La Soufrière

Parks & Nature · Basse-Terre island, Guadeloupe

The 1,467-metre active volcano crowning Basse-Terre, the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles and the heart of the Parc national de la Guadeloupe. From the Bains Jaunes trailhead above Saint-Claude, the Chemin des Dames climbs through dripping cloud forest to a summit plateau of steaming fumaroles and sulphur smells. Weather changes fast up here, and access to parts of the crater rim is regulated by the authorities depending on gas emissions and wind.