Home » Caribbean » St. Vincent and the Grenadines » Active Volcanic Hike – St. Vincent and the Grenadines
August was the month to get back to the solo weekend warrior roots and tackle another Lesser Antilles island – this time being St. Vincent and the Grenadines, or SVG. This was my 4th Lesser Antilles island of 2023 with only Barbados remaining. So far, SVG takes the #1 spot and would be an island I’d consider returning to. The theme is a recurring one – explore the interior and get those epic panoramic tropical island views after some challenging hikes.
Logistics for SVG were as follows:
Total for core logistics was $431.
Starting things off, I arrived at the SVD airport and arranged a taxi through my Airbnb. It was a different feel this time around not having access to a car, so I had to have a little more due diligence in my planning. Aside form the taxi, I was coming to SVG blind. Fortunately I was able to meet my Airbnb hosts in-person and chat about my to-be plans while in SVG. They had so many helpful recommendations for tour guides and food that I ended up taking the next few hour just to figure out what the heck I was going to do over the next 3 days. I’ll tell ya one thing – that volcano was top of the list.
After locking in my tour for the volcano, I took a walk around the entire lagoon until it ended at an abandoned resort on the opposite side. Some say it’s haunted, although I didn’t get that vibe. What I do know is that the lagoon had a lot of yachts and sailboats and it’s a fun game to spot all the different country flags fixed to the boats.
Before a volcanic hike, I thought it would be wise to get a warm up on a less exerting trailhead. This took me to one of the “Grenadine” islands of St. Vincent called Bequia (beck-way). In true neander-fashion, I stormed up a steep, rocky river-bed of a trail in my trusty flip flops. The day was a scorcher and the view was fire. So much so, it’s the featured image up top!
Being inside an active volcano hit me after-the-fact. Seriously, how often do you get to say that? The entire journey was purely epic. Nature was in full force and made for a truly unique experience. This time, in shoes.
I had the privilege of getting a solo tour with the “Lava Man.” Apparently, he was up on La Soufrière back in April of 2021 during the last eruption. Regardless of the situation, I could think of no better person I’d trust descending into the crater of an active volcano. The drive up to the eastern trailhead from the southern point of St. Vincent took about an hour. All in all, the hike took a little over 4 hours round trip, including all the time spent in the crater. The scenery during the ascent changed dramatically, as lush vegetation became more scarce, and eventually turned into nothing more than barren landscape and loose rock thrown from the volcano’s previous eruption.
The weather didn’t hold back either. Nearing the summit, we were fully engulfed in rain clouds and strong enough wind that you could lean without falling over. Pretty gnarly considering we were on the crater’s edge, and falling in from this point would probably not bode well. Check out the video to see what I mean.
Once in the crater, however, the wind crested the ridge and all was calm. The moment reminded me of my trip to the Bolivian Altiplano – extraterrestrial landscape. This was the reason for coming to SVG! It was as if La Soufrière was living, with all the steaming vapors rising from its maw. And to think only two years prior, La Soufrière had a massive eruption that changed the entire surrounding landscape and covered SVG in a thick layer of ash and soot.
Looking back on a few days packed with some exerting hiking, it was a welcomed change of pace to island time, complimented by some island drinks. I still have not learned the definition of a “relaxing” vacation, as much as I may commit to doing so. It’s just not my modus operandi. But then again, that style would never allow for hiking inside an active volcano, and I’ll take that any day of the week. Plenty of time for R&R when your plane sits on the tarmac for 2 hours…
Four down and Barbados to go in 2023. SVG has the top spot thus far!
-ML
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The Pure Dose - Designed with Elementor