Boiling Lake

DANGEROUS! Very dangerous hike. Technical and pretty traitorous conditions but ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. The terrain is steep and slippery. You are either scrambling rocks or walking on logs. You definitely need to hire a guide as the trail is not marked. NO CELL SERVICE in most of the hike and NO search and rescue in the country if you fall and get hurt. (Someone slipped and died the day we did the hike) The route is about 8miles round trip and 2,600 ft elevation gain total but it will take around 5 or 6 hrs due to the conditions (ours was 7.5hrs because of the accident) With that said, it is well worth it. Absolutely beautiful views along the way with lots of hot water crossings which felt amazing to dip my feet in. Wear shoes that can be soaking wet and muddy for the entire hike. I wore reef shoes with socks and I was comfortable. Some people wear bathing suits and swim in the hot water from the volcano. The actual lake is not worth the hike because it’s steamy and you can barely see the water boiling 300 ft from the edge where you stand but the scenery to it is unbelievable. You can even see the lava flows from previous eruptions when you hike down into the crater. This is like no other hike and I would highly recommend it, but don’t hike it if you have balance issues.

We normally don't hire guides for day hikes, but we'd heard Boiling Lake requires it, so based on prior reviews here, Chadi Symes sounded like the obvious choice for the job. He was timely, knowledgeable, fun, and let us take our time getting there and back. We completed the whole hike in about 7 hours. This is definitely a Type 2 fun kind of adventure where you're going to work for it, but you'll feel accomplished afterwards. When Chadi says this is the most extreme hike in the Caribbean, he's not exaggerating. The scenery is like nothing I've ever seen before and I'm grateful to have been able to make it here before the cable car is operational.

MOST INCREDIBLE HIKE!!!! YOU NEED A GUIDE!!!!! - the paths are very muddy and not that obvious!!! Please do not hike this on your own, as the paths can very dangerous if you do not know what you are doing or where you are going!!!!! We went with Chadi (@chadi.767treks on instagram) he is the most knowledgeable and fun guide and also gave us lots of other facts about plants, trees, volcanoes, weather patterns & the island. He knows SO MUCH about this hike and I cannot recommend him enough! He made this 8 hour hike really fun, interesting and we even got a mini spa treatment and he also took lots of photos of us too :) It was the most breathtaking scenery as you go through 4 different types of rainforests and each very different to the other. As a photographer I was in heaven! This hike is totally worth it! Message Chadi on instagram and he will be your perfect guide! Thank you Chadi for making this hiking experience so amazing for us!

YOU DO NOT NEED A GUIDE FOR THIS HIKE - and here’s why (with caveats). You may be told you need a guide for the hike to Boiling Lake: to find and follow the trail, or for reasons of safety, or because it’s compulsory. None of these is valid - and with the price running at c. $75 per person even in a group, it’s worth making an informed decision. The trail is very easy to follow. It is a single track through forest for the majority of the way, with literally no opportunity to turn off the route at all. There is a short section through the Valley of Desolation that requires you to use your eyes to follow the trail but as long as at least one of them works, you cannot get lost. That’s not to say it’s an easy trail to walk, as there are a fair few ups and downs and perhaps 60m total of potential scrambling, but it’s certainly dead easy to follow. You do not need a guide to find and follow the trail. It is also a safe trail. There are some scare stores about distinguishing between scalding or cool streams or pools - but the hot ones have giveaways such as steaming or indeed feeling warm. If you use your common sense, and wear stout boots, you’ll be absolutely fine. It is also worth considering whether the guides could do much for your safety anyway - given none of them carry rucksacks, they clearly don’t carry medical kits, and I seriously doubt any of them are trained first aiders. You do not need a guide to be safe on this trail as long as you take your own common-sense precautions: wear boots, take wet weather gear, carry water and snacks, perhaps take a hiking pole, take a med kit, download the AllTrails map beforehand and have a look at it to plan segments and timings, let people know where you are going. If you are used to hiking in the much bigger, much more dangerous, and much more serious mountainous conditions of Europe or North America, you’ll be absolutely fine. At the time of writing, it is absolutely not compulsory or ‘the law’ to take a guide. Nor are there plans to make it so. The guides will tell you this, but ask yourself: if it’s the law, how come the guides are unlicensed? How come the officials who check your site permits at the entrance don’t ask whether you have a guide? How come the official websites and tourist office don’t agree with them? And why would it be compulsory for this one hike but not for any others on the whole island (including the much more challenging Waitukubuli Trail)? It is not compulsory to take a guide. All that said, you may still want to take a guide, to show you interesting things, answer questions, and explain the geology and nature to you. There is absolutely merit in this. But it should be an informed choice made for your own reasons. That said - great hike and well-worth doing. Stunning scenery and fascinating geological points of interest.

A tough but epic hike! I did it solo, but I’d recommend a guide unless you’re confident in your survival skills. The first half is super muddy but manageable, while the second half is steep, slippery, and demanding—proper hiking shoes are a must! 🥾 Nike sneakers won’t cut it—your feet will be soaked within a kilometer. Took me 3hrs 5mins for 10km (996 HM) in one direction and starting below Trafalgar Falls. No internet connection about halfway to the lake, so if you twist an ankle, you won’t be able to call for help. A local guide told me that hiring a guide may soon be mandatory, so if you want to experience this wild beauty with fewer tourists, now’s the time—before the cable car arrives! 🚠 Other than that, the place is breathtaking! Safety first!

The Boiling Lake hike in Dominica is a challenging but unforgettable experience with stunning scenery that takes you through rainforest, cloud forest, and the surreal Valley of Desolation. A guide is required—we went with Chadi, who expertly led our group of six, even navigating around a recent landslide. As seasoned hikers, we were a bit nervous from the reviews, but the hike is very doable for anyone in decent shape who’s comfortable climbing rocks, crossing rivers, and getting muddy—it’s ankle-deep in spots and definitely messy. We took about 8 hours with plenty of stops, and while there’s a lot of up and down both ways, the adventure and views make it 100% worth the effort!

I did the hike on Nov 4 2024. Was the most amazing hike ever. Took us 7 hours to complete. I went with the best Tour Guide. His name was Peter (Bushman Tours). He made me take a lot of pictures/videos, and he also knows a lot about plants. He charged me $120ec. It was tough. Started to had cramps in my legs in my way back. But it was worthy. There are plenty of beautiful plants on the road. Beautiful fresh rivers in the beginning and then hot rivers the closer you get.

Boiling Lake on the island of Dominica is a place well worth visiting. The hike to it is an experience in itself, but it’s physically demanding, with steep elevations, and the return trip can be exhausting. It’s important to consider your fitness level before setting out. I chose to go with a local guide, and I recommend it to others – not only for safety reasons but also for the interesting insights about the area and to support the local community. If you enjoy adventure, Boiling Lake won’t disappoint. The view of the lake and the surrounding nature is definitely worth the effort!