Not to miss

St Domingue

Carib Territory

The 3700ac (1497ha) Carib Territory is home to most of Dominica's 3000 Carib Indians. After exposure to European-borne diseases in the 17th century, the Carib population here fell to just a few hundred, but that was fortunate compared to the decimation Caribs suffered on other Caribbean islands.

In the mid-18th century the remaining few were removed to a small 'reserve' - the nucleus of the present-day Territory. Although their numbers have increased since then, their culture has been eroded by Roman Catholicism and the English and French Creole languages.

The Territory is a predominantly rural area with banana and breadfruit trees and wild heliconia growing along the roadside. Many of the houses are traditional Carib-style wooden structures on log stilts, but the poorer areas consist of shanties made of corrugated tin and tarpaper. Salybia is the main settlement, while the L'Escalier Tête Chien at Sineka is the most popular attraction. This unique stairway-like lava outcrop appears to climb out of the turbulent ocean and was thought by the Caribs to be the embodiment of a boa constrictor; it holds a significant place in many Carib legends.

Boiling Lake

Dominica's pre-eminent trek is a rugged day-long hike to Boiling Lake, the world's second largest actively boiling lake. This strenuous hike will take three to three and a-half hours each way, beginning at Titou Gorge. It also requires a guide, which you can arrange in Laudat. Wear sturdy walking shoes and expect to get muddy along the way.

Geologists believe the 63m/207ft-wide lake is a flooded fumarole - a crack in the earth that allows hot gasses to vent from the molten lava below. The eerie-looking lake sits inside a deep basin, its greyish waters veiled in steam, its centre emitting bubbly burps.

En route to the lake the trail passes through the aptly named Valley of Desolation, a former rainforest destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1880. The hike follows narrow ridges, snakes up and down mountains and runs along hot streams. Wear sturdy walking shoes and expect to get dirty and muddy.

Emerald Pool

Emerald Pool takes its name from its lush green setting at the base of a 12m (40ft) waterfall. The pool, deep enough for a swim, is reached via a five-minute walk through a rain forest of ferns and tall trees.

Emerald Pool is generally a serenely quiet area except on cruise-ship days, when one packed mini-van after another pulls up to the site.

The road from Canefield is a nice winding drive with thick jungle vegetation, mountain views and lots of beep-as-you-go hairpin turns. The trailhead is marked with a roadside forestry sign.

Northern Forest Reserve

The Northern Forest Reserve is an extensive area of land in the interior of the island, including the 4747ft/1446m Morne Diablotin, the island's highest peak. The main habitat of Dominica's two endangered parrot species is in the eastern section of the reserve.

To get to the reserve, turn east on the signposted road that begins just north of the village of Dublanc and continue to the Syndicate Estate, about 6.5km (4mi) inland. There you'll find an easy loop trail (Syndicate Trail) to a parrot observatory platform as well as the start of the trail leading up Morne Diablotin, a rugged hike that's best done with a guide. The best times for sighting parrots are in the early morning and late afternoon, when the birds are most active.