Dominica with kids is fun when you are really nature lovers. It is also considered the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. You should not go here if you like purely beaches, because these beautiful beaches are not super many. We loved the island and had a great time there for eight days. In this blog, we list the best sights and activities in Dominica with kids.
#1 Cabrits National Park
Cabrits National Park is located in northwestern Dominica near the city of Portsmouth. In this national park you can take beautiful walks to the top of the mountain and from here you have beautiful views. It is also possible to visit Fort Shirley. You pay a small entrance fee to the national park and then for that money you get a map with a list of hiking trails and you can also visit a small museum (which is not that much).
I (Joep) walked the trail to East Cabrits myself, because I was told at the entrance that this trail went all the way up the mountain and you have great views at the top of the mountain. You can walk up in about an hour. Be sure to bring at least enough water, as it can be quite hot and the climb is quite steep at times. Along the way, you will encounter a number of ruins and at times feel like you are walking through the set of Indiana Jones. Along the way you will encounter small salamanders and I also saw a small black (harmless) snake. The view of the mountain is really beautiful.
After this hike, I visited the fort, which is also definitely fun to visit briefly. The fort is located on the hill and from the entrance you walk right up to it. Therefore, with very small kids, it’s also fine to visit the fort alone. From the fort you also have a nice view of the sea. In all, you can easily spend an entire morning or afternoon entertaining yourself here. Then, because of the heat, it is obviously best to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
#2 Indian River
This sight is also located in the northwestern part of Dominica’s island. This attraction is also located near Portsmouth. A visit to this river is therefore also good to combine with a visit to Cabrits National Park. You can take a boat trip at this river for about 1.5 hours.
You can easily park the car in a large parking lot near the bank and the beginning of the Indian River and then you will be met right there by local guides who have a boat and will be happy to take you on the river. It does not matter if the boat has a motor or not, as they are not allowed to motor in the national park itself, so they have to row everything themselves. The surroundings of the river are beautiful and because the guides row, it is also very peaceful and relaxing.
The cruise goes to a small waterfront pub in the middle of the jungle. Here you can have a drink and also take a walk through the garden (despite that not being very much). Along the way you will see several birds and also some fish. We loved the boat ride on the water. So you spend a total of about 2 hours with this activity.
#3 Batibou Bay Beach
Even though Dominica is not known for its many beautiful beaches, you still have a very nice beach you can visit on the island. Batibou Bay Beach is located in the northeastern part of the island and is not super visited. Most tourists come from the cruise ships and most tours do not go to this beach.
You can choose to drive all the way to the beach if you have a rental car, but you really need a 4W drive car. We parked the car at the top of the road and walked the last stretch to the beach. This took about 20 minutes or so. The trek here is doable with small kids and not very strenuous.
You pay a small entrance fee for the beach. When we visited the beach, we were the only tourists on the beach, so we had the entire beach to ourselves. It really is a beautiful beach with palm trees and therefore plenty of shade. However, there are few provisions on the beach, so keep this in mind! If you are looking for a beautiful beach that is not crowded, Batibou Bay Beach is a very nice option to go to with kids.
#4 Red Rocks
We combined our visit to Red Rocks with a visit to Batibou Bay Beach. These two attractions in Dominica are a short distance from each other, making them great to visit in a day. Red Rocks is a beautiful area and you don’t have to spend super much time visiting.
You drive your rental car to the parking lot of Red Rock Cuisine (where you can get some food and drinks) and from this parking lot it is a few minutes walk to Red Rocks. It is a very special area and when we visited Red Rocks, again, we were the only tourists. You normally have to pay a small entrance fee, but when we were there there was no one in sight to collect the entrance fee.
In all, we didn’t spend more than half an hour at Red Rocks.
#5 Titou Gorge
One of the most fun activities to do in Dominica with kids is to visit Titou Gorge. This cave is a half-hour drive from the town of Rosseau. When we visited the cave, it was very crowded with tourists coming from the cruise ships. So if you want the cave more to yourself, it’s best to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon when these tourists are all back on the boat.
At Titou Gorge, you can swim a bit through a gorge and eventually come out to a waterfall that is inside the cave. We initially thought when we saw the amount of tourists that it would be nothing at all, but in the end we found it to be a very cool activity. Surely the waterfall is quite spectacular so in the middle of a cave.
You are required to enter the cave with a life jacket, but you can rent one for a few dollars from one of the men standing at the cave entrance. If you want to take photos in the cave, it is recommended that you put a case on your phone that will protect your phone from the water. Unfortunately, we did not have such a protective case with us that day, but fortunately we were able to buy one from the same men who also rented the life jackets. This activity will take you no more than an hour.
