If you are a hiker, Dominica is for you !
Dominica is a mountainous Caribbean island with lots of geothermal hot springs. There are 365 rivers and numerous waterfalls. The main falls are; Syndicate, also known as Milton Falls, Chaudière, Spanny's, Emerald pool, Sari Sari, Victoria falls, Trafalgar and Middleham. The rainforests are lush and cover two thirds of the island of which 20% is in the national park system. There are three national parks in Dominica; Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Cabrits National Park and Morne Diablotin National Park. There is 300 miles of hiking paths cover the island.
The Waitukubuli National Trail (WNT) is a first of it's kind in the Caribbean. The trail covers 115 miles which spans across the whole island. It is divided by 14 segments in which you can hike only one of them if you'd like. Along the way, it will take you through coastal villages, up woodland hills, into lush rainforest, past waterfalls, down to rivers , back up to the mountains and down again to the sea. The last segment was completed while we were there in April 2015.
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| SEGMENT 13 |
I wish we had stayed longer to hike more. We'll just have to come back this fall.
One of our favorite hikes was segment 13 from Pennville to Capuchin. It's 8 kilometers and only takes about 3.5 hours. It's considered a moderate hike which brings you in the rainforest and out to the sea. This segment is one of the most historic segments. Indigenous Arawaks and then Kalinago used this track hundreds of years ago. We also liked this hike because it was really easy to get to the trailhead by means of a local bus.
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| NEWLY PLANTED VEGETABLES |
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| TRUCK FULL OF BAY LEAVES |
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| BETWEEN SEGMENT 13 & 14 |
We did a river trip up the Indian River. Several scenes were shot here for the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies 1 & 2 for the Home of the Mystic goddess, Caruso. No outboard motors are allowed to be used in the Indian river and you must go with a local guide.
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| GRASSHOPER MADE OF PALM FRONDS |
My most memorable hike in Dominica is the Boiling Lake. It's the world's second largest boiling lake (the largest is in New Zealand). The lake is 207 feet wide. A crack in the earth allows hot gasses to vent from the molten lava below. The fizzing waters sit inside a deep cauldron and are a spectacular site.
We had our guide, Alexis of P.A.Y.S. get us a bus to the trail head which was about a 1.5 hour drive from Portsmouth. Our driver waited for us while we hiked. The trail is pretty obvious. When you get to the desolation area, keep left and up some boulders. It had been raining pretty hard for quite some time before we arrived so the trail was extremely muddy and slippery. We weren't going to miss out. What's a little dirt anyways ? This hike took us 8 hours round trip, including a swim stop at a waterhole. I'm sure we could of been faster if it weren't so slippery. Along the way, there are numerous sulphur rivers, belching steam vents and geysers. The trail then follows narrow ridges, snakes up and down mountains and runs along hot streams.
At the trailhead are the TITOU FALLS. After our hike, we put our swim suits on and went into the water leading to the Titou Falls. The water here was quite cold. There was a sort of life guard who wanted us to rent life jackets. We decided we didn't need any. This was fresh water therefore, I certainly wasn't floating like in salt water. The gorge leading up to the falls has high walls and it's quite dark. The further we went, the more the current got strong. I mean STRONG ! I had a hard time getting where the falls were. The life guard threw me a life ring which I grabbed so he could pull me in closer. WOW, the fall was fantastic ! We climbed into the fall and jumped back into the pool. It was loads of fun, but difficult because of the current. Be careful if you go and a life jacket is not a bad idea after all !
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| MUD EVERYWHERE |
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| RUBBING OUR HANDS ON THE MOSS TO REMOVE SOME OF THE MUD |
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| VALLEY OF DESOLATION |
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| TIM AT THE BOILING LAKE - DON'T FALL IN !!! |
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| ON THE WAY BACK WE FOUND A HOT SPRING |
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| THANKS TO BOB & GIGI FOR THIS AMAZING PHOTO |
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| SOME OF US NEVER GROW UP ! GO BOB GO ! |
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| THE BOILING LAKE |
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| BOB, GIGI ON S/V 'PINNACLE', TIM, SUSAN, VINCE ON S/V 'FLIGHT PLAN' |
The Cabrits National park is within walking distance of the anchorage at Prince Rupert Bay. The park protects tropical forest, coral reefs and wetlands. There are two very easy hikes, one to the east and the other to the west. Each take only 30 minutes to walk.
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| VIEW FROM FORT SHIRLEY |
You can also visit the Fort Shirley at the trail head which was formerly a military outpost. The British built is in the 18th century to defend North Dominica. It has since been restored. There, you can sit under an enormous mango tree and have lunch. The word Cabrits means Goat in Spanish. Goats were introduced by sailors, who set them free on the island to grow, so that there would be meat available when they returned.
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| MILITARY RUINS |
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| BATS IN RUINS |
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| BLACK CRAB |
Around Portsmouth:
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| NEED A PORCELANE TOILET ? |
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| HMMM, I LUV SUCKING ON SUGAR CANE |
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| GOLDEN COCONUTS. MY FAVORITE COCONUT WATER. |
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| SHOPPING AT THE MARKET |
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| FRESH OFF THE TREES & GARDENS |
We decided to go to the capital, Roseau since there were many more hikes and waterfalls in that area we wanted to visit. Unfortunately, the swells kept us from sleeping. There was no way to point Alpenglow into them, so unfortunately, we had to leave the next day.
We MUST come back :)
Information for cruisers:
1. P.A.Y.S (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) based in Portsmouth, is a group of trained certified guides and local businesses that also patrol Prince Rupert Bay 24/7 during the winter sailing season (November to the end of May). P.A.Y.S. help 'yachties' with numerous services such as; taking garbage, organize scuba diving excursions, guided tours by boat, laundry, taxis and more. P.A.Y.S. members monitor VHF 16. When you arrive, the member on duty will come out and help you anchor or tie to one of their moorings that they maintain. They can answer any questions you have. They don't pester. They also advertise in the Doyle guides. Some are good fishing guides, other know music venues, some specialize in bird watching or hiking. You can call ahead and your guide of choice will meet you when you arrive. On Sunday nights, and when it's more busy, also on Wednesdays, they hold a fundraising BBQ at the P.A.Y.S. Events house. For $20, there is ton of great food (I had seconds), great music and all you can drink rum punch or fruit punch.
2. To get to the trailhead of segment 13: First, find out at what time the bus goes to Pennville by going to the bus terminus in town. From the market, catch the local bus to Pennville. Ask the driver to drop you off at the segment 13 trailhead. The trail is well indicated. There are houses and a road when you get to the end of segment 13. Off to the right is the start of segment 14. It's a much longer hike if you combine the 2 segments. At the end of segment 14, you can walk back to the anchorage. If you want to take the bus back from the end of segment 13, walk down the road, maybe 5 minutes. You are now in the town of Capuchin. You'll see a bus shelter next to a cemetery. We waited about an hour for the bus. Cost for the bus is about 4EC a ride.
3. The Boiling Lake: You must have hiking experience. There's some scrambling and perhaps lots of slippery mud. If you're lucky, it'll be dry.
