Hiking – Page 7

360° Views from Antigua’s Highest Peak

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking

Antigua hiking at it's best - Mount Obama / Boggy Peak hike with Trek Tours

Antigua Hiking – On a Caribbean Mountain/Trail Named After a US President!

Antigua & Barbuda is a multi-island Caribbean nation east of St. Kitts & Nevis, just north of Guadeloupe. Known for it’s numerous soft white beaches, sailing and snorkeling – The island also has a number of really nice hiking trails to explore! Antigua hiking was a pleasant surprise. If It’s not too daunting, I always like to hike the tallest peak of the Caribbean island I’m visiting and at just over 1,330 feet (450m) tall, Antigua’s Mount Obama is definitely in my ‘do-able’ range, so it was the must-do hike of our trip.

While we like to be active and explore the Caribbean, we prefer to relax and enjoy our vacation experiences without having to worry about all the detailed logistics, so we connected with a local hiking / tour operator who knows the island and our target trail really well. For our Mount Obama adventure, we chose Antigua’s Trek Tours to show us the way…

The friendly folks from Trek Tours picked us up at our east coast hotel around 8:30am, then took us on a pleasant scenic drive on our way to Antigua’s south west, an area known as the “Green Corridor”. It’s good to get off the resort and see what each Caribbean island is really all about. In Antigua, there’s little vehicle traffic (outside of St. John’s) – Our drive was only interrupted by the occasional goat herd wandering across the road. On our cross country joyride we observed that Antigua is noticeably dryer than other parts of the Caribbean. More importantly, the island also appears to be less impoverished than most of the other islands we’ve visited. In general, the locals seem to be very friendly and relatively happy.

While mostly flat coral and limestone, Antigua’s hilly south-west has some interesting volcanic features along with more/taller vegetation than the rest of the island. This area is home to Mount Obama National Park and the island’s tallest peak, Mount Obama. Formerly known as Boggy Peak, the area was renamed in 2009 in honour of the historic presidential election of Barack Obama in the USA.

Eventually we made our way down a dirt road to the Christian Valley Agricultural Station – an area known for it’s delicious fruits, like mangoes, pineapples and papayas. While we were curiously looking at the various fruit trees, we also noticed a number of furry little critters darting around everywhere. I’ve never seen so many mongooses in such a short time-frame – If you’ve never seen one before, they kind of look like elongated squirrels. Very reminiscent of being back home (in North America).

We were dropped off with our guide on the north side of the mountain. Next to the trail-head was a monument and plaque dedicating the area to President Obama. After a short warm-up on a dirt road lined with papaya trees and more of our hungry mongoose friends, the trail narrows then disappears into the forest. With our guide leading the way, our Antigua hiking journey was underway. We headed into the wilderness for a 4 mile (6.6km) jaunt up and over the mountain.

The forest is heavily wooded, although it felt kind of different to me than hiking through the tropical rain-forests of say, Dominica, St. Kitts or Saint Lucia. I suspect that there are more ‘sub’tropical ferns and trees in this Park than what I’m used to. Anyways…. The natural trail twists and turns through the woods, all the while constantly taking us up to our objective. Our path also took us across a couple of dry river beds, which again, we don’t see very often in the Caribbean. Apparently, during an exceptional rainy season, water does flow here and there’s even a small waterfall.

Our unassuming guide was friendly and knowledgeable, constantly informing us of the local flora (and lack of poisonous fauna 🙂 ) that we were encountering along the way. He explained that they’re growing dwarf papaya trees back at the Agricultural Station, that can be picked without a tall ladder. One amazing tree he pointed out to us, really stood out to me – I believe its called a Ceiba tree – It has dangerous inch long spikes all along it’s trunk surface. I wouldn’t want to slip on the trail and face-plant into one of these fellas!

The narrow path was littered with hundreds of leaves from the surrounding trees, including really cool large foliage from the bamboo stands that grow in clumps along the trail. Even though it had rained a little the night before and the ground was fairly wet everywhere, the trail was not slippery at all.

