of nearby mountains, steam in the distance from the Boiling Lake, and work going on for the somewhat incongruous Cable Car that will one day whisk tourists up to the top.

Views from Morne Nicholls

Next was a steep, muddy scramble down a stream bed. This washed out recently and the trail was impassable for a few weeks, but someone has worked hard to replace the stone and wooden steps. Eventually we reached Desolation Valley. Ninja suddenly sprinted ahead, leaving us to follow, and when we caught up we found him boiling eggs for us in one of the many hot springs bubbling up! He also painted us with warm mud from one of the pools. Desolation Valley is in fact an active volcanic crater, and is a disorienting mix of bare rock, hot springs, and patches of lush vegetation. The whole place smelled of sulphur and both Kyle and I realized later that we felt slightly giddy as we climbed out.

We finally hiked up to a natural platform which gave us a great view over Boiling Lake. Two natural springs drain into the crater, and gases coming from the magma chamber superheat ground water, which mixes with the spring water and brings it to a rolling boil. The view goes in and out as the steam billows around – some of those tourists in the cable car may not get the view they expected when they reach the top! We stopped for a delicious lunch of local fish, vegetables and fruit juice which Ninja had carried all the way up for us.

The return trip followed the same path, but there was still a treat in store. The hot springs in Desolation Valley mix with fresh springs coming off the hills and create pools ranging from warm to boiling. We opted for “Hot” and lounged blissfully for quite a while!

All those ups and downs on the way there still had to be navigated on the way back, but the trail had dried out from the overnight rain and was a little easier going. I was not too proud to accept a helping hand from Ninja on some of the trickier bits. In the end, I made it out about 5 minutes faster than Bloxie and Kyle (so there!). There was still time for a swim through stunning Titou Gorge, and then the long drive back to Portsmouth which we reached around 6. We even had the energy for the PAYS Barbecue in the evening (if you know, you know), and then home to Persephone to finally sleep!

I’d strongly urge this trip for people visiting Dominica and would be happy to share contact information for Ninja and SeaCat Tours (who we booked through) with anyone who is interested.