Rabacca Dry River

The Rabacca is a broad expanse of grey stone and sand running down from La Soufrière to the sea north of Georgetown, carrying no water for most of the year but filling fast and dangerously after rain on the volcano, and the road crosses it directly on the bed rather than by bridge. The material in it came down in the 1902 eruption and later ones. It is the start of the windward trail up the volcano.

The landscape

• The dry bed - a broad expanse of grey stone carrying no water most of the year.
• The volcanic material - deposits brought down by the 1902 and later eruptions.
• The road crossing - the route running directly across the bed.
• The volcano trailhead - the start of the windward route up La Soufrière.

When to go

December to May is the dry season and the safest for crossing. Rain on the volcano fills the bed within minutes. Never cross when rain is falling upstream.

Before you go

The bed floods without warning after rain on the volcano; crossing during or after rain is dangerous. The 2021 eruption added new material and changed the route. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Georgetown is south, and La Soufrière is inland.

Key facts