BOOK

“The best guidebook to Dominica – and one of the best guidebooks to any single country in the Caribbean – is the Bradt Dominica Guide. Author Paul Crask seems to know every crevice of the island and liberally shares his insider’s knowledge in this fun, snappy guide.”

Dominica is a place for people who enjoy nature. Hikers, scuba divers, bird watchers and culture vultures will all love it here. As a keen hiker and scuba diver I have been fortunate enough to explore the beauty of Dominica both above and below water, and it is simply breathtaking. It is an island of mountains, rainforest, rivers and waterfalls, a place of nature, of creation and of tranquillity. Its stunning natural environment remains a rare and valuable treasure, still unspoilt by largescale tourism, and truly off the beaten track. Called Wai’tukubuli by its indigenous people, meaning ‘tall is her body’, the place that Christopher Columbus renamed Dominica in 1493 is arguably the most naturally beautiful island in the Caribbean.
When I set out to write a guidebook about my adopted home, it was my aim to be as inclusive and as representative as possible. I wanted to talk not only about the popular visitor sites and the large hotels, but also about the small businesses, the island’s remote and beautiful villages, the craftsmen and women who carve, create and paint, Dominica’s talented musicians, the fishermen, the farmers, the people who sell fruit and vegetables by the roadside, the lively village snackettes, the Kalinago. I wanted to highlight nature, Dominica’s eternal treasure, as well as the island’s history and rich cultural heritage. I don’t know how well I have succeeded in this ambition, but I do know I have given it my best shot. If I have missed anyone out, please don’t take it personally.
I have made every one of the hikes described in this guide on at least one occasion, and many of them several times. I finished writing the first edition of the book in March 2007. Over time trails change a little, a new hotel, bar or restaurant opens, perhaps something has closed down, and a gommier tree that once marked a forest route may now be a Kalinago canoe. This website contains updates as well as hiking reports. If you discover any changes of your own, please drop me an email at paulcrask@gmail.com.

Enjoy the nature island.

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