I really enjoyed the gradual steepness of the trail, along with a couple of short steeper sections that tested our cardio a bit more. It was quite hot and humid and we were definitely working up a sweat – Quite normal for Caribbean hiking! I’ll also mention that there were no bugs pestering us at all – We were thankful for this. We really enjoy a good forest hike and that’s exactly what this was. We were on this comfortable trail for just over half an hour before it suddenly ended and we spilled out onto a concrete road. The road was pretty steep for the next 15 minutes or so, winding around the mountain all the way to the peak.

We reached a fenced-in property at the end of the road. At the top of the mountain there are buildings and antennas owned by the telecom giant, Cable & Wireless. Thankfully, our hiking guide had the key to the gate, so we were able to enter the facility and get a peek, from the peak. It would have been more than a little frustrating, to have come this far and not be able to receive our full reward – Dramatic 360° views of the island was about to be experienced!

It was real nice and breezy at the top – Perfectly comfortable! We wandered around to take-in the spectacular views. First there was the southern coastline of Antigua and the Caribbean Sea, which included two of the island’s most famous icons. At the bottom of a gentle sloping area of Mount Obama near the coast, we could see a large field growing the island’s famous ‘black pineapple’ (pictured above). Not too far from shore, from our vantage point anyways, we could also clearly see the island’s top snorkeling spot, Cades Reef (pictured below).

Our guide told us that on a clear day we would be able to see Montserrat off in the distance to the south-west. Unfortunately, it was humid and hazy the day we hiked, so we could just barely make out it’s outline, although I may just have been looking at a low lying cloud, I dunno. Just to the east and the west of Mount Obama’s slopes however, we had amazing views of the nearby rolling hills that hints at the island’s volcanic past.

Although the views to the north-west and north are obstructed by C&W’s radio towers and antennas, we could easily see the Caribbean coastline, including Darkwood Beach and Jolly Harbour. We could even see St. John’s way off in the distance, including a cruise ship that was in port that day.

It takes another 45 minutes to an hour for the descent. This time we went down the south side of the mountain, following the concrete road all the way to the agricultural land at the bottom. Going downhill on cement is never fun, and today was no exception – It’s a bit hard on the toes, feet and knees for sure. Fortunately the road wasn’t that long or steep most of the way, and it kind of switch-backed most of the way down.

I found that time went by fairly fast on the way down, partly because we had interesting views of the coastline as well as some nearby pineapples growing, but mostly because I was chatting with our guide the whole way down – Not only was he knowledgeable and friendly, but more importantly, I felt at ease talking with him. It was if we had known each other all our lives.

The cement road ends near the bottom of the mountain where it turns into a nice dirt road that continues to the main coastal road. It was a nice place for a leisurely warm-down and there was more to see along the roadside, as it was lined with coconut and other fruit trees. What a fun Antigua hiking experience! We were picked-up here for the drive home.

Our return route took us along scenic Fig Tree Drive, passing by Wallings Nature Reserve (another areas for good hiking) and through small towns with names like Swetes (thankfully pronounced sweets, not sweats). We really enjoyed spending our morning with Trek Tours! They are a small dedicated team, focusing on immersive Antiguan natural experiences. Trek Tours offers a large variety of hikes, ranging from easy through challenging. They also offer combo tours that include the island’s major attractions. Custom tours are also available.

ACT Staff

Want to see more? Check out our Hiking Antigua’s Mount Obama Trail video on YouTube!

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Antigua & Barbuda, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For more information about Trek Tours, including material to help plan your own Antiguan adventure, you can contact the good folks by visiting their website or facebook page (just click on a link below):

For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, take a look at our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Antigua Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Antigua and Barbuda blog

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Making Memories with an Epic Hike in St. Kitts

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Nature, Volcano

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

St. Kitts Hiking – To the Top of a Caribbean Volcano

The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis Islands commonly referred to as “SKN”, is a two-island nation, part of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles’ Leeward Islands. St Kitts, as it’s typically referred to, and Nevis are the tops of a submerged volcanic mountain range, covered with rolling green folds of volcanic peaks and lush valleys. With more than a quarter of the islands protected as National Parks and with half a dozen mountains reaching above 1,500 feet (500m), I was excited to hike there. We decided to take on the highest peak on St Kitts, Mount Liamuiga (formerly known as Mount Misery). This dormant stratovolcano stands 3,792 feet (1,156 m) above sea level, making it the highest point of all the Leeward Islands – A bucket-list adventure hike for sure!

