Hiking in Dominica
Dominica is an island in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It is a republic of the Americas with the capital city of Roseau and its official language is English, although Creole and French are also spoken. It was a colony of the United Kingdom until 1967. It has a total area of 751 km and a coastline of 148 km.
The island is not very touristy and therefore is not prepared to receive people arriving on a trip. This means that there is no infrastructure or any kind of service for hikers. For this reason, there is not much information on the island about the routes or materials, such as maps, for orientation.
Practical guide for hikers
There are many trails to be found within the island. The best known of all is the Waitukubuli Trail. It is a route that crosses the island from north to south, is divided into 14 segments and can be done in 11-14 days. This trail is joined by some other shorter and easier trails such as the "Boiling Lake", "Titiu George" or "Middleham Falls". Hikers can choose to walk the island following the most popular route or make different combinations and get to know different places and trails.
The island's citizens are aware that more and more people are interested in discovering the landscape of the area and doing so by practising a sport. For this reason, the paths of the routes, resorts and places of interest are well preserved, maintained and clean.
The biggest advantage on the island is that during the whole route it is possible not to meet any people. As it is not a very popular island, there are not many people who come to do a route. Most of the days it is possible not to meet anyone, which means that the contact with nature is greater. Moreover, the area is pure wilderness and wild. The water temperature is perfect, so swimming in the rivers, waterfalls and beaches is a must.
Advice for hikers
As there are no services on the route, it will be necessary for hikers to carry all the necessary equipment. This includes, on the one hand, everything necessary for camping and cooking. When it is time to eat, it will be necessary to take all the food with you, both for cooking and for eating at any time. Water or drinks will also be necessary. At least 3 litres of water will be necessary to cope with the route. There is no water source or any kind of drinking water along the route, so it is extremely necessary to include it in your luggage.
In terms of clothing, being a coastal area and in a tropical zone, loose-fitting clothing will be appropriate. There are likely to be a lot of insects, so long-sleeved clothing will help to avoid bites. A mosquito net could also be included to help you rest during the night and the early and late hours of the day. Nights are not usually of such quality and storms tend to be occasional, so waterproof clothing will help protect against storms.
As the route is isolated from civilisation, it is important to carry a device with you so that if you get lost or injured you can be rescued quickly. GPS devices are the best option for this, as they allow helicopters or search teams to access the area you are in very quickly.
It is important to prepare in advance for the trip. As it is a practically deserted island, it will be necessary to have prepared the transport to get to the island, the accommodation there and the transfer to the route area.
It is a fairly straightforward route because there are no slopes and it is quite easy to follow. However, the conditions to be able to do it make it difficult. The lack of food and drink, the lack of accommodation, the high temperatures and the amount of insects that can be present mean that not everyone can cope with the route.
To be able to do the routes you need to buy a pass, which can be of different types: one-day, one-week or two-week passes.
For the more experienced hikers it is recommended to follow the less common routes, discovering unusual but more complex places to reach. With a good organisation with marked routes and planning, an expert should not have any problems.
