The Difference on Dominica

With whale encounters, champagne reefs, waterfall hikes, and a Boiling Lake, this tiny volcanic island nation is not your typical tourist-packed Caribbean destination – and that’s a great thing.

By Maryann Jones Thompson

First, we’re NOT talking about the Dominican Republic – “Dominica” is a tiny volcanic island nation near Martinique. Second, this isle is not your typical tourist-packed Caribbean destination.

Yes, Americans are welcome here, and no, the virus is not out of control. The isle used to be a British Colony so the official language is English. And if you’re lucky enough to have time to hop around the Windwards to say, Guadeloupe, Martinique, or St. Lucia, there’s a ferry for that.

Here’s a partial list of the adventures that pushed us to add Dominica to ROAM’s list of 21 Covid-safe Family Trips for 2021:

Snorkel on Champagne Reef – Snorkelers and divers pass through tiny bubbles rising from thermal springs in the ocean floor to see a rainbow of reef creatures.
Hike to Boiling Lake – Numerous vista-packed hikes head into the mountains of Dominica’s interior to see waterfalls, pools, and a high, misty valley with a flooded volcanic fumarole.
Glimpse its Culture – Dominica’s community of pre-colonial inhabitants, the Kalinago, mixes indigineous traditions with later layers of French and British colonists.
Boat a Pirate River – The Indian River is navigable and one of the reasons the Kalinago were able to maintain life in the island’s interior trading with colonists on the shore. More recently, a few of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed here.
Dive with Whales – Dominica’s steep dropoffs make the perfect hideaway for pilot, sperm and four other species of whale that hang out here year-round. You can take a whale watching boat trip or scuba dive in hopes of catching a glimpse of these leviathans.
Swim/Hike a Gorge – The Titou Gorge offers active travelers a chance to swim through a waterfall into a narrow chasm lined with greenery.

Oh, and you can relax on the beach, too. Dominica has plenty of spots for that, to be sure, but fewer giant eye-poppers compared to other Caribbean islands. This has kept the massive horde-attracting resort developers out, so IMHO not a bad thing. But families won’t have any trouble finding plenty of pleasant strands to stretch out on…

Maryann Jones Thompson – January 2021

ROAM Founder & Editor

After a thousand years in publishing as a business journalist, ghostwriter, content strategist and market researcher, Maryann brings her experience traveling as a backpacker, businessperson, expat and mom to writing and editing for ROAM.