National Parks

Dominica is home to three national parks: Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Cabrits National Park and Morne Diablotin National Park.

Morne Trois Pitons National Park

In 1997, Morne Trois Pitons National Park was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – the first enlisted Natural Site in the Eastern Caribbean. Untouched and relatively undiscovered, the park is like stepping back in time. Lush, green primordial rainforests slope up to magnificent peaks. Rivers rush past giant ferns as the fragrances of island flowers surround you. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is truly how the Caribbean was meant to be.

Morne Trois Pitons is awash with natural wonders, highlighted by the Emerald Pool, Middleham Falls, Titou Gorge and Boiling Lake, thought to be the second largest fumarole in the world.

Key attractions within the Park include the Valley of Desolation, the Boiling Lake, Titou Gorge, Freshwater Lake, Boeri Lake, Emerald Pool, Middleham Falls, Morne Anglaise, Morne Watt, and Morne Micotrin (Morne Macque)

Interesting Facts – Morne Trois Pitons National Park:
The Boiling Lake feeds into the Victoria Falls and White River in Delices on the southeast coast of the island
The Emerald Pool is fed by the Middleham Falls
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest “Cage of Bones” drop scene was filmed at Titou Gorge

Cabrits National Park

Cabrits National Park is located on a peninsula on the north end of the island just beyond the town of Portsmouth.

Established in 1986, Cabrits National Park occupies 1,313 acres and protects tropical forests, coral reefs and wetlands. The park is nestled between a pair of low-rising peaks, extinct volcanoes, creating a spectacular view of the beaches below.

Fort Shirley

Step back into Dominica’s European Past
You can’t escape history — even on Dominica. But you can escape to Fort Shirley, part of the Cabrits National Park and located on a scenic peninsula just north of Portsmouth. This fortress is most famously known for a revolt by African slave soldiers in 1802, an event which would lead to freeing of all British slave soldiers in 1807.

The fort itself was built within a volcanic crater and served as part of a network of defenses along the Lesser Antilles during international conflicts between Britain and France in the 18th and 19th centuries. These conflicts left behind echoes of a different era and some of the fort’s ruins are being slowly reclaimed by the encroaching forest.

Much of the fort is intact or has been rebuilt, allowing you to see what the area must have looked like back when the fort was operational. Take a moment to climb the walls, look out from a row of cannons, and imagine setting your sight on ships slowly drifting into range.

The Officer’s Quarters has undergone a major renovation and is now home to weddings, receptions, concerts, and other events. Offering stunning views of Prince Rupert Bay, nearby beaches, and the mountains rising behind it, Fort Shirley is a natural lookout on the region. And if you’re planning a visit during May or June, plan ahead so you won’t miss Dominica’s Jazz n’Creole Festival that is held here annually.

Home to uprisings, victories, and defeats — Fort Shirley now connects visitors to an island at peace.

Syndicate Nature Trail and Parrot Preserve
Also situated in the western section of the National Park is the Syndicate Nature Trail and Parrot Preserve, which was constructed in 1993 through funding from by RARE Centre for Tropical Conservation and Birdlife International. The trail provides visitors opportunities to experience a genuine tropical rainforest and is a prime birding location. Bird watchers can expect catch a glimpse of many of the 179 species of birds found on the Nature Island including the Sisserou and Jaco.

Morne Diablotins National Park

Morne Diablotins National Park is a national park in the northern mountain ranges of the island. The park covers 8,242 acres, and was established in 2000, primarily to protect the habitat of the endangered Sisserou Parrot, the national symbol of Dominica. The park is home to 4,747 foot Morne Diablotins, the tallest mountain on the island and the second highest mountain in the Lesser Antilles.