We were picked up by a local tour operator at Basseterre’s Port Zante, where our Cruise Ship was docked for the day and headed through town then up the west coast. Before leaving the outskirts of town, we stopped at a local supermarket and waited while our guide picked up some snacks. I thought that was kind of strange, but when on the islands you just have to roll with it… It was an interesting drive along the west coast of St. Kitts. We enjoyed some great views of the Caribbean Sea along with getting to see what life is like on the island when we went through a number of modest villages. It was a fairly slow drive, as the small road was full of twists and turns and we encountered several bog downs in each village. While my gaze was usually out to sea, I also glanced inland whenever we were directed to do so as we passed major St. Kitts attractions, such as the Fairview Greathouse, Romney Manor and the imposing Brimstone Fortress.

About a little more than half an hour after leaving the Island’s capital, we were in the village of Newton Ground. At this point, we headed inland up a series of narrow and rough roads. There were beautiful flowering plants on the sides of the road which made the bumpy ride more enjoyable. As we approached the base of the volcano, my excitement grew with anticipation of the pending climb. We parked near the trailhead located at the south/east end of town. With the majestic volcano towering in front of us and the glistening blue Caribbean Sea with the island of St. Eustatius in view behind us, we headed off into the woods.

The hike started on a mild but gradual incline with the trail twisting and turning like we were on a large rounded switchback. Early in the hike the trail suddenly plunged into a large trench, probably caused by some ancient volcanic activity and/or torrential rains over the years. Along the trail, the jungle was fairly dense, filled with amazing gommier and banyan trees as well as curtains of vines everywhere. What really stood out to me on this hike was the crazy exposed tree roots – I’ve never seen so many, large tree root systems before in my entire life. While these roots actually helped in some areas by giving traction to climb steep parts of the trail, they also made it a bit dangerous as we had to watch that we didn’t trip over them – I could easily picture someone taking a header and face-planting into the ground.

Our local hiking guide clearly knew the flora well as he pointed out a number of plants and trees along the way, explaining their uses in traditional medicines – Cures for everything from nasal congestion and indigestion, to arthritis – I loved the familiar scent of the eucalyptus for sure! He also explained how we were travelling from a woodland area, through a rainforest jungle, to a dwarfed cloud forest at the top of the volcano. Although we did not see any of St. Kitts and Nevis’ famous monkeys, we could hear them chattering from time to time, so we knew they were around us. The trail was well worn, composed mostly of dry dirt and rocks, although I understand that it can be dangerously muddy and slick when it rains.

After hiking at a leisurely but steady pace for about an hour and a half we stopped for a break. Our guide gave us some sort of sweet bread that he had picked up earlier. Now I was happy that he had stopped – It was delicious! He also threw some bread onto the ground, which I thought was kind of inappropriate, but lo and behold, it wasn’t long before a mongoose appeared to snack on the crumbs. While I’m not a fan of feeding wild animals, I had never seen a mongoose before, so I felt a mix of guilty pleasure as I watched the creature darting around! Well, it was time to get back to our enjoyable ‘up-hill’ hike.

Active Caribbean Travel - The Best Hiking Trails on St. KitSt. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!ts and Nevis

From here on, the hike got much steeper and challenging, with a few really cool near-vertical sections that tested our cardio and leg strength as well as our coordination. After about 45 minutes or so we eventually reached the ridge of the volcano. Wow – We could actually see down inside the natural structure. The insides of the volcano were a lush blanket of greenery, made up mostly of small shrubs and plants. We could also see a large patch of sulfur vents at the bottom of the crater, along with a small pool of (rain) water. I was wondering – how many people are fortunate enough to see inside a Volcano while vacationing in the Caribbean? It was a uniquely spectacular view, and with a cool cloud-filled breeze constantly blowing around us, it was a surreal experience! Fortunately, we had enough breaks in the cloud cover to get a good view of the crater. Our guide told us that some really adventurous people, with more time, the proper equipment as well as mountain climbing experience, have descended the thousand feet (300m) into the crater to walk the bottom. That would be intense.

Mist from the clouds rolled in pretty heavy at this stage. I should mention that we did not actually go to the highest point, as the volcano peak was, as usual, shrouded in cloud cover. Our guide informed us that we wouldn’t be able to see anything. That said, I suspect it would have only taken another 20 minutes or so to get to and from the top. I can imagine that on a clear day, the panoramic views of the island from there would be absolutely sensational.

