An Eden for the eco-conscious, Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park offers some of the most spectacular hikes in the Caribbean, with more than 483 km of trails. A designated World Heritage site, the park sprawls over 6,870 ha of steams, waterfalls, unspoiled tropical rain forest, and mountains, not to mentioned five volcanoes, fifty fumaroles, and numerous hot springs. The park’s star attraction, sitting beneath a thick vapor cloud, is Boiling Lake, the second largest lake of its kind in the whose milky-colored waters range in temperature from 180 to 197 Fahrenheit (82 to 92 Celsius).

”Trois Pitons” refers to the triple-peaked mountains that top 1,424 m and are shrouded in mist. No mammals live in the park, but expect to see plenty of insects, birds, crustaceans, reptiles, and, if you are lucky, one of two endemic parrots. One of these, the Imperial, is Dominica’s national bird.

Walkers normally head to the park’s Valley of Desolation, a grueling seven- to eight-hour trek that involves scrambling over rocks and tackling wet and slippery steep ascents. Starting form the village of Laudat, hikers venture through lush rain forests teeming with rare exotic birds. For back-to-nature spa treatments, walkers can slather on mud masks and relieve their aches and pains by bathing in hot spring waterfalls or swimming in cool lakes.