The well-known Sulphur Springs Park in Soufriere, Saint Lucia is the hottest and most active geothermal area in the Lesser Antilles. The Sulphur Springs Park is approximately 45 hectares and is billed as the Caribbean’s only drive-in volcano. A walk through the crater takes you past pools and hot springs bubbling and belching with sulphur-laden steam. Just outside the Springs, you can bathe in the warm sulphuric pools, reputed for its soothing effects. The Sulphur Springs forms part of the story of the creation of the entire Caribbean basin.

The main area of Sulphur Springs Park comprises numerous hot springs, bubbling mud pools and fumaroles (steam vents) in an area of strongly hydrothermally altered clay-rich rock approximately 200 m x 100 m in size. Many fumaroles have temperatures 100°C or hotter, and temperatures of up to 172°C have been recorded. Numerous studies have been carried out over the past 50 years to investigate the geothermal energy potential of Soufriere Sulphur Springs Park, to date, however, no attempt at exploitation has been made.

Geothermal systems such as Soufriere Sulphur Springs Park form when rainwater seeps into the ground where it is heated by hot rock. The hot water becomes buoyant, and rises back to the surface along cracks. In some places the water is heated so much that it rises as steam. The heat source for the Sulphur Springs Park geothermal system is probably the cooling magma body responsible for the young volcanism of the Soufrière Volcanic Centre.

The park has been visited by some of the most influencial people in the world, including – Richard Branson, Oprah, and many international singers like Ludacris. A visit to St Lucia is already memorable and enjoyable, but this tour makes a huge difference in how you remember the island.

Sulphur Springs last errupted in the 1700’s – over 200 years! It originated from a weak spot in the crust of a collapsed volcanic crater, and is considered to be a dormant volcano. One of the best features of the volcano is the ability to dive through the park and swim in the mineral rich mud baths.

The mud baths at Sulphur Springs attract people from all over the world because it detoxifies the body and helps heal sun burns, eczema, arthritis, sore joints, and more.

Sulphur Springs Drive-in Volcano in Soufriere, St Lucia is situated some 42 km along a precipitous ribbon-shaped road from the capital Castries and about 2.4 km south-east of the picturesque town of Soufriere, is a geologic marvel and St Lucia’s most famous and premier visitor attraction in Soufriere.

Advertised worldwide as the home of the “World’s Only Drive-In Volcano”; for the visitor’s ability to drive and walk right into the heart of a dormant volcano, the park attracts over 200,000 patrons annually. Its 46 hectares spread majestically between two hills that are centrally located within St. Lucia’s Piton World Heritage Site; a status accorded by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the area’s outstanding universal beauty and unique natural phenomenon, to a 2,909 hectare area which includes the world-famous Pitons, Gros and Petit Piton. The area is a realm of the senses and a stark reminder of the volcanic origin of the island; however, the present tranquillity and captivating beauty of the area, belies the fact the forces that shaped it are still very much alive.

Under the management of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, the park opened its doors to its first paying patrons in the early 1980’s; however, in 1995, the Government of Saint Lucia ceded the management of the park to a, not for profit company, the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation (Soufriere Foundation or SRDF). The specific objectives of the Soufriere Foundation as it pertains to Sulphur Springs Park are as follows:

• To protect the natural vegetation and preserve the biodiversity of the area
• To use the natural and cultural resources of the area in a sustainable manner
• To promote the area’s geological features as tourist attractions
• To support the area’s use as an outdoor scientific and educational laboratory
• To facilitate the use of the area for recreation

Since 1995, the park has undergone many changes, foremost of which, is the addition of a vending village, world-class interpretation centre and a new trail. Today, the park employs over 40 permanent staff to cater for the needs of our many visitors.

Come to visit Sulphur Springs Park in Soufriere to enjoy its history and geology, is a truly memorable experience that just cannot be missed while in tropical St Lucia, there is a lot to see and lots to experience. The Sulphur Springs mud bath experience is one that you will hear many of the locals talk about. Specifically they mention that after taking the mud bath you will look years younger! Generally, they are not lying!

Things to do at the Saint Lucia, Soufriere, Sulphur Springs

The Sulphur Springs Park now offers a variety of services visitors can partake in. Below are detailed previews of each service with prices and duration included.

• Sulphur Springs Guided Tour
• Sulphur Springs Mud Bath
• Body Treatments (Back Massage, Mini Facials, Hot Stone Massage, Foot Massage)
• Photoshoot in the Park
• Personalized Merchandising
• Combos of the above are also doable..

Recommendations

It is highly recommended that you wear a dark bathing suite and bring sunscreen to help protect your skin.  A camera is also highly recommended, because you want to capture those really funny moments that you’ll have once you get the mud all over yourself! : )