It is the same trail down, although we traversed it much quicker than the hike up. Feeling giddy from our accomplishment of making it to the top, we were kind-of playful and decided to race down a short section of the trail… until that is, my momentum was taking me out of control. Glad I got that out of my system without rolling an ankle or tumbling down the side of the volcano! That said, for the most part we were extra careful on the descent, being very mindful of all those roots and rocks sticking out of the ground. The trail sure looks different on the way down! There were a couple of near-vertical sections where we literally slid down on our butts, in order to avoid tumbling uncontrollably down the hill. While this is a pretty popular activity on the island, we only came across one other group the day we were there. As part of a group with varied physical conditions and hiking experience, it took us just under 5 hours for a leisurely-paced hike up and down the volcano.

Well, I have to say that I really enjoyed this excellent ‘up-hill’ hike – It is probably one of my all-time favourites! This is what I had imagined a hike up a volcano on a Caribbean island would be like. Winding our way through a tropical forest up a mountainside, reaching the top and peering down into an open crater. This thrilling hike did not disappoint. I found the hiking quite comfortable in some sections, strenuous in others, and I was constantly fascinated by the varying environment.

Want to see more? Check out our Hiking Mount Liamuiga Volcano Trail video on YouTube!

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the islands, click on our St. Kitts & Nevis Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the islands, by checking out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog

For more information on the Caribbean’s Tallest Mountains, check out our Caribbean Peaks blog post

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Hiking St. Lucia’s Iconic Gros Piton

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Boat Cruise, Caribbean, Hiking, Look-Out Points, Nature, Tourist Attractions

St. Lucia Hiking on the iconic Gros Piton trail. This was a great hike featuring a short, but steep & challenging climb with rewards of amazing views of the island & Caribbean Sea — The Petit Piton (left) and the Gros Piton (right)

Saint Lucia Hiking – A Natural “Stair Climber” of a Trail

Saint Lucia can be found in the southern Caribbean’s Windward Islands, just south of Martinique and west of Barbados. Exploring St. Lucia will reveal a green mountainous island with the distinctive and easily recognizable volcanic spires called the Pitons. A popular Caribbean destination, best known for romantic getaways, St. Lucia also has plenty to offer adventurous travelers looking to hike in the Caribbean. While the island has a variety of trails, including relaxing short nature walks, no Saint Lucia hiking trip is complete without climbing the iconic and majestic Gros Piton.

One year we decided to hike the Piton while we visited the island as part of a cruise. We had signed up for a boat, beach and hiking tour and our day started by boarding a speedboat at the Castries cruise ship terminal. We sped south along St. Lucia’s west coast towards the popular tourist area of Soufriere. We were motoring fast and had to hold on to our hats to keep from losing them overboard. What would have taken over an hour by car, we traveled in half the time, skipping over the waves. I was trying to check-out the coastline attractions along the way, however it was a constant strain, with the sun sitting so low in the background. Eventually, our tour guide took the boat right up onto the beach just south of the Pitons, near the town of Anse Ivrogne. Now that we were up close and in the shadow of the intimidating Piton, I have to admit I was a little nervous – It looked fairly steep and tall.

Our hiking guide was waiting for us on the beach and after a brief introduction we headed off, first along the shore, then inland towards the mountain. It wasn’t long before we reached the trailhead at the base of the Piton. The trail started out on a nice natural dirt path surrounded by low-growth trees and shrubs. We were walking on a steady and gradual incline, sort of winding around the mountain a bit instead of heading aggressively straight up the side of the Piton. After about half an hour or so I figured we were about a third of the way up the mountain. At this point, the path converged with a trail from the east, which I understand comes from an alternative starting point for the hike, in the village of Fond Gen Libre. OK, now the trail turned towards the piton and took a more direct assault of the mountain. It got much steeper and more challenging in a hurry. It was a pretty tough climb for the next half hour as we gained some serious elevation. We stopped for a short break, drinking some much-needed water and taking some awesome pictures. There was a viewing area where we could see the beautiful south-east coastline of St. Lucia, along with the island of St. Vincent faintly visible in the background. This was a sensational view that got me wondering what the views from the top of the piton would be like.

