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Dominica: Nature Isle of the Caribbean

At first glance from the ship, this isn’t the typical Caribbean port stop with jewelry and souvenir stores lined up to greet the tourists in a downtown area. The town actually didn’t look very appealing. Looking beyond the cluster of buildings though, we saw houses on hilltops, lush mountains and dense jungles.

Dominica port view image

This was Dominica (pronounced Dom-inn-EEK-ah), nicknamed the Nature Isle of the Caribbean – an independent nation located in the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean between Martinique and Guadeloupe. It has become one of the popular stops on Southern Caribbean cruises these past few years. 

Dominica hillside view image

I’ve actually never heard of this island before our cruise. It was named by Christopher Columbus after he spotted it on a Sunday (dies Dominicus or Lord’s Day in Latin) in 1493. Often mistaken for the Dominican Republic, this is very different from that island’s stretch of all-inclusive resorts.

Dominica Port view image

We bypassed the capital city of Roseau during our tour and headed to the valley. The rugged, unspoiled beauty of Dominica was captivating. It wasn’t very big at 29 miles long and 16 miles at its widest point yet more than 50% of it is tropical rainforest. 

Our drive was through winding roads up the mountain with barely any railings and some one way roads – steep and a little treacherous. I was so glad we had a driver used to these roads because there were a few instances where I started praying for safety.

Dominica Roseau Valley image

Our first stop was Ti Tou Gorge literally meaning “small throat hole” in Creole. We hiked a bit and ended up at this open area with water cascading from the rock wall.  

To the right was a small entrance to a narrow, water-filled canyon formed by lava leading to a small waterfall.  Supposedly, parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean II movie was filmed here.

Ti Tou Gorge Dominica entrance

My husband and daughter did this attraction since my son was a little too young for it. The gorge required a short swim through the passageway with high cliff walls. We were a bit envious as they came out all refreshed on a hot, humid day.

Ti Tou titou Gorge Dominica

We passed some interesting things along the way too. This sign and the smoke coming out from the roadside hole piqued our curiosity.

sulfur cave

Dominica lies in the Caribbean’s hurricane belt.  In 1979, a Category 5 Hurricane (David) destroyed more than 80% of the island. One of the things we passed, which our guide pointed out, was this African Baobab tree that fell on this empty bus. 

The main stem is now 19 ft (5.8 m) in circumference. It’s a stark reminder to the islanders of the natural dangers they face.

Dominica fallen tree on bus from david Hurricane image

We also saw quite a few of these plants that looked like corn dogs hanging from the leaves that amused the kids. I forgot to ask what it was so if anyone can enlighten us, we’d appreciate it. {Update: Thanks to Bob from Pirancafe who says it is called a sausage tree. I was totally expecting a more creative name.}

Dominica corn dog plant image

The highlight of the tour was a visit to Trafalgar Falls which was located inside the Morne Trois Pitons National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trafalgar actually consisted of two waterfalls. They were affectionately known as Father on the left and the smaller one to the right, Mother, nestled within a rainforest.

Dominica Trafalgar Falls image

They were separated by a mountain and converged in the river below. With two cruise ships in town, it was a bit crowded with passengers. This was a popular place for visitors to soak in the hot springs and then cool off with the falls’ cold water at the base.

Trafalgar Mother Falls Dominica image

The platform viewing area was where we can actually see unobstructed views of the two falls. Beyond this point is a “proceed at your own risk” area to the base of Mother falls. We made the slippery trek through fern and moss covered trails with plenty of birds chirping along the way as our background noise.

Trafalgar falls Father image

This was not an easy hike, especially with kids in tow, since it required some climbing over rocks and boulders. It was definitely not for those with mobility issues. 

Our kids needed some help scrambling and had to be carried on some areas but they made it. It helped to have a  good guide who led us to the more manageable trails.

Trafalgar falls Mother base image

Natural pools from the waterfall created mini hot springs but as we got closer to the waterfalls, the water cooled off.  Water here was clear and perfect for a hot, humid day and the cool mist was refreshing. This would have been a perfect oasis(minus the tourists) with the waterfall and the lush tropical vegetation surrounding the pools.

Natural pools Dominica trafalgar falls

Our last stop was a scenic hilltop, called Morne Bruce, overlooking Roseau. This presented a panoramic view of the town, the ports and the docked ships. We were told it rained a lot here so we got lucky with these views and the sunny day we had.

Morne Bruce Dominica view of Roseau image

I’m still a bit unsure whether I’d go back to Dominica with the kids for a land-based vacation. While it was certainly scenic with so many beautiful, natural trails and attractions left undiscovered, it seemed like a logistical struggle for traveling with kids other than a cruise ship. But for avid hikers, eco-tourism travelers and adventure seeking tourists, this nature island may just be the perfect getaway.

