For those that have been following the blog for a while, you are aware that Dominica is one of our favorite islands with its friendly people, tropical beauty, and extensive activities both in the water and on land. For more comprehensive information check out these prior blogs as well as use the search feature for other Dominica posts:
Dominica: Eureka! The Motherlode of Beauty and Activity
Dominica, A Bountiful and Luscious Island of Proud Friendly People
There is a pod of Sperm whales that reside off the coast of Dominica year-round. While I didn’t get pictures, we did finally see them in the distance breaching and spouting. There are whale watching tours, but as of yet, we have not participated in this activity. However, it is on the list.
Of course, when we arrived in Dominica we had to reconnect with Jennifer, our market lady friend, who helps keep me stocked with papayas and bananas for muffins and lettuce, tomatoes, christophine and cucumbers for salad as well as cabbage and onions for fish tacos. If she doesn’t have what I need, I am assured she knows who does. She is the first lady on the left under the umbrella when walking up the fishing dock. You can tie your dinghy to the fishing dock, but you are not allowed to lock it. So far, we have not had any issues.
Our next stop on the agenda was to walk up to Maford House Cafe to have a glass of wine with our friend, Whitney Sommers. She makes the best bread, burgers, Chicken Caribbean wraps, cheesecake bites and much more! Her little café with the beer garden in the back shouldn’t be missed.
This year Whiney joined us for Christmas Eve dinner on the boat. It was great to relax and catch up on the goings on since we had last visited the island.
When we told Whitney we were going to take Susan to the Chocolate Factory in Calibishie, she informed us about a goat farm we needed to visit. This turned out to be one of the highlights this year. Prior mariners from Texas moved to Dominica, bought some land, and built a beautiful house up on the hillside. They have spent years cultivating the land which is now full of gorgeous flowers and fruit trees. In addition, they began raising goats, and making and selling goat cheese and milk. I must tell you that it is the freshest, sweetest goat cheese I have ever eaten. Lauren and Tim took time from their busy day to introduce us to the many varieties of plants on their property as well as educate us about goat farming, milking, and making cheese. If you find yourself in Calibishie you should certainly drive up the hill to visit Lauren and Tim at Blackbeard’s Dairy. You will be enchanted.
We also, upon Whitney’s recommendation, ate lunch at the Coral Reef Restaurant and Bar. It was adjacent to the backside of a cute little grocery store. The food was wonderful as we sampled many of the local foods such as breadfruit and dasheen. We had some delightful, curried shrimp with a full plate of sides. Good thing Susan and I split the plate because we were both full when we finished! While the food was good, the view and sounds were spectacular with the waves crashing almost at our feet. This was a wonderful little find in Calibishie.
Don’t forget to check out prior blogs for other activities available in Calibishie such as the Chocolate Factory (that will make you salivate) and the Red Rocks!
Another delicious place to eat (but come hungry) is the Keepin’ it Real Restaurant and Bar in Toucari. Be sure to call them for reservations and identify your chosen entree such as chicken, ribs, fish or lobster. They will have it freshly prepared for you. The spiney lobster was amazing. I am sure they caught it that day just for us.
The snorkeling on either side of the bay is also fascinating. It’s a great beach to spend the day.
If you moor in Prince Rupert Bay with the PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) guys (or anchoring is fine too), you can use their dinghy dock, but be sure to deploy a stern anchor, and stay as far from the beach as possible. We came back from Keepin’ it Real to find our dinghy had been swamped by the surge that was hitting the beach and violently flowing back out in large waves. That was no way to end a perfect evening!
Prince Rupert Bay is also a great place to meet up with fellow cruisers. You can attend the Sunday night BBQ at PAYS or you might just happen to run into someone who you know at Maford House Café as we did. We had met Dave and Willeana in Antigua last year, and here we were in Dominica together.
Another nice thing about Prince Rupert Bay is that it affords some amazing sunsets because the bay is open to the west. If you are lucky, you might even see a green flash.
Well, boo hiss, Susan had to leave us on Christmas day, but I think she fell in love with Dominica too.
Believe it or not as much time as we have spent in Dominica over the last several years, we still have not completed our bucket list for this island. There is still more to do such as:
North
Snorkel north side of Toucari
South
Snorkel at Scotts Head
Explore the little villages on the south side
West
Snorkel Salisbury beach
East
Hike to Batibou or Number One Beach (east side)
Hang out at Woodford Hill Beach
Eat at Seaview Restaurant
Hike to black sand beach off of Red Rocks
Central
Drive to and picnic at Freshwater Lake
So it looks like Daggers Down and crew will be returning to Dominica again in the near future. More to come….
On behalf of Daggers Down, Kitra and Ben, we would like to wish you a healthy and blessed New Year of 2024!
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