Morne Trois Pitons National Park located in Dominica is a tropical rainforest with volcanic features that was recognized as a World Heritage Site on April 4, 1995.
Dominica is the dividing point of the Caribbean islands’ Windward Islands to the west and the Leeward islands to the east. The highest point is Morne Diablotin at 4,747ft. Dominica has some of the richest mountain rainforest in the Caribbean.
The majority of the island is covered by densely wooded mountains and rainforest. The overall terrain is very steep, and extremely rugged. Dominica’s beaches generally consist of shimmering black sand or rocks.
There are few expansive beaches. The island has over 360 rivers. There are 9 volcanoes on the Dominica …none display the distinct cone shape top generally associated with volcanoes. There are more active volcanoes here than anywhere in the world.
Boiling Lake, in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, is one of the world’s largest thermal lakes. This eerie-looking pool of bubbling, gray-green water lies at the end of a strenuous, three-hour hike through thick forest.
Cabrits National Park is on a peninsula at the north end of the Caribbean island of Dominica, north of Portsmouth. The park protects tropical forest, coral reefs and wetlands. There are hiking trails and an English garrison called Fort Shirley.
The Layou River is a river in Dominica. It rises in the interior of the country, flowing westward to reach the Caribbean Sea on the country’s central western coast, very close to the town of St. Joseph. It is the longest and deepest river in Dominica.
One of the most impressive and photogenic waterfalls on the island, the Victoria Waterfall, in Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica, is formed by the White River cascading over a cliff into a warm pool below. Minerals give the water a milky-white color.
The twin falls are one of Dominica’s most famous sites. Known as Mother and Father, the falls lie at the end of an easy 20-minute hike through a forest of ginger plants and vanilla orchids. The cool main stream of Trafalgar Falls originates in the mountains and is joined near the bottom by a hot mineral spring.
Pretty Papillote Tropical Gardens are a haven for artists, botanists, and photographers. Fed by a small stream, these 10-acre gardens form the grounds of a charming eco-lodge, the Papillote Wilderness Retreat. Paths wind among bamboo trees, ginger blossoms, indigenous orchids, bromeliads, and begonias. Nature-lovers may also find many frogs, birds, and butterflies in the lush gardens.