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Misleadingly billed as the world's only drive-in volcano, La Soufriere Sulphur Springs (daily 9am-5pm; EC$3), a short drive south of town off the road to Vieux Fort, was a volcano some 13km in diameter before it erupted and collapsed into itself around 40,000 years ago. La Soufriere remains active to this day - theoretically, it could erupt any time - but as it is now classified as a solfatara , meaning it emits gases and vapours rather than lava and hot ash, a molten shower is extremely unlikely. Turn into the springs at the signed road and it's quickly apparent that you're in the midst of a volcano - killed off by sulphuric emissions, the vegetation becomes sparse and an eggy odour hangs in the air. The services of an official (and very informative) guide are included in the entrance fee, and they will walk you up from the car park lot to the viewing platforms that overlook sections of the crater, seven barren acres of steaming, bubbling pools of sulphur-dense water and rocks tinged green and yellow. Some years ago, visitors were allowed to walk across the crater, but this practice was stopped when one of the guides fell through a fissure - though sustaining severe burns, he lived to tell the tale. Now only goats occasionally hop across the pools and rocks, cheerfully oblivious of how close they are to becoming stew.
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