Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Despite the small size of this island, it can take a couple of hours to travel between the popular destinations. Many sights are isolated and difficult to find; you may be better off taking an organized excursion. If you do go it alone, drive carefully; roads can be narrow, winding, and unmarked. Plan at least eight hours to see the highlights. To fully experience the island, set aside about five days so you can enjoy the water and take some hikes.
On the southwest coast, halfway between the villages of Pointe Michel and Soufrière, this stony beach is hailed as one of the best spots for swimming, diving, and (especially) snorkeling. Forget the sunning, though, because the beach is strewn with rocks. Champagne gets its name from underwater hot springs that constantly puff steam into the sea, which makes you feel as if you're swimming in warm Champagne. A boardwalk leads to the beach from Soufrière/Scotts Head Marine Reserve. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.
These 40-acre gardens, founded in 1891 to encourage the supply of properly propagated seedlings to island farmers, is a great place to relax, stroll, or even watch a cricket match. In addition to the extensive collection of tropical plants and trees, there's also a parrot aviary. At the Forestry Division office, which is also on the grounds, you can find numerous publications on the island's flora, fauna, and national parks. The forestry officers are particularly knowledgeable on these subjects and can also recommend good hiking guides.
Quite possibly the most visited natural attraction on the island, this emerald-green pool fed by a 50-foot waterfall is an easy trip. To reach this spot in the vast Morne Trois Pitons National Park, you follow a trail (an easy 20-minute walk) that starts at the side of the road near the reception center. Along the way, there are lookout points with views of the windward (Atlantic) coast and the forested interior. This spot is popular with cruise-ship tour groups, so choose your timing carefully. And wear a swimsuit, because you can (and will want to) take a dip.
The 40-acre Botanical Gardens, founded in 1891 as an annex of London's Kew Gardens, is a great place to relax, stroll, or watch a cricket match. In addition to the extensive collection of tropical plants and trees, there's also a parrot aviary. At the Forestry Division office, which is also on the garden grounds, you can find numerous publications on the island's flora, fauna, and national parks. The forestry officers are particularly knowledgeable on these subjects and can also recommend good hiking guides.
Along with Brimstone Hill in St. Kitts, Shirley Heights in Antigua, and Ft. Charlotte in St. Vincent, the Cabrits National Park's Ft. Shirley ruins are among the most significant historic sites in the Caribbean. Just north of the town of Portsmouth, this 1,300-acre park includes a marine park and herbaceous swamps, which are home to several species of rare birds and plants. At the heart of the park is the Ft. Shirley military complex. Built by the British between 1770 and 1815, it once comprised 50 major structures, including storehouses that were also quarters for 700 men. With the help of the Royal Navy (which sends sailors ashore to work on the site each time a ship is in port) and local volunteers, historian Dr. Lennox Honychurch restored the fort and its surroundings, incorporating a small museum that highlights the natural and historic aspects of the park and an open canteen-style restaurant.
Along with Brimstone Hill in St. Kitts, Shirley Heights in Antigua, Ft. George in Grenada, and Ft. Charlotte in St. Vincent, the Cabrits National Park's Ft. Shirley ruins are among the most significant historic sites in the Caribbean. Just north of the town of Portsmouth, this 1,300-acre park includes a marine park and herbaceous swamps, which are home to several species of rare birds and plants. At the heart of the park is the Ft. Shirley military complex. Built by the British between 1770 and 1815, the fort once comprised 50 major structures—including storehouses that were also quarters for 600 men. With the help of the British Royal Navy (which continues to send sailors ashore to work on the site each time a ship is in port) and local volunteers, historian Dr. Lennox Honychurch led the restoration of the fort and its surroundings, incorporating a small museum that highlights the natural and historic aspects of the park and an open-air, canteen-style Prince Rupert Tavern. The park has two short hiking trails (easy-to-moderate), along with a visitor center, interpretation panels, washrooms, and a picnic area.
