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 hat
do you call an island that’s 26 million years old? This is Dominica’s
Beauty.
The youngest island in the Caribbean, erosion has yet to dull the
sharpness
of her terrain. Beautiful dramatic angles are everywhere. Dynamic
forests
remain untouched. Energetic rivers run vigorously. When you first ride
through the countryside, the dramatic beauty of the rolling hills,
secluded
coastlines and virgin woods will make you feel as if you’ve reached the
end of the world. Dominica is without doubt, “The Nature Island of the
Caribbean”. |
Dominica is the only Eastern Caribbean
Island with a World Heritage site and boasts one of the most extensive
forests in the tropics. 65% of the island is under natural vegetation,
an entire ecosystem living in the forests. Dominica has over 1000
identified
flowering plants which shelter over 172 different types of bird life. |
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luxuriant rainforest, waterfalls,
rivers, fresh water lakes, plus a healthy marine life, underwater
corals
and wreaths contribute to the tourism product, attracting new and
repeat
visitors. Volcanic activity on the island is evident by the presence of
black sand beaches, numerous hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and a
boiling
crater lake. The surface churnings hint at an unstable, shuddering
earth
below. For Dominica, such geology gives the island rippling mountain
ranges,
deep green, dense valleys and water galore - streaming from rivers that
plunge down waterfalls and rippling brooks. |
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| Some of the island’s most
dramatic
sights can be seen in the 17,000 acre (69sq km) Morne Trois Pitons
National
Park, a designated World Natural Heritage Site. Here you’ll see
mist-veiled
peaks looming over the rainforest and thundering waterfalls. |
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The
sea life is equally inspiring.
There are excellent dive sites with beautiful corals, sheer walls,
valleys
and hot springs on the sea-bed. A fringe of spectacular reefs surrounds
Bonaire and its little neighbor Klein Bonaire, with warm, clear water
that
is calm nearly every day of the year. In the winter breeding season,
sperm
whales and their calves can be seen in the deep off-shore waters. |
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Another
vital aspect of Dominica
is that it is the home of 3,000 descendants of Caribs, the
pre-Columbian
people who gave the Caribbean its name. Although the Carib language has
perished, they have their own territory, where their baskets and
wood-carvings
are sold to visitors and some of their traditions are maintained. The
capital,
Roseau, is the best base from which to journey into the interior. It’s
a quiet town where, although English is the country’s official
language,
you’ll also hear French-based creole spoken in the streets. |
Night-life is usually
calm and relaxed
except perhaps, when the island hosts the annual World Creole Music
Festival,
attracting singers and musicians from throughout the French Caribbean,
Africa and Europe. Dominica welcomes all visitors and wants more people
to see its unique natural wonders.
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