Dominica is Everyone's Paradise

Big, Bold, and Beautiful; Whatever you Love, this Island has it!

Apr 9, 2008

Dominica is known as the "Nature Island" of the Caribbean, but the abundance of food, fun, and friendliness is also worth exploring!

If you want to slow down, sit back, and take in all the beauty that Mother Nature provides, there is no paradise that compares to Dominica. The rhythm of life there is mellow; you’ll find yourself on “island time” in no time at all. It’s the kind of place where doing your laundry takes all day and taking a five-mile trip down the road is an epic journey because a) you will stop and talk to everyone you pass and b) the buses and pick-up trucks that traverse its windy mountain roads are few and far between. No problem, Mon, no hurry. You’re in paradise. You’re already there.

If you’re a fanatic hiker, you’ll find it hard to leave Dominica without tackling all its trails, mountains, and exotic treasures. A hike up Morne Diablatins, Dominica’s highest peak is a beautiful if grueling trek that rewards hikers with a stunning 360o view of the island and the surrounding crystal-blue waters. Dominica has 365 rivers, so they say, and several mind-blowing waterfalls—the force of a river cascading 130 feet over a rock face will literally blow you away. Every journey down a river, jumping from slippery rock to slippery rock, is a path to a picture-perfect setting. Take lunch and a bottle of ginger wine.

In Dominica, you can fill your belly on fruits and nuts picked from the trees as you walk down a dirt road. The markets in town are also bursting with an abundance of diverse, tasty, and cheap produce. And if a Dominican tells you he’s going to do some farming, he means he will hike three hours up a mountain and stay on his land for several days sleeping in a shack made of “galvanize” and cooking over an open fire. It’s not your grandfather’s cornfield in Nebraska.

You may find yourself spending all your free time getting lost in Dominica’s rainforests, but a trip to the coast is well worth your time. Snorkel at Champagne and be tickled by thousands of sparkling bubbles as you swim over an unbelievable coral landscape lining an under-water steam fissure. And don’t miss the chance to eat fresh fish and lobster on a Caribbean beach while the sun is setting.

Of course, you can also do Dominica tourist style. There are a few villas and guesthouses run by expatriates to suit the more upscale clientele. However, because of the island’s mountainous terrain, there is no airport that can accommodate large jets nor any ports deep enough to welcome jumbo cruise liners. Though the island is not particularly hard to get to for the independent traveler, its geography has made it somewhat resistant to large-scale commercial tourism.

Parrots: Hike the Syndicate Trails with a good pair of binoculars; you’ll have a good chance of spotting these rare beauties.

Scotshead: This is the best beach to chill out with the locals, expats, and tourists.

Carib Reserve: Learn about a disappearing culture, buy handicrafts, and see the model village.

The BoilingLake and Titou Gorge: One of the most beautiful hikes on the island reaches a bubbling sulfurous lake atop a volcanic peak. Tour guides enjoy boiling eggs in the water for tourists. Take a swim in Titou Gorge after the hike instead of testing these waters.

Rivers: Spend a day by one of Dominica’s beautiful rivers and discover why Dominicans are so chill.

Facts:

Geography: 750 square kilometers, Highest point: Morne Diablatins (1,447 meters)

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