Soufrière - Sulphur Springs Park - Drive-in Volcano

The last major volcanic eruption in St Lucia occurred about 40,000 years ago and the last minor one was in 1780. To this day this volcanic pit continues to vent sulfur into the air and heat pools of water above boiling. The sulfur, which was even mined and 760 tons exported in the 1830s, is the source of the name of the nearby town of Soufrière.

The present-day terrain resulted when a volcanic dome collapsed into a 7 acre depression called a caldera. The surface is a crust over a soft substrate which has been closed to tourists since one guide fell through into scalding water. Now observation is from solid overlooks, but goats still scamper across the multicolored surface. Notably, the road traverses the edge of the 900 ft crater making this one of the world's rare drive-through volcanoes. The many colors of the surface are the result of deposits of iron, sulfur, copper oxide, calcium oxide, carbon, magnesium and other minerals. The changing light and steam patterns of the 24 vents, make it quite easy to watch this natural display for long periods.

This caldera is probably connected to the ocean because reactions increase when the full moon causes high tides. Though part of a volcanic arc linking the islands of the eastern Caribbean, the Sulphur Springs park is unique in that the therapeutic value of its waters is comparable to the hot springs of Onzendaki in Japan and Prezzuoli in Italy.