#6 Trafalgar Falls
You can also visit a number of waterfalls on the island of Dominica with kids. The most beautiful waterfall is the one at Trafalgar Falls. This waterfall is in the vicinity of Titou Gorge, which makes both of these children’s activities great to combine. Trafalgar Falls is easily accessible from the waterfall parking lot. In about ten minutes you walk along a path toward the waterfall and there you have a viewing platform.
The waterfall consists of two waterfalls flowing side by side. Most tourists stay on the viewing platform, but it is well worthwhile to do some climbing and scrambling at the falls. It’s best to put on water shoes, though, so you can walk through the water and still have some grip.
We did this with our 8-year-old daughter and it was quite manageable, despite of course helping her climb over the rocks all the time. You can also swim at the left waterfall in the water just below. We spent about 1.5 hours at these falls.
#7 Ti Kwen Cho Hot Springs
A nice place to relax on Dominica with kids are the hot baths of Ti Kwen Cho. This activity can also be combined with a visit to Trafalgar Falls and Titou Gorge. At these hot springs you have a number of pools where you can relax. At the top of the mountain, the baths are the hottest, as the water flows further and further down the mountain, cooling more and more.
You pay a few dollars entrance fee per person for the hot baths, and the baths are nice and warm, making them great for relaxing. We got this tip from the receptionist at our hotel and she indicated that these hot springs are the most beautiful on the island and we must say that the surroundings are certainly photogenic.
You additionally have some animals you can visit at these hot springs, but it’s not a big deal. In addition, the animals are not really in nice and spacious pens. We spent a total of 2 hours in these hot springs, but if you as a family like to relax, you can also spend an entire morning or afternoon here.
#8 Mero Black Sand Beach
If you are looking for a beach that is easily accessible and is great for spending a morning or afternoon with the family, Mero Black Sand Beach is definitely a good option. The beach, as the name suggests, is black, which is due to volcanic activity. We didn’t think it was a super nice beach, but the facilities at the beach are fine.
So you can rent beds and it is also possible to have a bite to eat at one of the beach bars. The beach is also popular with people from the cruise ships, so there are always people at the beach during the day. Located about halfway between Rosseau and Portmouth, the beach is easily accessible by rental car. You can park the rental car for free at this beach.
#9 Bubble Beach
Another fun beach to visit is Bubble Beach. Dominica is known for the bubbles you can see underwater in the sea. These are tiny bubbles that rise up from the surface. It is quite an extraordinary sight we must say. The most famous beach on Dominica to see the bubbles is Champagne Reef, but we didn’t find that a very nice place to go in the water.
For example, we read on the Internet that it is quite difficult to find the right spots for the bubbles at Champagne Reef and that it can be quite painful to walk on the rocks in the water. At Bubble Beach, this is a lot easier. You can park your car at a church in the parking lot and walk right onto the beach. The beach is not super big nor a nice place to sunbathe, but to see the bubbles underwater with kids, this beach is a very nice place.
As soon as you dive into the water, you already see plenty of bubbles, so you don’t have to swim far. We also saw different kinds of fish swimming. By the way, you can also drive a little further to Scotts Head and go snorkeling here, but the sea here is more turbulent and less suitable for kids. Here, too, you can spot fish near the rocks and sometimes a turtle.
Family-friendly hotel Dominica
You have several family-friendly hotels in Dominica. Keep in mind that there are not super many hotels on the island and most tourists come by cruise ships. As a result, the choice is not super wide. We slept in perhaps the two best hotels on the island. We would recommend staying in a hotel in both the north and south during your stay on the island of Dominica. That way, the various attractions can be reached a shorter distance from your hotel.
InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa
Located in the north of the island, the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa is the most beautiful hotel on the island. The huge resort is located on the beach and has several pools. The resort has beautiful rooms, some with private pools by the room. There are also several restaurants at the hotel where you can have a good meal. We found that a huge advantage, since there are very few good restaurants on the island of Dominica where you can go for a bite to eat and a drink. We wrote the blog Intercontinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa with kids about this hotel.
Fort Young Hotel
In the center of Rosseau is the Fort Young Hotel. This is the most luxurious hotel in the south of the island and has recently been completely renovated. This hotel also has a pool and jacuzzi, overlooking the sea. You can walk straight from the hotel into the center of Rosseau, despite the fact that we found this town to be little. You do have a supermarket nearby. We had a modern room with a balcony that overlooked the sea. For more information about the Fort Young Hotel, take a look here.