In 1903, after centuries of conflict, the Caribbean's first settlers, the Kalinago (more popularly known as the Caribs), were granted approximately 3,700 acres of land on the island's northeast coast. Here a hardened lava formation, L'Escalier Tête Chien (Snake's Staircase), runs down into the Atlantic. The name is derived from a snake whose head resembles that of a dog. The ocean alongside Carib Territory is particularly fierce, and the shore is full of countless coves and inlets. According to Carib legend, every night the nearby Londonderry Islets transform into grand canoes to take the spirits of the dead out to sea. A chief administers the Carib Territory, where about 3,000 natives reside. The reservation's Catholic church in Salybia has a canoe as its altar, which was designed by Dr. Lennox Honychurch, a local historian, author, and artist. The Kalinago people resemble native South Americans and are mostly farmers and fishermen. Others are entrepreneurs who have opened restaurants, guesthouses, and little shops that offer exquisite baskets and handcrafted items. Craftspeople have retained their knowledge of basket weaving, wood carving, and canoe building through generations. They fashion long, elegant canoes from the trunk of a single gommier tree.
The old Market House (1810), used for slave trading in colonial times and later as a post office, now houses the island's national museum. This labor of love by local writer and historian Dr. Lennox Honychurch contains furnishings, documents, prints, and maps that date back hundreds of years; you can also find an entire Carib hut, as well as Carib canoes, baskets, and other artifacts.
Quite possibly the most visited nature attraction on the island, this emerald-green pool fed by a 50-foot waterfall is an easy trip to make. To reach this spot in the vast Morne Trois Pitons National Park, you follow a trail that starts at the side of the road near the reception center (it's an easy 20-minute walk). Along the way, there are lookout points with views of the windward (Atlantic) coast and the forested interior. If you don't want a crowd, check whether there are cruise ships in port before going out, as this spot is popular with cruise-ship tour groups.
This isolated gold-black-speckled sandy shoreline on the northeast coast actually encompasses three bays divided into two beaches. The Red River meets the sea at Hampstead Beach I—this is where Johnny Depp was chased by natives in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The palm tree–lined Hampstead Beach II is on the sheltered and calm Batibou Bay. A 4x4 is the preferred mode of transportation to get here—or be prepared to hike in from the road. Both beaches ooze with charm and are worth the effort. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming.
The picturesque Indian River, which flows into Prince Rupert Bay at Portsmouth, is the widest of the 365 rivers on the island of Dominica and was once a Kalinago (Carib) settlement. An hour-long ride along this river, which was featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, in a hand-oared river boat is both relaxing and educational. The shore is lined with mangrove trees, whose buttress roots spread up to 20 feet. Clear, brackish water is a playground for young barracuda and crayfish. Except for singing yellow warblers, flitting hummingbird, or wing-flapping egrets, there's an eerie silence. To arrange a trip, stop by the visitor center in Portsmouth and ask for one of the "Indian River boys" of the Portsmouth Indian River Tour Guides Association. Most boat trips take you up as far as the Indian River Bush Bar, where you can get a snack and a drink (local juice or rum). You can usually make an optional guided walking tour of the swamplands and the remnants of one of Dominica's oldest plantations. Tours last one to three hours and cost roughly $20 per person (it varies depending on the guide) plus $5 for a national park day pass.
In 1903, after centuries of conflict, the Caribbean's first settlers—the Kalinago (Caribs)—were granted approximately 3,700 acres of land on the island's remote, mountainous, northeast coast. Here a hardened lava formation, L'Escalier Tête Chien (Snake's Staircase), runs down into the Atlantic. The name is derived from a snake whose head resembles that of a dog. The ocean alongside Kalinago Territory is particularly fierce, and the shore is full of countless coves and inlets. According to tribal legend, every night the nearby Londonderry Islets transform into grand canoes to take the spirits of the dead out to sea. A chief administers the Kalinago Territory, where about 3,000 Carib descendants reside. The reservation's Catholic church in Salybia has a canoe as its altar, which was designed by Dr. Lennox Honychurch, a local historian, author, and artist. The Kalinago people are mostly farmers and fishermen. Others are entrepreneurs who have opened restaurants, guesthouses, and little shops that offer exquisite handmade baskets and other crafts. The Kalinago have retained their knowledge of basket weaving, wood carving, and canoe building through generations. They fashion long, elegant canoes from the trunk of a single gommier tree.
