City: Dominica
Top Things to do in Dominica
Top Restaurants in Dominica
Countries
Top 10 Things to do in Dominica
Welcome to the Nature Island. Remote, affordable and, as yet, unspoiled, Dominica deserves more than a day's visit from your cruise ship. Spend a week (or more) exploring mountains covered by tropical rainforest, endless hiking trails, some 40 dive sites and black-sand beaches. You'll soon be plotting ways to return every year.
Restaurants in Dominica
1. Boiling Lake
Overall Ratings
5 based on 330 reviews
Said to be the second largest in the world, this hot Springs lake is a caldron of gray-blue water at a temperature ranging from 180 to 197 degrees Fahrenheit; a full-day rigorous hike with a guide is needed to visit this awesome sight.
Reviewed By 1greenlife - London, United Kingdom
I read some of the reviews and agree with them all!
I am reasonably fit, exercising regularly and walking lots. But I found this demanding, mentally and physically.
Our guides were experienced and knew their stuff. One of them has completed this hike around 50+ times and she is in her 60s!
The weather was a mixed bag: sun, wind, rain and lots of mist.
The introduction to the hike was gentle, but the pace soon picked up. In some ways it is monotonous and relentless. There are some steep climbs. But the views are worth it. There are some places where there are sheer drops on either side. And when it was windy I felt slightly vulnerable.
The are a few stops for topping up with water and eating
Round about the third and final hour of the journey to the boiling lake, the hike got more interesting, with journeys through the valley of desolation, rivers, and other changing terrain. Arrival at the destination brings relief and a sense of accomplishment.
The return journey was focussed on just getting back. Your legs are beginning to ache but I didn't really notice it that much, other than when the long climbs had to be negotiated.
All in all, we took around six hours including breaks and the stop at boiling lake for about 15/20 minutes.
Apparently some people have competed it in 30 minutes one way, but they are iron man/ woman athletes. A mere mortal like me was happy to just complete the hike.
I agree that this hike should be done near to the end of your holiday. The pain you feel in your quads, hamstrings and calves is something that I have never experienced before. For me, it took several days, with plenty of stretching and a few massages and yoga sessions before my legs got back to normal.
Was it worth it? Yes it was. You need to be reasonably fit and have a decent pair of shoes (walking boots aren't necessarily the best). I found that I needed to be mentally tough as well.
The guide did say that the path is changing because of the weather and because of that I would strongly recommend a guide.
2. Middleham Falls & Ti Tou Gorge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 373 reviews
Reviewed By Mark B
What a great hike!! The approximately 1.5 mile hike to Middleham Falls begins at the small parking area with pavilion and bathrooms. The hike begins immediately with a fairly long ascent (about 600' in elevation gain). The trail passes a private residence and crosses several creeks. The hike traverses a beautiful rainforest with some very large bulletwood trees (Manilkara bidentata). When you get close to the falls, you pass by a very steep volcanic escarpment. The waterfall is beautiful and, at 275', is the tallest waterfall on the island. A small pool at the base of the falls is inviting but fair warning--the water is about 68 degrees F!
Titou Gorge is located in a completely different place, not sure why it is listed together with Middleham Falls. The gorge is located at the base of the hike to the Boiling Lake. The water in the gorge is also very cold (68 degrees F) but the gorge itself is so beautiful!! I cannot stand cold water but I braved it in order to swim into the gorge. You can swim about 400' or so into the gorge until you get to a small waterfall and the water pressure is too great to keep swimming further. Don't miss the chance to see this--brave the cold water!!!
3. Titou Gorge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 213 reviews
A natural water-ride created by two hot Springs, a rock pool and a river.
Reviewed By Dwayne J
Avin (a local guide) and I had a great swim after coming down from a 6 hour hike to the Boiling Lake. I would suggest renting life jackets 5EC about $2 USD from the people at the bottom as it is a bit of swim up the Gorge. That way you can relax and float around. There are change rooms at the bottom, and the same road access and parking for the hike to the boiling lake as up to the Gorge. If you are driving on your own and not with a guide then you will need a park pass, easy to purchase from any attraction. You can walk up and see different views into the Gorge from above and well worth the effort as it is quite deep. Water is perfectly clear.
4. Emerald Pool Nature Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 400 reviews
Waters from the 50-foot Emerald Falls plunge into this swirling, fern-filled basin, giving hikers a cool respite after a leisurely hike to this sight.
Reviewed By Kat51Ky - George Town, Kentucky
This has got to be one of the best trails in the world. As you walk to the falls you are surrounded by an abundance of exotic plants and trees. Some found no where else but Dominica. Waterfall was amazing and refreshing. Did not want to get out.
5. Trafalgar Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 534 reviews
Two spectacular Waterfalls, Mother and Father, which you can climb around and have their rainbow encircle you.
