Destinations / Dominica

"The Nature Island" is just as its name implies: full of eco-attractions, unspoiled wilderness and soft and hardcore adventures for everyone.

Eighteenth-century Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park is man-made site worth seeing.

LOCATION :

Dominica lies in the middle of the Lesser Antilles between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

LANGUAGE :

English is the official language, but most locals speak a type of French patois (Creole) at home.

CURRENCY :

Eastern Caribbean Dollar (US, British and Euro currency widely accepted)

TIPPING :

Tipping is discretionary. Most hotels include a 10% service charge

ELECTRICITY :

220/240V. Be sure to pack your own converter.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Searching for Imperial and Red-necked parrots at the Northern Forest Reserve
• Watching for whales just offshore
• Hiking a to Boiling Lake
• Visiting the region's largest Carib village

OVERVIEW
"The Nature Island" is just as its name implies: full of eco-attractions, unspoiled wilderness and soft and hardcore adventures for everyone. Eighteenth-century Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park is man-made site worth seeing.

On an island so lush, it's hard not to be romantic. If the mood strikes, rent a rowboat for a cruise down Indian River. Emerald Pool is the perfect spot for a champagne toast. Or try standing under one of the waterfalls that seem to plummet from every cliff. The twin falls at Trafalgar are a favorite to look at; those at Titou Gorge are only safe for swimming if a guide okays it.

Not everything on this 290-square-mile island is sweet-smelling, though. Sulphur Springs in the south emits pungent fumes as a reminder that the volcano that created this island is not finished yet. West of Sulphur Springs, Boiling Lake simmers and smells from the same volcanism in action.

While all the bubbling and boiling may seem forbidding, there's little chance of Dominica firing up anytime soon.

Dominica underwater is surrounded by the same rugged scenery that reaches to the clouds. Volcanic activity has formed sheer drop-offs, arches and pinnacles, particularly around Soufri?re Bay on the southwest coast. On the northern coast, Castaways Reef, Grande Savane and Toucari Bay are good. Calm waters suitable for swimmers, snorkelers and inexperienced divers can be found around Champagne, a sub-Pointe Guignard, an aquatic hot spring with calm waters made bubbly by underwater vents, attracts snorkelers and beginning divers.

GEOGRAPHY

Topography: This volcanic island has the tallest mountains in the Eastern Caribbean. It's 29 miles/46 kilometers long and 16 miles/26 kilometers wide with five separate ecosystems, from coastal scrub to mountaintop elfin forest - each with its own range of climate, plants and animals - found on the island. Beaches in the south are mostly volcanic, while the northern coast has a few white, coral-sand strands.

Climate: Wintertime highs average in the mid-80s, while summer days hover around 90º F. It is cooler in the highlands and downright cold on mountaintops after you've been soaked by rain. The windward side of Dominica's central mountains is one of the rainiest places on earth. Up to 400 inches/10,160 millimeters can fall in a single year, while the Caribbean side is relatively dry. Dry season is January to April, rainy season July to October.

HISTORY
Normally, when one speaks of Columbus discovering an island, what is meant is that the ensuing settlement caused the extinction of an indigenous people. Not so on Dominica, where 3,000 Carib Indians live on in peace. The French and English did try to join the Caribs a number of times during the 17th century, but the Caribs would have nothing of it. In the early 1800s, the British established their authority over the leaf-shaped island; this time, the Caribs yielded. Exactly 485 years after Columbus named the island for the Sundya he spotted it in 1493, Dominica was granted independence.

WEBSITE :

www.dominica.dm

CAPITAL :

Roseau

TOURIST INFORMATION :

718-261-9615

POLITICAL STATUS :

Parliamentary democracy

AREA SIZE :

289.5 sq. miles. It is 29 miles long and 16 miles at its widest.

TAXES :

$50 departure tax for nonregional visitors. A 7.5% sales tax is levied on food, drinks and merchandise. There is also a 5% room tax on hotel and other chargeable short-term guest accommodations.

AREA CODE :

767

TIME :

Atlantic Standard Time - one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

DOCUMENTS :

A valid passport and return ticket are required. US and Canadian citizens may use proof of citizenship. French nationals may visit for up to two weeks with a Carte Identite.

POPULATION :

71,000

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :

80 degrees F

AVERAGE VISIBILITY :

60-100 ft

TYPES OF DIVING :

shore, boat, live aboard

BEST TIME TO DIVE :

Year round although the best time to spot Sperm Whales is Oct-March. There is not a signifficant difference in rates between peak and off season rates.

WHAT TO WEAR :

The water is warm enough to wear a skin or 1.6 shortie in the warmer months. In the winter you should move to a 3mm three quarter especially for deeper dives.

DIVES NOT TO MISS :

Champagne is a site with bubbling volcanic vents and a coral finger that juts out from the shallows into deep water. Although it lacks a lot of the color and marine life of some sites it is most memorable for its jacuzzi like warm bubbling springs. Rodney's Rock is in 0-50 ft of water midway up the western coast of the island is a great critter dive covered in corals and sponges that provide a home for Octopus, flying gurnards, frogfish, sea cucumbers, spotted drums, seahorses, lobster and the ever elusive batfish. Swiss Cheese is named for its many swim throughs and creveses. Located off Scotts Head Point, it slopes from 30-80 ft and two pinnacles rise from the shelf. Danglebens Pinnacles are made up of five pinnacles rising up from the blue with a variety of bottomography including mini-walls valleys and canyons.