wonderful holidays caribbean dominica

overview

Dominica , the largest of the Windward Islands, covers 289 square miles and has approximately 91 miles of coastline. The island is located in the eastern Caribbean, between the FrenchIslands of Guadeloupe (which lies to the north) and Martinique (which lies to the south). Relatively undeveloped, mountainous Dominica boasts one of the Caribbean’s most spectacular natural environments and is ideally suited to nature lovers and Caribbean aficionados who want to experience the less tame side of the region and a touch of eco-adventure. It’s known as the ‘NatureIsland of the Caribbean’ with good reason. The proud local population will give you a genuinely warm welcome and help you make the most of your time on their island home whether it’s spent whale watching, snorkelling, scuba diving, bird watching, hiking or kayaking. If your idea of nightlife is to watch the stars, Dominica is for you.

The island boasts 365 rivers and streams, waterfalls, hot sulfur springs, a boiling lake (considered the world's largest) and four, cold, freshwater lakes, two of which are situated more than 2,500 feet above sea level. Native flora includes over 1,000 species of flowering plants including 74 species of orchids and 200 ferns. Twenty-two endemic species of plants have been identified, one being the bwa kwaib, officially designated as the island's national flower. Dominica is also home to a wide variety of tropical wildlife. To date, 172 species of birds have been recorded including two endemic and endangered species of parrots-the Sisserou (Dominica's national bird) and the Red-necked Parrot. The opossum, agouti, iguana and other lizards and many other land creatures including a large variety of non-poisonous snakes have made a home in Dominica.

In addition to its natural attractions, Dominica is also rich in cultural heritage, with long and outstanding traditions in music, dance, theatre, craft, art and the plain, simple life of its people. The last of the indigenous Caribbean people still live in a 3,500 acre, semi-autonomous area of Dominica called the Carib Territory. They maintain a strong bond to their Pre-Columbian past, which is evident in the baskets they weave from the l'arouma reed and the wooden fishing canoes still carved in traditional fashion from the trunks of Gommier trees.

diving

Dominica 's underwater terrain is as diverse as the island's terrestrial areas with a wide variety of marine life and dramatic underwater features including sunken volcanoes and deep drop-offs. More than a half-dozen types of whales and a dozen types of dolphins have been identified in Dominica's waters. Due to the deep depths of the warm West Coast waters, a variety of whales use the Dominican coastline to seek food, mate and give birth, making Dominica the Whale Watching capital of the Caribbean. Imagine having a 30-to-45 foot-long sperm whale stare you down, or glimpsing a cow sperm whale nursing her calves - there's no better place for this than Dominica! The best time of year to see whales is between November and April.

The island's precipitous drop-offs create depths just offshore that shelter marine creatures like seahorses, frogfish and flying gurnards which are rarely seen in the other islands. The crests of its submerged peaks are decorated with colourful corals and tropical reef fishes.

The coastal underworld of Dominica is replete with coral villages.  While some of these attractions are several metres deep others are only a few feet from the water's surface. Dominica has a diving infrastructure and organisation on par with any in the world.

Kayak on cool mountain lakes, swim in secluded river pools in the rainforest, river-tube down the river into the calm waters on the West Coast,  or dive pristine reefs... there really is something for everyone in Dominica.