The next, and final 30 minutes or so of the hike was pretty steep… ok, really steep. It was like being on a stair-climber in a gym with no AC. There were some areas where we literally scrambled and crawled on our hands and feet, up-and-over large rocks and boulders. There were other portions of the path that skirted the eroded mountainside, making it a bit let’s say, interesting. There were rough man-made stairs along with rustic railings consisting of ropes and branches in order to keep us safe. There was no way I was going to put too much faith (or weight) on those hand supports. We stopped again at another look-out area, this time on the other side of the mountain. This spot provided us with an amazing up-close-and-personal view of the Petit Piton. While I heard that it is possible to hike the skinnier piton, it’s obvious from this vantage point that it would be fairly dangerous climbing the slopes of that massive outcrop, which is even steeper than the Gros Piton.

We left the wooded section of the piton and with one more short burst of energy, we made it to the top. While we were catching our breath one more time, we relaxed a while taking in the spectacular views of the south end of the island. There was a nice refreshing breeze at the top which cooled us down from all the physical exertion and sweating we had done to get here. At approximately 2,600 feet (785 meters) above sea level, we could see the outline of the little peninsula Vieux Fort to the south-east, along with a clear view of St. Vincent to the south. I could stay up here all day – This view just doesn’t get old.

The hike had been all up-hill and had tested our leg and cardio conditioning for sure… Our guide, knowing that we were on a schedule, had pushed us all to keep moving. While the path to get here was fairly challenging, the hike wasn’t over yet. The trail down is the same as the way up, this time scrambling down over the rocks and steep sections of the trail. I’ve always found it harder on the legs to go down a mountain than up it, although thankfully this trail really wasn’t very long, so it didn’t cause any problems.

St. Lucia’s Pitons are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is probably one of the most photographed landmarks in the southern Caribbean. As a result, the Gros Piton is by far the most popular hike in St. Lucia, and as an icon of the island, a must-do for the hiking enthusiast! No surprise that we encountered a few other groups on the trail. We eventually made our way back to the boat for the return voyage. This time we took a relaxing cruise northward along the coast. With plenty of time before the cruise ship left port, we stopped at Sugar Beach where we enjoyed some snorkeling and lunch. We also took a little tour of the luxurious Marigot Bay before heading back to port. WOW – What a great day!

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Saint Lucia, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of this popular Caribbean Island destination, take a look at our Saint Lucia Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Saint Lucia Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Saint Lucia blog

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The Surprisingly Enjoyable Hiking Trails of Antigua

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Nature, Old Forts, Tourist Attractions

Antigua Hiking offers great uncrowded trails to hill top fortifications, Mount Obama & scenic coastal routes - Enjoy epic views of the island while hiking under the sun — Middle Ground Trail

Hill Top Fortifications, Mount Obama, Coastal trails and more!

Antigua and Barbuda are a Caribbean nation in the Leeward Islands just north of Guadeloupe and east of Montserrat and St. Kitts & Nevis. Known as the sailing capital of the English Caribbean, Antigua is famous for it’s 365 white sand beaches and excellent cuisine. It’s worth knowing that the island also has some amazing hiking trails. Trails that are so quiet that you’ll likely encounter only 1 or two other small groups on your hike! So, when you’ve bored of suntanning and are looking to explore the gorgeous island, get a little exercise by checking out the island’s diverse hiking trials. Antigua hiking trails offer something for everyone – There are short sight-seeing strolls as well as some longer more challenging hilly hikes – Surprisingly, Antigua has got it all.

Most of Antigua’s more popular hiking trails are located in the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park and Shirley Heights area, however there are also a number of trails in the south-west corner of Antigua. Amid the rolling hills and volcanic features of the “Green Corridor”, you can explore the Wallings Nature Reserve, Christian Valley, as well as Mount Obama – the island’s highest peak at 1,330 feet (405m) above sea level. While there’s plenty more to choose from, our favourite Antigua hiking trails include:

Mount Obama Trail

While Antigua’s landscape is mostly flat coral and limestone, the island’s hilly south-west has some interesting volcanic formations as well as larger vegetation than the rest of the island. This area is home to Mount Obama National Park and the island’s tallest peak, Mount Obama. Formerly known as Boggy Peak, the area was renamed in 2009 in honour of the historic presidential election of Barack Obama in the USA.

