Welcome to Island Hikers

 The geological structure of Trinidad is continental in Nature, and the topography of the south is different from that of the north. The Northern Range consists of Jurassic rocks made up of phyllites, quartzites, and limestone whereas, in the south, the rock structure is referred to as argillite and composes of Herrera sands, grey silty clays, and lignite beds. These types of rock lead to the formation of mud volcanoes and buried within the burnt clays or porcellanites are oil deposits.

   Two noteworthy mud-volcanoes located in the Southern Region, and in close approximation to the Penal Rock Road, each with its own unique characteristics. The first is the Digity Volcano located at Digity Trace on Old Clarke Road. At an altitude of 6 metres, it is the tallest in the country and has an upside-down cone shape. The second is the Bunsee Trace or L’eau Michel Volcano located 4km south inside Bunsee Trace and just of the Penal Rock Road. Unlike Digity this has a vast basin covering an area of an acre and the mud spills or tassik is circular and semi-solid. The mudflow emerging from the Bunsee Volcano flows horizontally and surfacing out of its active vents are air bubbles. Its cone is wide and round rather than high. 

       Recently the Ministry of Community Development pitched the road leading to the Bunsee Volcano and made the area a recreational site. Visitors frequent the area to picnic and at the same time enjoy the fascinating experience of a mud bath. At the entrance to the volcano, there is a tall hog plum tree, which acts as a landmark. The terrain at Bunsee Trace consists of rolling hills with gentle inclines, and the ground has a sticky type of clay called Sapata. The vegetation is mainly hectares of teak plantations however at one-time sugarcane was extensively cultivated in the area. Further south on the Bunsee Trace Dirt Road a 30 minutes walk will lead to L’eau Michel Beach (pronounced La Moshell). The beach provides a good opportunity to refresh and rinse off the mud from those bathing in the volcano.