Story and photos by Lexi Fisher and Chris Doyle
“Full of the best natural electrolytes,” our guide, Martin, told us as he cut open fresh coconuts on the trunk of a tree and handed us each one to drink from. We were standing on a cliff overlooking the town of Calibishie on Dominica’s northeastern coast. We had been making our way up the Eastern Caribbean chain to get to the Leeward Islands, which I’ll update for a new edition of the guide this season, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the Pointe Baptiste Chocolate Factory, a cute little bean-to-bar operation that makes exceptional chocolate, and Red Rocks, one of Dominica’s many natural wonders.
Northern Dominica has many other attractions, including the Sea Cliff Gin Distillery, the Syndicate Rainforest (part of a national park), Milton (aka Syndicate) Falls, Morne Diablotin, Chaudiere Pool, Cold Soufrière, several lovely and wild beaches, and several sections of the Waitukubuli Trail.
Red Rocks, Pointe Baptiste Chocolate Factory, and Sea Cliff Gin Distillery are in Calibishie, past the main town. Calibishie is a picturesque seaside village standing on a white-sand beach with extensive shallows. It includes several small restaurants. For those on a tight budget, a nice bus trip through some lovely countryside brings you here for lunch.
In the 1930s Elma and Lennox Napier, two Bohemian Scottish aristocrats, fell in love with Dominica and built their home in Pointe Baptiste on a 25-acre estate overlooking the red rocks, which are made of compacted mud that has been etched into strange gullies and shapes and feels impermanent under your feet.
Elma is a landmark figure, the first woman ever elected to a British West Indies legislative council, where she got the first road built linking Roseau to the north. She was also an author who tells her own tale in a beautifully written book, Black and White Sands, which will greatly enhance your enjoyment of Dominica.
One of her grandsons is Lennox Honychurch, the Dominican historian. Another is Alan Napier, a chocolatier who produces chocolate on their old estate set amid beautiful gardens. The main Napier house was built in Roseau, all the planks and frames taken apart, sailed up in local sloops and mainly floated ashore. It survived Hurricane Maria and several others. Alan’s operation is mid-scale and growing. Using lumber milled from trees on their property, he built a proper chocolate house for production and has vastly improved his machinery and output in the last couple of years.
His delicious chocolate comes in many flavors using local fruits, ginger, lemongrass and more. He welcomes visitors, and you can buy chocolate. Alan or his staff will give tours of the operation and some of the gardens. There is a small tour fee, and it is well worth it. Call or WhatsApp him to arrange a time (225-5378). He often has copies of Elma’s book for sale.
Elma had a retreat house at Chaudiere Pool, which is about five miles east of Portsmouth. This is one of the Caribbean’s most perfect tropical pools, set amid lush vegetation. You have to hike 20 minutes down a slope to get there. Just before you reach the river, you can still see a few foundation posts from the old house. You pass over one river with a little sluice and turn right up the adjoining river. The pool is fed by a small waterfall and surrounded by lovely looking rocks. The water bubbles from the falls, reminding some people of a cauldron. The pool is about 15 feet deep and swimming is part of the fun; the adventurous can jump from the cliffs, or shoot down a rock slide. Avoid swimming directly under the falls as they tend to suck you down rather than push you out. It makes a perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Guides sometimes combine this with the chocolate factory and/or Sea Cliff Gin Distillery, Calibishie, and Red Rocks as a long half-day tour.
Simon, a British TV producer, and Amber Oxley, an American fashion designer, came to Dominica and renovated and re-imagined the Sea Cliff eco-cottages, adding a gin micro-distillery. Sea Cliff is up a hill with a lovely view of the sea and it is not far from the Chocolate Factory. They offer free tours of the property which includes tasting their gin, and if you like it, bottles are on sale. You will see their solar-powered micro-boutique distillery and learn how the gin is created using local botanicals including cacao, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, grapefruit and lemongrass. Afterward, you can walk the Gin Botanicals Trail through two acres of clifftop gardens, labelled botanicals, and many other gorgeous tropical flowers and trees. Schedules for tours vary, so it is best to message them on WhatsApp 646-421-8681.
The Syndicate Trail is an easy walk, just under a mile long; but, depending on the state of the road, you may have to walk a little farther. This trail traverses the best example of tropical rainforest in the Leewards. There are many magnificent trees, including one with buttress roots about 35 feet across. The trees form a dense canopy high overhead and there is little undergrowth. One easy and inexpensive way to do this is get a taxi to take you and drop you off at Syndicate Forest Center. You can walk the forest trail on your own but you will need to purchase a pass. Afterward, you can walk back down the Waitukubuli Trail to the defunct medical school, and walk or bus back to Portsmouth. The trail starts just outside the forest center building, takes about two hours, and is relatively easy, but can be wet.
Near Syndicate, a rough hiking trail leads up Morne Diablotin. This is a great climb for the fit and energetic. It is extreme if you make it to the very top.
If you decide to visit Syndicate as part of a morning or afternoon tour, ask about including Milton (Syndicate) Falls. The walk to these waterfalls takes you along a river and through lush agricultural land with mountain views. The falls are about 80 feet high and plunge into a pool. This was used as a water source, so swimming is forbidden, but you cross the river several times, so you will get wet. The vegetation is so dense that the sun only reaches the falls at midday, but it is great to go anytime. To get to the falls you pass over private land, so there is a small fee.
Elma Napier’s Black and White Sands: A Bohemian Life in the Colonial Caribbean is available through Amazon, or order it through your local independent bookstore. You can find Lennox Honychurch’s books at Amazon.
Doyle Guides contain the Eastern Caribbean’s most comprehensive and reliable sailing information, available in hard copy and online through a free mobile app, website, and Facebook group. (www.doyleguides.com).
Dominica Entry and Exit Procedures from Noonsite
Ports of Entry
There are two ports of entry: Portsmouth to the north and Roseau to the south.
Advance Paperwork
All visiting yachts should pre-register with SailClear prior to arrival. For visitors from many countries, a visa is not required. Stays of up to three months are granted on arrival.
Up to three days before arrival, crew can submit their landing card information online at edcard.dominica.gov.dm/.
Entry Process
On arrival the captain should proceed to the nearest customs and immigration offices with the SailClear notification ID number, crew passports and boat paperwork. A cruising permit is needed to move between anchorages.
Exit Process
Same as the entry process. For stays of less than two weeks, clearing in and out at the same time is possible.
Rates
There are minimal clearance fees during working hours (approximately XCD$5 per person). Clearance outside normal working hours will incur overtime fees.
Check noonsite.com for more detailed information and updates. This information is provided by Noonsite.com, specialists in worldwide formalities for yachts, and was accurate at press time.