This is an intermediate level ‘hilly’ hike of just over 4 miles (6.6km) requiring 2 to 3 hours to complete. This review is based on hiking over the mountain one way, from north to south. The hike starts on a nice dirt road lined with papaya trees which narrows onto a trail that disappears into the forest. The natural path twists and turns through the woods, traveling across a couple of dry riverbeds along the way. The dry trail is littered with leaves and foliage from the surrounding trees and bamboo stands, all the while constantly going up and up. The trail gets steeper as it nears the top and becomes really steep on the last section which is actually a concrete road that winds it’s way around the mountain peak.

Feel the refreshing cool breeze at the top as you take-in the spectacular 360 degree views. The southern view of the Antigua coastline and Caribbean Sea includes two of the island’s most famous icons, a large field growing the island’s famous ‘black pineapple’ and the island’s top snorkeling spot, Cades Reef. On a clear day you can even see Montserrat off in the distance. This perspective is flanked by amazing views of rolling hills that hint at the island’s volcanic past. Although the views to the north are somewhat obstructed by telecom towers and antennas, you can easily see the western Caribbean coastline including Darkwood Beach and Jolly Harbour, as well as St. John’s way off in the distance, easily discernible when there’s a cruise ship in port.

The southern descent follows a concrete road all the way to the agricultural land near the bottom of the mountain. Fortunately, the road is not too steep as it twists and turns most of the way down before transitioning to a less arduous road lined with coconut and other fruit trees. A fun way to spend the morning and a “must do” Antigua trail for the avid hiker!

For a longer, more colourful review of this trail, check out our personal Antigua hiking experience with our Mount Obama Blog

Monk’s Hill to Fort George

Antigua Hiking offers great uncrowded trails to hill top fortifications like Monk's Hill Trail to Ft. George - Enjoy epic views of the island while hiking under the sun

This short but rewarding hike journeys to an Antigua hilltop with stunning views of Falmouth Harbour. This is an easy/intermediate level “hilly” trail of just under 2 miles (3km) requiring an hour or so to complete. Part of Antigua’s National Park system, the remains of 17th century Fort George sits atop Monk’s Hill, 650 feet (200m) above sea level.

The trail starts as a paved road that quickly degrades into a stone covered dirt road. During the first part of the hike, the left side of the trail offers teasing views of the ocean and southern coastline, partially seen over the rooftops of a few houses perched on the side of the hill. The flora on the right side of the road is an interesting combination of tropical forest and dry scrub desert – It’s somewhat green and lush, although there’s a variety of cacti dotting the landscape as well.

The trail unfolds steadily uphill on a gentle incline, making it a very pleasant stroll. As the track nears the mountain top it takes a hairpin turn along a stone wall, which is part of the old fortification. The trail follows the wall until it ducks into the fort’s entrance through a stone archway then pretty much disappears. The hilltop reveals a large flat rock surface with the remains of a stone building among the scrub brush. The wind is strong along the edge of the escarpment, but the southern view is worth being subjected to it. The Antigua shoreline, in all it’s glory, unfolds below! The amazing view of the bays and natural harbours, provide a great reward for such little exertion required for this hike. The spectacular view of Falmouth Bay, English Harbour and the rolling hills to the west make this a great vantage point. It’s also fun to see sailing regattas unfold below, watching several sailboats racing back and forth across the large bay.

Before heading back down the same trail, a short walk to the other side of the mountain top reveals interesting views to the north-east. Sights include the stone remains of an old mill, a fairly large solar farm as well as the Atlantic Ocean way off in the distance.

For a longer, more colourful review of this hike, check out our personal Antigua hiking experience with our Monk’s Hill & Fort George Blog

Middle Ground Trail to Nelson’s Dockyard

This enjoyable Antigua hike crosses the small peninsula that separates English Harbour from Falmouth Harbour, ending at historic Fort Berkeley. There’s also a small spur trail that connects the fort to the popular tourist attraction of Nelson’s Dockyard. This can be a hot and arid hike on an easy / intermediate level trail of just under 3 miles (4.5km) requiring a couple of hours or more to complete.

