Buzz
Located in the southwestern part of Trinidad (as seen in the photo above), Pitch Lake offers an almost extraterrestrial experience, often making visitors feel as if they’ve landed on the moon. Known locally as Tierra de Brea, this natural asphalt deposit is sometimes called a "tar pit." Indeed, you can plunge a stick into the ground, pull it out, and find it coated in a tar-like substance. If you linger too long in one spot, you might notice your shoes slowly sinking and leaving behind impressions.
Historical accounts suggest that Sir Walter Raleigh was introduced to the lake by Trinidadian locals during his quest for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. Impressed by its utility, he used the tar to seal his ships and is often credited with its discovery after returning to England with several barrels of the material.
Trinidad's Pitch Lake is one of only five such lakes globally. Three are located in California, and another can be found in Venezuela. (While smaller asphalt deposits exist worldwide, these are the only true lakes.) Pitch Lake is the largest, spanning approximately 99 acres and reaching depths of up to 246 feet.
Lake Bermudez, the second-largest asphalt lake located in Venezuela, ceased its commercial mining activities in the 1930s. Meanwhile, the tar pit in Los Angeles is primarily used for archaeological research and fossil preservation. The Carpinteria site, just south of my former home in Santa Barbara, leaves its mark along the coastline. I can personally attest to frequently emerging from the ocean near Santa Barbara with tar clinging to my feet and swimsuit—proof of which remains in the form of stained swimwear.
Interestingly, despite its abundant asphalt reserves, Trinidad is known for having some of the poorest road conditions in the Caribbean. The country exports much of its asphalt for road and runway construction in Europe and the United States. According to our guide, scientists estimate a 400-year supply of asphalt remains underground—a surprisingly finite timeframe, though it leaves ample opportunity for Trinidad to address its pothole issues. Additionally, the term "pitch black" originates from the tar's appearance, much like descriptive phrases such as "red rose," "sky blue," and "snow white."
A photo displayed under a hut near the visitor’s center depicts a man waist-deep in pitch, resembling quicksand. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to replicate this feat (though I was curious enough to try). Instead, I enjoyed a walking tour and a brief swim in one of the sulfur pools, leaving behind handprints and footprints. These pools expand during the rainy summer months, but even during my dry-season visit in March, I found one deep enough for a swim.
Will McGough
For more fascinating trivia: The pitch drop experiment in Australia holds the record as one of the longest-running scientific experiments. A "solid" piece of pitch is placed in a funnel, and due to its viscosity—230 billion times that of water—a droplet falls only once every eight to 12 years. Since the experiment began in 1927, only eight drops have fallen. Remarkably, the ninth drop is expected to fall this year, showcasing impeccable timing.
Pretty fascinating, right? From now on, whenever you switch off the lights or hop into your car, you’ll have a reason to think of Trinidad.
