The first thing you'll notice about Dominica (pronounced Dah-min-EE-ka)
is how intensely green the island is. Lush, steep-sided peaks rear
up 4700 feet to meet cloud-capped summits that receive enough heavy
rainfall to feed hundreds of mountain streams. These in turn nourish
the majestic rainforest vegetation that covers over sixty percent of
Dominica's centre.
Lying halfway between Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica's appeal
has nothing to do with fabulous beaches - what few exist are paltry
- or idle days spent under a palm tree. Rather, its abundant nature
invites rigorous hiking to deep emerald pools, waterfalls and bubbling
lakes. Offshore are superb drop-offs, volcanic arches and caves busy
with stingrays, barracuda and parrotfish, making for some of the
Caribbean's best diving , while whales and dolphins often play off
the southern coast, near Champagne , a unique effervescent bay. |