The trail starts in a nice wooded area near a beach, with a short climb up a fairly steep, but small hill. Man-made steps quickly give way to a natural dirt path at the top of the hill. Looking back to the west provides a quick reward with an amazing view of Falmouth Harbour and it’s sailboats sitting atop gorgeous shades of turquoise! With it’s low growing scrub brush, cactus and a few scattered clumps of small trees here and there, the rocky landscape is somewhat reminiscent of the southwest USA. For the most part, this trail is a wide path of dirt and small stones – very comfortable to walk on. The ground is also littered with small pellets thanks to a number of shy goats wandering around all over the place. Hence the reason this Antigua hiking trail is also affectionately known as ‘the Goat Track’.

The path journeys on a wide ridge trail of sorts following the contour of the southern coastline with plenty of shallow ups and downs to make the hike interesting. There are remains of stone structures along the trail that were probably part of the original fortifications of the area. These, along with dramatic views of the Caribbean Sea makes this trail a great photo opportunity. Typical of exposed ridge trails, this hike is pretty much fully exposed to the hot tropical sun, while a constant breeze coming off the ocean helps cool things down a bit.

Eventually, nice aerial perspectives of Fort Berkeley come into view. The long and skinny 18th century stone fortification frames the natural land mass protecting the entrance to English Harbour. Across the water, Antigua’s famous coral and limestone rock formations known as the Pillars of Hercules, can be seen at the southern end of Freeman’s Bay.

In order to reach the fort, the trail takes you down a very steep, almost cliff-like section of the hill. Ropes are in place to support the descent and from there, it’s just a short walk to the stone wall that surrounds the point. The old fortification includes a guardhouse and old powder magazine as well as a couple of cannons in place along the wall. Before taking the same trail back, you can follow a short gravel road for a quick visit to Nelson’s Dockyard if you choose.

For a longer, more colourful review of this hike, check out our personal Antigua hiking experience with our Middle Ground Trail Hike Blog

Other Antigua Hiking Trails…

One of the most popular tourist sites in Antigua is an area overlooking Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour, known as Shirley Heights. There are a number of hiking trails that can take you to this area – Arguably, the best spot for picturesque views of Antigua. The easy/intermediate routes to ascend and descend this hilltop include:

Carpenters Rock Trail (from Galleon Beach) – An interesting hike past Fort Charlotte
Jones Valley Trail (From Freeman’s Bay) – A partial loop trail with some much appreciated shade
Lookout Trail (From Freeman’s Bay) – A short, but steep route to the top
Desmonds & Carpenters Trail Combo (From Galleon Beach) – A fun, slightly longer route to Shirley Heights

It’s also worth noting that from Shirley Heights, it’s another half mile (1km) walk up the road to the Blockhouse, a historical site for another vantage point with great views south of the island. Finally, on the coastal trail back to Freeman’s Bay, there’s also an optional short spur trail that leads to the Pillars of Hercules.

There are also some great Antigua hiking trails in/around the Wallings Nature Reserve. They include:

Button Pond – An easy nature trail that takes less than an hour
Wallings Dam to Signal Hill – An easy/intermediate trail with some interesting elevation change and great views of the island
Wallings Dam to Rendezvous Bay – An easy/intermediate hilly hike to a secluded lagoon beach that will take about 3 hours to complete
The challenging Rendezvous Bay to Claremont trail

There’s more Antigua hiking trails in/around Christian Valley including:

Christian Valley Bird Trail – There’s a North Loop (easy) and a South Loop (easy/intermediate) through the rainforest jungle
Christian Valley Waterfalls Trail – An easy hike that passes a small (seasonal) waterfall
Mount McNish Trail – An intermediate level hilly hike to a summit of close to 1,000 feet (300m) high, with great views of the island
Body Pond Valley Trail – An intermediate cross country route between a couple of local villages.

Have fun (wear a hat and bring plenty of water!)