Reviewed By Madalyn H - Huddersfield, United Kingdom
We visited this site using a hire car. The roads are reasonably good and the paths have been fully rebuilt post Hurricane Maria, including the shelter. Would not recommend scrambling on the rocks when we were there, the water level was relatively high, the boulders quite large and the current strong.
6. Papillote Tropical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 112 reviews
Wander through the Papillote Tropical Gardens. Flowering jade vines of an unbelievable shade of blue, huge pink or red ginger blossoms, aroids, begonias, bromeliads,ferns, indigenous orchids and heliconias form sumptuous compositions to tempt artists, botanists, gardeners and photographers. Frogs and other creatures live contentedly with 30 kinds of bird and 19 species of butterfly amongst hot and cold Waterfalls and soothing hot mineral pools.
Reviewed By MalcolmWoolston
After visiting the falls Papillote was the perfect place to relax and get something to eat. The scenery was outstanding and it really was like being in an island paradise, relaxing and truly mesmerising. If you eat in the restaurant try to get a table at the back overlooking the Gardens. Here you can enjoy traditional island fare whilst enjoying some of the best views of the island. I will be revisiting for sure.
7. Champagne Beach
Overall Ratings
4 based on 464 reviews
Reviewed By Gregg B
We had a rather slow day chasing and swimming with the Sperm whales so stopped here on our way back to the marina/hotel. The geothermal activity is very close to the surface here so you get bubbles. Our guide told us that as a young man they would catch fish and dig holes in the beach. The heat would cook the fish in the sand. The snorkeling is OK, the reef is OK. Worth a visit if you're staying on the island and have the time.
8. Screw's Sulphur Spa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 198 reviews
Reviewed By Debbie1012 - Ottawa, Canada
Having visited Screw Sulpher Spa two years ago while in port for the day on a cruise I knew what to expect. My first experience was wonderful.....the only negative in my opinion is that it got crowded with the bus loads of people stopping in after their island tours from the cruise ship for a soak in the pools. My plan was to avoid the crowds and hire a local driver to take us directly there and drop us off to enjoy the pools before the crowds from the cruise tours arrived. The driver I hired tried to talk us out of stopping there and instead he wanted to take us to the spa next door. I declined his offer and arranged for him to pick us up two hours later. Much to our joy we had the place to ourselves when we arrived and NOBODY....NOT one other paying customer showed up!!!!! The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the entrance fee had doubled from $10 to $20 and that there was a huge tarp suspended in the trees hiding a beautiful waterfall that could be seen as you ascended the stairs into the pools. Near the end of our two hour stay I approached the only person I saw there to take our picture and it turned out to be the owner. I questioned him and asked him why we had this place all to ourselves and wondered if doubling the entrance price had anything to do with it? He told us that he wanted to keep it exclusive and more private experience and was discouraging the crowds and bus loads of people from coming.......when our driver showed up and asked us how our experience was and I told him we were the only ones there, he said he already knew that before he asked because the owner of "Screws" turned very nasty with the locals and with his "blood brother" who owns the spa next door and they are having issues and are trying to sabotage each others business. The local taxi and bus drivers do not support Screws anymore and are steering away his customers and the cruise companies no longer take tours there. The tarp was installed by the spa owner next door because the waterfall is on his property and he didn't want patrons of Screws "looking at it".......because of their "family feud", we ended up enjoying the sulpher pools to ourselves and the owner made us feel really special and served us a yummy fruit platter at the end of our soak.
The spa area and pools itself are not run down, rather rustic and natural, in a rain forest. I will admit the front entrance looks a bit shabby and is in need of a facelift and repair of signs and painting. The spa area itself has been worked on and the owner is finishing off a water slide that project had been started a few years ago and is nearing completion. The pools do vary in temperature and there is one pool where the water is very, very hot and I could not even stand in it for 10 seconds without burning my feet.....
9. Indian River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 136 reviews
This mangrove-fringed river flows into the Glanvilla Swamp, which is prime birdwatching territory.
Reviewed By eelco2013 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The 2 of us went early in the day (before 9 AM) when it was still quiet, so we didn't have to share a rowing boat. That made this tour enjoyable. James (from Cobra Tours) was rowing us up the Indian river and showing and explaining a lot about the various trees and plants in this mangrove area (including the different types of parasites and epiphytes in this ecosystem). We learned that Indian river had some years ago also been a film location for "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which movies we had not seen). After about 45 minutes you get to a place upriver, where you get-off to do a short walk in the forest, or have a drink at the wooden forest cafe bar, before heading back to the starting point (next to the bridge on the main road near Portsmouth). During our tour, we only saw one other family in the woods; when it's busier (later in the day) and noisier, it's probably all less interesting.
10. Mero Beach
Overall Ratings
4 based on 187 reviews
Reviewed By Jesse M - San Rafael, California
Staying in Mero is a great experience, very friendly people and good food at Romance cafe. The beach is always kept very clean and there are plenty of small Cabanas if you need a little shade. The bay is easy to swim in with a very small shore break and great views of the Caribbean sea.
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