In case you were wondering: Dominica does not only have Boiling Lakes. As a matter of fact, Freshwater and Boeri Lake in Morne Trois Pitons National Park both are utterly beautiful and make for another great day trip into the Park. While the former is Dominica’s largest lake, visiting the latter leads you deeper into the mountains along some pretty forested trails.
Nearby Middleham Falls are among Dominica’s highest waterfalls and should definitely be on your itinerary, as well. All three sites can be reached by moderately difficult self-guided hikes through beautiful rainforest from Laudat Village. Check out everything you need to know below.
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How to Get There?
As for Boiling Lake and Titou Gorge, you have to get to the village of Laudat first. For that, I’ll just repeat my advice from the Boiling Lake Post:
Laudat can be reached by infrequent minibus connections from Roseau’s King George V Street (near Astaphans Supermarket). If you’re staying in Trafalgar, you’ll have to get to the intersection with the Roseau-Laudat Road and either try to catch one of the minibuses, or hitchhike the rest of the way. As the buses are far and few between, the latter option is much more likely.
There’s not a ton of cars going to Laudat, but the ones that do are very likely to stop. The third option is using part of Segment 4 of the Waitukubuli National Trail that climbs from near M&G’s Diner in Trafalgar up to Laudat. It’s probably the nicest option, although it’s rather steep and strenuous.
To reach Freshwater Lake from Laudat, you’ll have to continue following the Valley Road to the east almost to its end. Without your own wheels, you have three options:
1. If you came to Laudat by Minibus, you can try negotiating with the driver to continue to the Lake, which he might do for a price. 2. There are not many cars going to the lake – tourists would be your best bet. Try hitch-hiking if a car actually passes you. 3. Walk – it’s only about 3km.
The turn-off to Middleham Falls is on the Valley Road about 1 km out of Laudat in the Direction of Roseau (to the west). You’ll have to follow the signposted side road until it ends after another kilometre or so. From there, a footpath starts that will take you to the falls in about 20 minutes.
Do You Need a Guide?
I would say no – all the trails a clearly marked and safe, apart from sometimes slippery rocks. Take your time and you’ll be fine. If you still prefer to take a guide to get a few more insights about the nature and history of the area, there’s a half-day tour to Middleham Falls and Titou Gorge available.
How Long Does it Take?
Plan about 1.5 hours for the hike around Freshwater Lake, and about 1 hour each way from Freshwater Lake to Boeri Lake. Technically, it could be done in less time, but you have to be constantly vigilant of slippery rocks and wooden steps, so it’s better to take your time. Also, you’ll want to properly enjoy the views and lush surroundings.
What to Bring?
The visitor centre at Freshwater Lake sells drinks and snacks but make sure you bring enough water anyway, just to be safe. The surroundings of the lakes are among Dominica’s wettest regions, so a waterproof jacket might come in handy as well. Finally, bring some swimwear and a towel if you plan on taking a dip in Boeri Lake
How Much Does it Cost?
All three sites are included in the very reasonable Ecotourism site-pass, which is 5$ (EC $13.25) per day or 12$ (EC $32.04) per week and allows you to visit as many sites as you manage in that time.
The Hikes
Freshwater Lake and the Circular Trail
This is a truly atmospheric place – especially if it’s shrouded in mist, like it was when we arrived there. With a surface area of about 4 hectars, it’s Dominica largest lake and due to the altitude and somewhat higher chance of rain (be prepared), the surrounding forest is auper lush.
There’s a small visitor centre which also sells drinks and snacks, in case you want to grab a bite before setting off.
If you walk the trail in a counter-clockwise direction, you’ll see the most spectacular parts before continuing on to Boeri Lake (which I highly recommend). After climbing to the top of a small ridge, you’ll have great views over the surrounding mountains and down to the eastern coast of the island on a clear day.
The weather can change quickly, so it probably pays to wait a few minutes, even if it’s cloudy. We did exactly that and after a while, a fantastic view opened up. You’ll descend on the other side of the ridge via a steep section of steps. Be careful, as some of these are made of wooden logs and can be quite slippery.
The remaining stretch of the trail leads through some amazing sections of rainforest, with vegetation that seems truly primeval. At times, we felt that we had travelled back in time a few million years. Continue on until you reach the Valley Road and turn right if you want to continue to Boeri Lake.
Boeri Lake
Follow the Valley Road until it ends and continue uphill along a well-marked path. The first section leads over some hills and offers great views back to Freshwater Lake. After a while you’ll enter a forested area and this is where you have to be careful as the stony path is mossy, wet and VERY slippery.
You’ll also have to cross smaller streams a couple of times. Take small steps and be prepared to catch yourself should you slip. Also, take a break once in a while to enjoy the pristine jungle around you – it’s amazingly beautiful.
About 45 minutes after you left the road, you should arrive at the lake. It’s scenically set amid high hills and if you’re here on your own, the surroundings are eerily quiet. We also found the Lake to be a great place for a swim and I recommend taking a dip before returning the way you came.
Middleham Falls
This impressive 70m high waterfall can be reached in about 45 minutes by following a nice trail through the forest. See the “How to Get There” section about getting to the Trailhead west of Laudat.
At the falls there’s a small viewing platform and if you want to, you can again take a swim in the pool at the base of the falls (to be honest, we refrained in this case – these pools at the bottom of cascades are friggin’ cold;-).
Map of Morne Trois Pitons NP Hikes
I’ve marked the three hikes that I described in this map of Laudat and its surroundings.
Other Destinations in the Area
The hike to Boiling Lake is another highlight that you shouldn’t miss in the National Park. It was by far our favourite hike on the island.
Trafalgar and Wotten Waven are nice places to base yourself for exploring the National Park and have some sights in their own rights (plus warm springs).