Sometimes you start planning your next holiday trip and suddenly you realize that the places you are thinking on going are the same as many others think about. You try very hard and the greatest idea appears: Why not going to the Caribbean? Then you decide to look up on the Internet, for instance, on Trip Advisor, and they will show you Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Cuba, and some other popular destinations. And then you feel those places will be crowded for sure, and then you research a bit more, and eventually read a post here, on Royal Holiday when we tell you that there are more than seven thousand islands in the Caribbean, each one of them very unique. We think anyone would love a place where multiple experiences are at one place: abundant outdoor spas, a pristine natural environment, a colorful Caribbean sea of volcanic waters. So let’s dig deeper on the advice of that previous post and think on that place, Dominica, when natural sights look like they ripped off of the most beautiful postcard you have ever imagined.  

The call of nature

“Isle of beauty, isle of splendor”, this is the first line of Dominica’s national anthem, and it describes the intensity of the beauty of an island known as “the nature island of the Caribbean”. This is the reason why travelers from all around choose Dominica, where the splendor of nature turns and twists, rises to the mountain tops and then tumbles to waterfalls and valleys.

Image courtesy of Liam Quinn at Flickr.com

Things to do

Dominica is an ideal place to hike, bike or trek, for instance, at the newly opened Waitukubuli National Trail which is composed by 14 sections in a trail that runs 115 miles south-north, bisecting the length of the island.

If your thing is diving, Dominica claims to be one of the best diving destinations in the world. Soufriere Scott’s Head Marine Reserve, in the southwest offers unique volcanic underwater features with reefs and corals, volcanic vents and immense sea walls, an amazing scenario to watch sea turtles, sperm whales, flying gurnards, frogfish, seahorses and other species rarely found in other diving areas of the Caribbean.

When it gets to slow down, one of the natural spas of Dominica will be there for you. Hidden in the forest near Wotten Waven are the fumaroles, bubbling waters and cascades of the outdoor spas, either perched on a hill or at the bottom of a river, they will give you the best of their therapeutic properties, a very relaxing experience.      

Of course, if you visit a Caribbean island, you expect to see stunning beaches. Since Dominica is a volcanic island, many powder-fine white-sand beaches found mostly in the north and the east. If you are looking for a crowded-on-holiday beach (in Dominican terms), then Woodford hill Beach is the one. But if you want a beach more for relaxation, Hodges Beach is a bit farther but will worth it. L’Anse Noir is the favorite for the most adventurous, sitting on a cove passing Woodford Hill, will be the place to find the right wave of the island.

And save some time to walk around Roseau, Dominica’s capital city, on of the best preserved collections of 18th century architecture in the Caribbean. The center of Roseau offers you civic, military and religious buildings, old sugar cane estates and mills, and the colorful ‘Ti Kaz, little houses almost all wood framed and brightly painted. The historic city has a good selection of places to eat, from beachfront Mexicans to old-style French bistros.

And a rum punch or an ice cold beer while you play with the sand and have the sea in your sight is another major reason to go around. “The Pirates Bar” certainly is a good choice. Just a few minutes on the road from Roseau to Scotts Head, is a beach bar specialized in fresh juices and local rums. You should try a Soca Rum and pineapple juice. And later on, the night falls on Dominica and the streets light up with people looking for a good time. Nightlife at Roseau is lively, full of bars and hangouts featuring folk music (cadence-zouk, jing ping), reggae, jazz, soca and calypso, where fun is guaranteed.   

General facts of Dominica

Dominica (pronounced dom-in-ee-ka), is the latest island of the Lesser Antilles since is still formed by volcanic activity; it lays in the center of the Caribbean archipelago, locked between Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. This little island (just 29 miles long and 16 miles wide) is a former British colony which attained its independence in 1978 (they also drive on the left side of the road!). The official language is English, the capital is Roseau and the economy depends mainly on agriculture.