DOMINICA THE NATURE ISLAND – land of my Origins

Olivia Smith
1 day ago
2 min read

So, my wife and I set off to show my wife around and spend a week in Dominica.

A photo brought back memories, the playground where I spent my childhood/youth from three to thirteen years old if my memory serves me right.

With Canefield as our base camp at my uncle and aunt's, 10 minutes from the capital ROSEAU. We arrived from Guadeloupe by boat, via the Express des Îles ferry which makes one or two round trips per week from Guadeloupe, also serving Dominica and Martinique along the way.

Just a two-hour crossing from Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe to Roseau in Dominica. And to begin, let's clarify the geography because many people confuse it with the Dominican Republic and its huge all-inclusive hotels, which unfortunately has little in common.

MAP OF DOMINICA

https://www.routard.com/images_contenu/partir/destination/dominique/carte/dominique.gif

https://discoverdominica.com/fr/blog/the-complexities-of-dominican-history-cabrits-national-park

Dominica is a fairly small island, 50km long by 25km wide, but renowned as one of the wildest islands in the Caribbean - if not the wildest - of all the Antilles...

Dominica is also a mountainous Caribbean island nation, boasting hot springs and rainforests. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is home to Bowling Lake, a bubbling lake created by volcanic activity that emits intense steam. The park also features fumaroles, the 65-meter-high Trafalgar Falls, and the narrow Titou Gorge. To the west lies the capital, Roseau, with its colorful wooden houses and botanical gardens.

No large-scale tourism, no big hotels, no airport capable of handling large aircraft; only small planes from neighboring islands. The island of Dominica is known for its 366 rivers and numerous waterfalls. Nature lovers will be blown away by the lush vegetation.

Dominica has been independent for about forty years (since November 3, 1978 to be exact), it is a former English colony and the language and driving on the left remain.

Sea and misty mountains under a grey sky

Cape Verde coast, blue ocean and vegetation.

Cape Verde beach with path, palm trees and blue sea.

A verdant hill overlooking Cape Verde Bay

Old stone building with a red roof and blue shutters

Cannons of a fort overlooking a mountain bay

Green mountains and sea under a cloudy sky in Cape Verde

Rocky river, houses and mountains under a cloudy sky.

A verdant valley with mountains and a village under a cloudy sky.

Building with balconies and lush tropical vegetation

Cape Verde seascape, verdant islands, cargo ship

Coastal landscape of Cape Verde with rocks, sea and mountains under a cloudy sky.

Cannons on a fortification, view of the sea and mountains

Green football pitch with the sea in Cape Verde.

Fortification with cannons and a view of the bay.

CARIBBEAN - KALINAGOS

As for the Caribs, who became Kalinagos from whom my mother is directly descended, Dominica is the only place that still has a community of 3000 inhabitants occupying their own territory.