Dominica -- The Nature Island

The next island up the chain from Martinique is Dominica (pronounced Domi-NEE-ka). Self-styled as "The Nature Island", Dominica definitely impressed.

Dominica's terrain is wild and rugged, much more so than the other Caribbean islands, and its landscape almost impossibly lush and green. It is one of the least populated islands of its size in the Caribbean, and nearly entirely covered with rainforest.

Unlike most of the other islands, where we spent most of our time exploring the bays and reefs, in Dominica, we explored the interior.

We did some scenic and very challenging hikes (these are the non-challenging parts):

We explored the only remaining Native Caribbean settlement in all of the Caribbean of the Kalinago people, which the government of Dominica has granted land in perpetuity so they can continue their culture and customs (this experience, as you might expect, led to some interesting and educational experiences about why there is only one native Caribbean settlement remaining today, how the people of African descent came to the islands, and the role that European colonization played -- fun, fun!).

Then it was on to less serious matters, swimming in one of the coolest river gorges we have ever seen. This is the Titou Gorge, and here we swim up through the gorge to the waterfall and back:

And we managed to finish the day with a dip in the volcanic hot springs!

Next stop: Guadeloupe!