Explore Dominica by kayak? Try the Waitukubuli Sea Kayak Trail, a 40-ish mile paddle trail down Dominica’s stunning western coastline. For years, Dominica’s rugged landscape and range of outdoor activities had intrigued me, and when Michael Gray of Uncommon Adventures organized this trip, I jumped in. Finally March 2024 arrived, and we were on our way.
Before we met our group from Uncommon Adventures, several of us spent one night at the Jungle Bay Resort, and we agreed that one night was not enough. Their wide range of outdoor activities demands a return trip.
The next day, we arrived at the Soufriere Outdoor Centre, only a short and steep drive from the Jungle Bay Resort. Wes Moses started the Soufriere Outdoor Centre and, with his Dominican colleagues, established the Waitukubuli Sea Trail which parallels the Waitukubuli Trail through the mountains. After meeting Wes at a Sea Kayak Georgia symposium, I had been following the progress of the guesthouse and trail. Up until now, relatively few have paddled the Waitukubuki Sea Trail, but recent coverage in Travel and Leisure and Youtube should change that. That afternoon, we chose boats and outfitted them for the week. Wes had a wide selection of NDKs (Nigel Dennis Kayaks), and I was fortunate to get a Pilgrim Expedition, a boat I have paddled extensively.
Monday—finally on the water. Michael and Dominican guide Kerry Alleyne led to the southern tip of Dominica, where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic. Michael had warned us about winds whipping through the mountains, but none of us were prepared for the abrupt transition from Caribbean paradise to boat-stopping gusts and back, all in under a minute. The winds dropped as the week went on, but it kept us on our toes.
That afternoon, we snorkeled around Bubble Beach Spa, a black sand and rock beach so named for the bubbles emerging from the volcanic thermal springs. After a day of paddling and snorkeling, Michael’s grilled snapper, rum punch, and Kubuli beer were a welcome treat. And we learned the mnenonic for the trail: Wai-tu-kubuli? Because one is not enough. Noone suffered from hunger or thirst that week.
Tuesday morning, we crammed three days worth of gear and clothing into our boats and headed north, passing Champagne Beach, another bubbly snorkeling spot. Our destination: Anchorage Hotel in Rousseau, Dominica’s capitol. Despite the heat, that afternoon’s trip to the hot springs felt wonderful, as we tested out the different levels of heat in the pools.
The thermal springs prepped us for our longest day, a 15-ish mile trek from the Anchorage Hotel to Sunset Bay’s Lobster Palace. A slight tailwind and following seas made the trip surprisingly fast and easy. We passed several busy ports along the way, and that was the only time we had to watch for boat traffic during the trip. In Layou, just south of St. Joseph, we experienced what I consider to be the culinary delight of the week: Boyd’s Bakes, fry bread stuffed with a curry-infused smoked fish. Boyds Bakes, in itself, is worth a return visit.
Sunset Bay and the Lobster Palace! We dragged our boats on to the beach and settled in for the feast. Noone left the Lobster Palace hungry—we had a three course breakfast!
En route to Fort Shirley, we snorkeled at Secret Beach, one of the best snorkeling spots of the trip.
Thursday night, we reached Cabrits National Park and Fort Shirley, a UNESCO Heritage site and our home for the next three nights.
“Fort Shirley is part of the Cabrits National Park in the north of Dominica and can be considered Dominica’s most important historic site and was the scene of the famous revolt of the 8th West India Regiment in 1802 when African slave soldiers took over the garrison for three days in protest over conditions there and the fear of being sent to work in the canefields. Their action resulted in all slave soldiers in the British Empire being made free in 1807.”
Unfortunately the fort historian, Dr. Lenox Honeychurch, was unavailable that day. I am often struck at the somber histories of areas of great beauty where I paddle and enjoy nature.
Layover day—visit to Free Up Farm and Syndicate Falls.
Segment 14—The End! The Witches Hat marks the northern terminus of the trail where the Caribbean once again meets with the Atlantic. We had completed the Waitkubuli Sea Trail, and it was time to unload our boats and send them back to Wes in Soufriere.
The next morning, the group split, making our way back to the airport. Kevin, Michael, Lisa and I spent the night at the lovely Sea Cliff Eco-Cottages, which also have a gin distillery. Another site worth a return. En route, we saw some promising waves—a surf trip up next?—and the Point Baptiste Estate Chocolate Factory.
Our amazing time in Dominica had come to an end, and I felt like I had only scratched the surface. So much to do, and so much to learn. Our guide Kerry and our driver Kish from Portsmouth had explained so much to us about Dominica, and that left me eager to return. As they say about Kubuli: Why Two? Because one is not enough. And so with Dominica—one week is not enough.
Florida Waterscapes 