The Longest Hiking Trail in the Caribbean Has an Even More Beautiful Sibling Trail at Sea — and I Explored It by Kayak

Dominica’s 115-mile national hiking trail, which opened just over a decade ago, traverses the island’s mountains, passing sulfurous hot springs and dramatic waterfalls. Now a sea-kayaking trail has been created to mirror its inland sibling. In fact, the two trails share the same word: Waitukubuli, the name given to the island by its first inhabitants, the Kalinago. 

“We wanted to honor the original paddlers when we created the trail,” said Wes Moses, the owner of watersports tour agency Soufrière Outdoor Centre and the founder of the Waitukubuli Sea Trail, which officially launched in January 2023. The marine trail’s 14 segments stretch 32 nautical miles from Scott’s Head, in the southwest, to Capuchin, in the north. The route, which can be paddled in six days from south to north, takes in some of the island’s most famous attractions, including the frothy Champagne Beach, where small bubbles rise from the volcanic seafloor. But even a two-day paddle promises spectacular scenery. Last spring, I joined Moses on an overnight journey to tackle the trail’s final two sections. 

Batalie Beach to Portsmouth

We got an early start from Batalie Beach, where we’d spent the night at Sunset Bay Club Beach Resort. It may have been the shots of lime punch and spiced rum we drank with the hotel’s owner the previous evening, but my first few moments of paddling felt incredibly strenuous. Thankfully, we took our time, hugging the calm waters near the shore and making stops for a dip near the villages of Colihaut and Dublanc. 

Past Dublanc, we saw coastline that was undeveloped for miles. I scanned the water for fish skimming the surface and peered down at sea sponges on the ocean floor. But the most memorable moment was getting a glimpse of Morne Diablotins, Dominica’s highest peak. The 4,747-foot mountain seemed to epitomize the name waitukubuli, which means “tall is her body.” 

After snorkeling around an arched rock formation at Secret Beach, we pulled up to the town of Portsmouth and checked in to the Picard Bay Cottages, a serene property with 18 seafront cabins. Before calling it a night, Moses suggested we walk up the street to grab lamb wraps at Kenan Shawarma King.

Portsmouth to Capuchin

After a fairly gentle first outing, I got a taste of real ocean kayaking on our second day. Moses told me we had two open-water crossings before we reached the trail’s end at Capuchin (continuing to hug the shoreline was an option, but would take much longer). Glassy waters soon turned to challenging whitecaps as we moved across Prince Rupert Bay. I dug in and pushed forward, focusing on each stroke of my paddle. 

We headed for the peninsula of Cabrits National Park. Upon arrival, we were rewarded with a quick, sheltered respite from the wind and waves before our next ambitious crossing of Douglas Bay. We paddled over Split Rock — a stunning crack in an underwater rock that is a popular dive site — and past steep cliffs, then turned inland to the oasis of Toucari Bay. Spent, I had lunch at Keepin It Real, then took a quick swim and rested on the beach.

Setting off from Toucari, the final hour on the water was extraordinary. As it came into view, the northern tip of Capuchin rose from the sea in a palm-surrounded spire. Moses told me that this was the place where the Caribbean Sea meets the channel between Dominica and its northern neighbor, Guadeloupe. Upon landing at Capuchin, we celebrated at a roadside bar with an ice-cold Carib beer, then headed to a nearby park to view the island’s craggy tip from below. Looking down at the water from where we’d come, I felt salty, sore, and exulted.