ACT Staff

For even more information on hiking in Antigua & Barbuda, take a look at our Antigua & Barbuda Hiking – Trail Reviews and Hiking Guides page

If you’re looking for some other adventures that will raise your pulse rate a bit, check the recommendations in our Antigua & Barbuda Adventure blog

If you’re looking to slow-it-down a bit, maybe take a tour of the island to see some attractions, check out our recommendations for Things To Do in Antigua & Barbuda blog

For an overview of the “land of sun and sea”, check out our Antigua & Barbuda Vacations page

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Dominica’s Best Waterfall Trail – Middleham Falls

By freem32@cogeco.ca Adventure, Caribbean, Hiking, Tourist Attractions, Waterfalls

What a way to spend the morning – Dominica Hiking to a Secluded Waterfalls

Dominica Hiking to Middleham Falls - A great way to spend the morning

There may be a couple of taller waterfalls in Dominica, or some that are much easier to get to, however there’s no better balance on the island between ‘ease of access’ and remoteness. The trail to Middleham provides an enjoyable Dominica hike through the rain-forest to one of the tallest waterfalls on the island. Conveniently located near the island’s capital Roseau, we just headed towards the town of Laudat, then followed the signs “to Middleham Falls”.

I have to say that our excursion wasn’t without any unplanned incidents though. I wasn’t sure where I was going and being so excited to get on the trail, I inexplicably left the main road and briefly explored one of the dirt tracks that invitingly led into the rain-forest. Anyone who knows Dominica understands that these dirt roads are very narrow, and also knows that the main roads on the island have cement curbs with deep ditches to allow the flow of rain-water. Anyways, realizing that I needed to get back to the main road, but not having any room to turn around, I drove in reverse back up to the main road. I then turned just a little too sharply while backing onto the main road and just rubbed the tall cement curb. Well, I suddenly heard a loud hissing sound and realized that I had sliced the tire. After a brief delay to change the tire, we were back on course.

Low and behold, following the signage on the main road, we eventually turned onto a secondary road which led to a small parking lot at the Morne Trois Piton National Park trail-head for Middleham Falls. OK, now we were off and running – well walking…

This Dominica hike started with a gradual incline on a natural path, although the trail was supplemented along the way with wooden step sections that provide great traction for ascending and descending, as well as for areas that are prone to flooding. The trail twists and turns a bit, following then crossing over a really nice ridge on the way to the waterfall. The ridge’s high ground provides some nice views of the surrounding valleys and mountains in the distance.

While we considered this a fairly leisurely walk over-all, the trail had just enough short steep stretches to make it “interesting” now and again. We encountered some muddy areas that were a bit slippery, and a few streams had to be crossed as well. This along with a number of small waterfalls encountered, all added to the diversity of the hike. Fortunately, the streams were shallow, so we easily crossed them by carefully stepping on the rocks that were above water. We didn’t take any headers and we managed to stay fairly dry 🙂

Other interesting features of this Dominica hike included tiny brown lizards that seemed quite at home in the mud, and it was wonderful to see life growing everywhere in the rain-forest, including the mossy carpets on some of the rocks in and near the streams. We also encountered some Park Rangers who were chain-sawing small logs and repairing sections of the wooden stairs that had rotted away under the rain and mud.

Eventually, we came to a staircase that took us to a concrete platform that provided excellent views of the dramatic falls and the pool it spills into. We were about halfway between a lush green ledge above us and a rough rocky river below us. The water streams from a hole in the vegetation at the top of the horseshoe-shaped ledge down about 260 feet (80m) into a large pool at the bottom. The water hits the pool with so much force that there’s a constant mist in the air, which results in a near-constant rainbow being beautifully painted across the bottom of the falls. It’s a breathtaking sight gazing at the lush green walls and down into the pit at the bottom.

As we had lost some time before the hike, due to the tire repair, and we had planned for a nice restaurant lunch in the area, we decided not to continue down the steep stairs and path to swim in the pool – It looked really cool though! We could see a notch in the cliff face just above the water where folks can hang-out and dive into the pool for a swim.

On the way back to the car, we came across a nice young couple on their way to the falls – They were very excited to hear that they were going to be able to have a private swim in the remote pool. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination!

This is what Dominica Hiking is all about… Quiet, unspoiled nature, with great hiking and waterfalls to enjoy!

ACT Staff

* Please note that this review was done prior to Hurricane Maria in 2017 – The trail conditions/characteristics may have changed as the island recovered *

For the trail details as well as much more information on travelling to Dominica, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Hiking Dominica’s Middleham Falls

Dominica Hiking Trails

Dominica Vacations

For an overview of what the Caribbean has to offer intrepid vacationers, check out our Active Caribbean Travel page

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