Dominica attractions -not only sun & beach
Those making day trips to Dominica from other Caribbean islands will want to see the Carib Indian Reservation, in the northeast. Today, this reservation is the last remaining turf of the once-hostile tribe for whom the Caribbean was named. Once you get here there isn't a lot to do, although watching the Caribs making traditional dugout canoes is interesting. Mists rise gently over lush, dark-green growth, drifting up to blue-green peaks that have earned Dominica the nickname "Switzerland of the Caribbean." Framed by banks of giant ferns, rivers rush and tumble. Trees sprout orchids, green sunlight filters down through trees, and roaring waterfalls create a blue mist. One of the best starting points for a visit to the park is the village of Laudat, 11km (6 3/4 miles) from Roseau. Eight kilometers (5 miles) up from the Roseau River Valley, in the south-central sector of Dominica, Trafalgar Falls is reached after driving through the village of Trafalgar. Shortly beyond the hamlet of Trafalgar and up a short hill, there's a little kiosk where you can hire a guide to take you on the short walk to the actual falls. In all, allow about 1 1/2 hours for the trip from Trafalgar to the falls. This is the only road or pathway into the falls, and you'll have to approach on foot, as the slopes are too steep for vehicles. After a 20-minute walk past ginger plants and vanilla orchids, you arrive at the base, where a trio of falls converges in a rock-strewn pool. For another great way to spend half a day, head for the Papillote Wilderness Retreat. The botanical garden alone is worth the trip, as are the views of mountains and lush valleys. Near the main dining terrace is a Jacuzzi-size pool, which is filled with the mineral-rich waters of a nearby hot spring. Nonguests can use the pool for EC$11 (US$4.05). Bring sturdy walking shoes in addition to a bathing suit. On the northwestern coast, Portsmouth is Dominica's second-largest settlement. Here you can row up the Indian River in native canoes, visit the ruins of old Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park, and bathe at Sandy Beach on Douglas Bay and Prince Rupert Bay. Cabrits National Park (no phone), on Dominica's northwestern coast, immediately adjacent to Douglas Bay, is a 525-hectare (1,297-acre) protected site, only about 25% of which is devoted to dry land. Here you'll find low-rising hills, tropical forests, swampland, volcanic-sand beaches, coral reefs, and the sprawling ruins of a fortified, 18th-century garrison of British, then French, construction. This is one of the area's great natural attractions, and if your time is limited, you may want to head here even if you skip everything else in Dominica. The park's land extends over a panoramic promontory formed by the low-rising twin peaks of extinct volcanoes (known as East Cabrit and West Cabrit) overlooking beaches, with Douglas Bay on one side and Prince Rupert Bay across the headland. The marine section of the park extends over the teeming marine life of the shallow waters of Douglas Bay. If you're interested in hiking, you'll find about 3km (2 miles) of trails, each clearly marked with brown-and-yellow signs, pointing out the geological and architectural highlights of the park. |
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