Dominica view image

*Have you visited Dominica?  Does this undisturbed, not typical Caribbean island appeal to you?

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43 thoughts on “Dominica: Nature Isle of the Caribbean”

  1. Yes and yes. I was in bumming about in Dominica when my now 24-year-old was 7. Gosh how time flies. Such a green and beautiful island. We met some of the last remaining Carib indians. So interesting!

    1. Somehow I knew you’ve visited this island, Sophie =) It was surprisingly very green and its undisturbed beauty is what made it special. How cool for you to have met the Carib Indians.

  2. Haven’t been, but your photos make it tempting. In the winter there are
    many tour packages out of Halifax to the Dominican. That really doesn’t
    help me now, since I no longer live in Halifax :)

  3. Dominica looks beautiful – I would love to go on a Southern Caribbean cruise some time to see some of these islands. We had a similar bus ride to Coki Beach in St. Thomas – the driving is a bit terrifying! The image of the school bus smashed by the tree is horrifying – thank goodness it was empty at the time of the hurricane!

    1. Our ride up was terrifying! You’d love the outlying islands in the Southern Caribbean. They’re a bit more underdeveloped and more unique than the other Caribbean islands. The fallen bus seems to be some sort of landmark (even had signage) for the islanders.

  4. Those first couple of pictures look like Penang where I’m living now. I guess they both have the lush rainforest and tall hills. Penang doesn’t have those incredible waterfalls, though. Just some small ones that are in bad need of litter clean up. This looks like a fun cruise port-of-call.

    1. It was a fun port stop because it was so completely different from the rest of the other islands. Penang sounds like a tropical paradise and lucky you to be enjoying all that greenery. How sad that the small waterfalls have been left with litter and can’t be enjoyed.

    1. You’re already gone to a lot of places, Aleah. You need to come to the USA next =) You’ve got plenty of adventures ahead of you and I hope you make it to Caribbean sometime soon.

  5. Dominica sounds like my kind of place seeing that I am “avid hikers, eco-tourism travelers and adventure seeking tourists” all of the above. It wouldn’t have been on my radar before now.

  6. Dominica is one of the few Caribbean islands I’d really like to visit. I had a friend years ago who grew up there so I’d heard many times what a fantastic spot it was. It looks like it was a great adventure with kids in tow.

  7. We saw Dominica on a cruise and that is the one port where we need a “do-over”. Dominica is home to a year-round population of sperm whales, so we booked a well-reviewed whale watching tour, but unfortunately, no whales or any other sea life were seen that day. We had a nice boat ride along the coast line anyway, but didn’t have time afterward to explore the interior. I would have liked to see Titou Gorge. That wild, untouristy atmosphere is part of the appeal of Dominica.

  8. It’s great to see the islands in the Caribbean that are still not overrun by concrete and spoiled by “development.” It’s a constant battle to try to maintain the natural beauty of the place and provide meaningful work for the people who live there. Sounds like Dominica is managing to do some of that.

  9. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista

    I have heard of Dominica but have never been. Didn’t realize there was so much to do! It looks beautiful. Loved the picture of the waterfall!

    1. We were surprised at how much activities there were on the island and now they seem to focus on eco-tourism. Your geography is way better than mine. =)

  10. Dominica looks beautiful, perfect for a cruise stop! I would love to do the Ti Tou Gorge attraction and see those waterfalls. I always feel like I’ve actually visited a destination after seeing your wonderful photos and reading your informative info…thanks! :-)

    1. You’re too kind, Andi. I appreciate the compliment. I’m glad to be your virtual tour guide. I wish I can tell you Titou Gorge was fun but my husband and daughter definitely enjoyed it.

  11. I’ve never heard of this island before. The nature looks gorgeous! And swimming through that gorge? How fun would that be?!

    1. I hadn’t heard of it either but it was beautiful. My husband and daughtr had a blast swimming through the gorge especially because it was hot. I was very jealous.

    1. Bob up on the comments says it’s a sausage tree. I just googled and it’s a match! Dominica was captivating because of its unspoiled beauty – so so green.

  12. Wow, I’ve never heard of Dominica before either. How strange that there are still such undiscovered places on earth. Yes, this island appeals to me. I’ve kind of lost interest in big cities and popular destinations and seem to be more attracted to the off-the-beaten-path locations. Thanks for sharing!

  13. Dominica does sounds great for hiking and its natural appeals. That tree on the bus photograph is certainly a chilling reminder of hurricanes and their destruction.

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