Cabrits Dominica
Dominica

40 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Star Clippers (40 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

At the quay located inside Cabrits National Park itself, an arrangement close to unique in the Caribbean. Barely off the gangway, the forest runs down to the water and the first military ruins emerge from the trees a five-minute walk away.
Yes. Fort Shirley is five minutes away on a gently sloping path, and the trails to the twin peaks start at the garrison. Only Portsmouth, three kilometres off, needs a taxi — or a good walk for the hardy.
Fort Shirley and its esplanades, the climb to West Cabrits — about thirty minutes — then snorkelling in Douglas Bay just to the north. The Indian River trip from Portsmouth fits comfortably into the same half day.
A British garrison fortified from 1765 to watch the channel separating Dominica from French Guadeloupe. It housed up to six hundred soldiers across barracks, powder magazines and gun batteries. Long swallowed by jungle, it has been patiently cleared and restored: you now walk the esplanades and cisterns in the company of lizards.
The West Indian soldiers of the 8th West India Regiment rose here against their condition. That mutiny weighed on London's decision, five years later, to free all enslaved soldiers in the British army. The history of the place goes well beyond military anecdote.
The climb to West Cabrits takes about thirty minutes under tall trees, among birdsong and glossy roots. It is not technical, but the paths stay damp much of the year: closed shoes are recommended. Gaps in the canopy open onto the bay and the village of Portsmouth.
Yes. Coral formations line Douglas Bay just north of the peninsula. Mask and snorkel are enough to see parrotfish and sea fans a few metres from shore, in generally calm water sheltered from the trade winds. Ruined gun batteries sleep under strangler figs, steps from the beach towels.
The East Caribbean dollar. US dollars are widely accepted. Bring cash: a national park site access fee applies, often included in excursions, and taxis and guides wait at the pier exit — agree the price before setting off.
English is the official language. You will also hear a French-based creole, a legacy of French presence and the closeness of Guadeloupe and Martinique. A few words of French sometimes land, but English remains the language of exchange.
The longest hiking trail in the Caribbean, 185 kilometres crossing the whole of Dominica and finishing its final section precisely at Cabrits. Passing walkers often cover its last few metres without realising, heading from the garrison up to the twin peaks.