On the northeast coast, this isolated, golden-sand beach with dabs of black is also known as Turtle Bay. It is a favorite for egg-laying turtles and for those who want seclusion without having to drive all the way out to Hampstead Beach. Sitting on a cove just past Woodford Hill, it's an easy, although sometimes steep, walk down from the road. There is no sign marking the trail or the beach, but it starts just across the road from a brown-building snack shop with Fanta signs. This is another BYOBC (bring your own beach chair) beach with no amenities. Its charm is its solitude and beauty. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude.
The closest beach to Roseau—but a half-hour's drive north—this long stretch of silvery gray-sand beach on the west coast is just outside the village of Méro. The waters are warm and calm, and the entire community comes here on weekend afternoons. This is the island's most popular beach and one of the few with amenities. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: parties; swimming.
Translated to "Devil's Peak," this dormant volcano dominates the northern end of the island, rising 2,826 feet above sea level and sloping down to Toucari Bay and Douglas Bay just north of Portsmouth. A trail—a strenuous four-hour hike—starts at Tanetane, near Portsmouth, and ends at Vielle Case on the northeast coast. The access road, which is long and rough, twists by coconut, cocoa, and banana groves; passes by fern-festooned embankments and bubbling sulphur springs. It continues over rivers and through villages with brightly painted wooden houses that are almost as colorful as all the flora and fauna.
This UNESCO Heritage Site covers 8,242 acres in the northwest and is home to 4,747-foot Morne Diablotin—the highest peak in the Eastern Caribbean—which takes its name from a bird known in English as the black-capped petrel. Now extinct on the island, the bird was prized by hunters in the 18th century. Dominica is still a major birding destination, with many exotic (and endangered) species such as the green-and-purple Sisserou parrot (Amazona imperialis)—the National Bird of Dominica—and the smaller Jacquot, or red-neck, parrot (Amazona arausiaca). Before this national park was established, its Syndicate Nature Trail was aided by some 6,000 schoolchildren—each donating 25¢ to protect the area's habitat. The west-coast road (at the bend near Dublanc) runs through three types of forest and leads to the park. The trail offers a casual walk—just bring a sweater and binoculars—but the five- to eight-hour hike up Morne Diablotin is no walk in the park. You will definitely need a guide, sturdy hiking shoes, warm clothing, and a backpack with refreshments and a change of clothes (including socks). Wrap all in plastic to keep them dry.
At this landmark, the island's first sugarcane processing mill and rum distillery—used by British settlers during the late 18th and 19th centuries—and later a lime plantation, you can see exhibits on sugar and coffee processing as well as on island heritage—including costumes worn during Carnival.
At the southernmost tip of the island, a small landmass is connected to the mainland by a narrow stretch of stony beach. It's a fantastic spot for snorkeling and diving. You can lunch at one of the village restaurants, where you'll always find fresh-caught red snapper and mahimahi. On the beach, there's also a small snack shop and a couple of vendors. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.
On an island that already brims with fabulous hiking tracks, this 115-mile route is the icing on the cake. In its 14 segments, paths wind from Scotts Head, the southern point of the island, to Capuchin in the far north. As they make their way down rivers and up mountains, trekkers pass through woodlands, gorges, waterfalls, and lush rain forests. The trails weave through Fort Shirley in Portsmouth and Carib villages in the east, sometimes following old runaway-slave trails. Paths are marked with signage, plus yellow and blue markings on rocks, sticks, poles, and often embedded in the ground. (Sometimes you really have to look hard for them, though.) Pick and choose the segments that most interest you. Each is rated from easy (Segment 10) to very difficult (Segments 8 and 9) so be sure to check your maps before setting out to get an idea of each one and confirm the status of the segment(s) you plan to hike. (Some were closed from Hurricane Maria damage in 2017.) Those ambitious enough to do the whole trail—which can take about a week and a half—will come away with an intimate knowledge of the island's terrain and unique history. Passes are mandatory on any of the 14 segments and are available at the Forestry Division, the Waitukubuli Trail Headquarters in Pont Casse, and at vendors near the trail segments. For safety reasons, register before embarking on the trail.
{{ item.review }}
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
