Batibou Beach
Easily Dominica's best beach, this gorgeously wild coconut-palm-fringed crescent has good swimming and snorkeling, and there's an (often unmanned) beach…
© Getty Images/iStockphoto
Dominica
Awarded Best in Travel 2023
About Best In Travel 2023Whether you arrive in Dominica by sea or by air, your likely first impression will be one of awe at the sheer dramatic majesty of the place, one with which few islands in the Caribbean can compete. Nicknamed ‘the nature island,' Dominica (locals stress the third syllable) lures independent travelers and eco-adventurers with its boiling lake, rainforest-shrouded volcanoes, sulfurous hot springs, superb diving and the Caribbean's first long-distance hiking trail.
An English-speaking island wedged between francophone Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica is also on a different path to its neighbors in development terms, with no big cruise terminal nor an airport that can take even medium-haul flights. This means the island's traditional character has been far better preserved than elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles.
Hurricane Maria wreaked absolute havoc on Dominica in 2017, from which the island is still painfully – but determinedly – recovering.
Explore Dominica
- Batibou Beach
Easily Dominica's best beach, this gorgeously wild coconut-palm-fringed crescent has good swimming and snorkeling, and there's an (often unmanned) beach…
- MMiddleham Falls
The trail to one of Dominica’s highest waterfalls (200ft) traverses thick rainforest with towering trees and ferns. Although well built and not terribly…
- Cabrits National Park
The star attraction of this small national park on a forested headland a mile north of downtown Portsmouth is Fort Shirley, an impressively restored 18th…
- Kalinago Barana Autê
This re-created traditional village on the Crayfish River near the Isukulati Falls is a good spot to get an overview of Kalinago history and culture. The…
- Ti Tou Gorge
The short swim from a swimming hole through a narrow gorge to a powerful waterfall is charmingly spooky; it's dark down there with steep vine-clad lava…
- Trafalgar Falls
Just beyond the visitor center here you'll find a viewing platform with full-on views of the two side-by-side falls: the 125ft 'Father' fall and 75ft …
- FFreshwater Lake
Shimmering shades of blue and green, Freshwater is the largest of Dominica’s four lakes and the source of the Roseau River. It is easily reached via a…
- TTouna Kalinago Heritage Village
Created by former Kalinago chief Irvince Auguiste, this living village on the Pagua River was created to introduce visitors to the way of life of Dominica…
- SScotts Head Point
A narrow isthmus separating the fierce Atlantic and the calm Caribbean leads to Scotts Head, the rocky headland named for an 18th-century British…
Latest Stories from Dominica
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dominica.
See
Batibou Beach
Easily Dominica's best beach, this gorgeously wild coconut-palm-fringed crescent has good swimming and snorkeling, and there's an (often unmanned) beach…
See
Middleham Falls
The trail to one of Dominica’s highest waterfalls (200ft) traverses thick rainforest with towering trees and ferns. Although well built and not terribly…
See
Cabrits National Park
The star attraction of this small national park on a forested headland a mile north of downtown Portsmouth is Fort Shirley, an impressively restored 18th…
See
Kalinago Barana Autê
This re-created traditional village on the Crayfish River near the Isukulati Falls is a good spot to get an overview of Kalinago history and culture. The…
See
Ti Tou Gorge
The short swim from a swimming hole through a narrow gorge to a powerful waterfall is charmingly spooky; it's dark down there with steep vine-clad lava…
See
Trafalgar Falls
Just beyond the visitor center here you'll find a viewing platform with full-on views of the two side-by-side falls: the 125ft 'Father' fall and 75ft …
See
Freshwater Lake
Shimmering shades of blue and green, Freshwater is the largest of Dominica’s four lakes and the source of the Roseau River. It is easily reached via a…
See
Touna Kalinago Heritage Village
Created by former Kalinago chief Irvince Auguiste, this living village on the Pagua River was created to introduce visitors to the way of life of Dominica…
See
Scotts Head Point
A narrow isthmus separating the fierce Atlantic and the calm Caribbean leads to Scotts Head, the rocky headland named for an 18th-century British…
Featured videos
The best of Caribbean islands
2:52
Guidebooks
Learn more about Dominica
Ready to go? Get to the heart of Dominica with one of Lonely Planet's in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.
