Trinidad’s Pitch Lake at first appears to be a dense, unassuming blight on the landscape. For many locals it is “nothing special”. Indeed, interest in it is long-forgotten after elementary school trips to tour the location. Yet the Tourism Development Company (TDC) boasts of this attraction to international tourists and to gaze upon it as a tourist is quite a different experience.

The lake itself is the largest of three natural deposits of asphalt globally, though it is arguably less famous than its Californian counterpart. A working site, pitch mined from the region is used on roads, roofs, and other surfaces across the globe. Approximately 40 hectares wide and estimated at 75 miles deep, it is assumed that at current rates of extraction, the lake will be depleted in an estimated 300 years.

RALEIGH’S “DISCOVERY”
Discovery of the Pitch Lake, if one can call it such, was documented by European explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1595 while on a voyage in search of the infamous El Dorado, “city of gold”, Raleigh came upon Trinidad and Tobago. After attacking the northern regions of the island, Raleigh eventually sailed southward, scenting the tar while traversing the Gulf of Paria. He confronted the local tribes who took him to the site of the lake and it was there that he reputedly discovered its beneficial properties for caulking the hulls of his ships.

Tours of this wonder (with knowledgeable guides) can be arranged on site at the local TDC office. While tourists will encounter many locals who are willing to give them a tour, it is strongly recommended that you take a booked tour through the office. There is a museum on site as well which details the history of the region, including the town. However, at time of writing, the museum was closed for renovations.