Have you ever had a mud bath? Is submerging yourself in a pool of mud an item on your bucket list? Well you need to take a trip to the Bunsee Trace Mud Volcano located in Penal, Trinidad.
The drive from Grand Bazaar to Bunsee Trace takes about 1 hr 30 mins with no traffic. If your car is not a four wheel drive then it advised that you park by the shed at the top of a small hill.
On a sunny day, the view from this spot is beautiful and you can even see San Fernando Hill in the distance. Also, I don’t know if it is just me but I find that the sky always seems so pretty down south……..something about the clouds and the mountains is always more spectacular when you head to the southland ❤
The trek from the shed to the mud volcano takes about 30 mins. On the way you will reach a crossroads where you have to make the very important life decision 😳 , do you want to head to the beach first or the volcano?
It takes about 5 mins from this sign to the mud volcano and the mud volcano really looks like a backyard pool. I know, because of the term ‘volcano’ in the back of your mind you may be thinking that it will be extremely hot (lava boiling underneath? fire? etc) But this is not that type of volcano. The volcano you are thinking of is a lava volcano, this is a mud volcano which is formed when hot water beneath the earth surface mixes with minerals and sediments below the ground. When a pressure difference exists the mud is forced upward through cracks / fissures or faults in the ground creating a mud volcano.
In this particular mud volcano the temperature is cool, not hot, not cold, just the perfect temperature for bathing ❤
After bathing in the mud volcano, you then have to make the trek to the beach to wash off. Unfortunately, there is no running water by the mud volcano so you need to hike to the beach unless you bought several big bottles of water.
The walk from the mud volcano to the beach takes about 45 mins but it is my favorite part of this hike because it is so beautiful. I was fortunate to have visited this location on several different occasions and I have seen this place looking green and lush and after it was ravaged by fire after a particularly dry season (see the pics below).
The beach is called L’eau Michel Beach. To be honest it isn’t the most beautiful beach in Trinidad by any stretch of the imagination but it is perfect to just rinse out all the mud from your skin. When the tide is low, it is also perfect for long walks and a good game of football.
The trip back from the beach the walk back to the cars will take you around 1 15 mins to 1 30 mins and after such a long day, you really just need some doubles and all will be well with the world.
So on your way home from Penal, be sure to stop in Debe for doubles at Hassanalis ….two doubles slight pepper and plenty sauce is how I like it 🙂 How do you eat your doubles?
So, if you are looking for an adventure, something different to do with your weekend….then…. maybe you should take a trip to Bunsee Trace Mud Volcano in Penal ❤ .
I do hope one day the relevant authorities will install running water at the Mud Volcano site so that walking to the beach could be more of an option rather than a necessity.
PS. A little about me, I have been hiking for about 5 years and I am currently a hike-leader with HikersUnited (IG and FB).
Much Love,
CS
Celly Hikes 