Bouillante Hot Springs

Bouillante means boiling, and the name is earned: hot water rises along this stretch of the western coast and runs into the sea, so that at Plage de Bouillante and the anse next to it the shallows are warm enough to notice, mixing with the cold Caribbean. The geothermal field is also worked commercially, with the first geothermal power station in the Caribbean, running since the 1980s, operating just behind the shore and supplying a share of the island's electricity.

What to look for

• The hot shallows - spring water running into the sea and warming the shore.
• The geothermal station - the first such plant in the Caribbean, behind the beach.
• The black sand - the volcanic shore along this coast.
• The Cousteau reserve access - the dive boats leaving from nearby Malendure.

When to go

December to April is the driest. The hot water is noticeable at any time. Sea conditions vary and the shore can be rough.

Good to know

The water at the source is hot enough to scald and care is needed. The power station is industrial and dominates the setting. The beach is black sand and small.

Nearby

Cousteau Reserve is south at Malendure, and Pointe Noire is north.