Portsmouth

Portsmouth

The second largest town in Dominica, Portsmouth is located on the shores of a natural harbor in Prince Rupert Bay, on the northwest coast of Dominica. A bustling town in Saint John Parish, was the capital of Dominica until 1760. Portsmouth is bordered by the Indian River to the south and Cabrits National Park is located on a peninsula to the north of the town. It protects wetlands, tropical forests and coral reefs. There are trails and an English garrison called Fort Shirley. Cabrits National Park was established in 1986 and covers 531 hectares. The Cabrits is an extinct volcano that once had its own island, isolated from the mainland of Dominica. It was connected to Dominica by an influx of material from Douglas Bay and Prince Rupert Bay. Most visitors start from Portsmouth to explore the national park, where the remains of the 18th-century fort are surrounded by volcanoes and swamps. Fort Shirley used to be a military outpost, one of the most patriotic examples of its kind in the West Indies. It was first built by the British in 1765 as a garrison to protect the northern part of Dominica. The fort was expanded during the French occupation of Dominica between 1778 and 1784. The Georgian-style fort was made up of more than 50 buildings and housed more than 600 people, but it was abandoned in 1854. There are coral reefs to dive on the coast and jungle hiking trails through the undergrowth. There are also boat trips to tropical excursions on the Indian River, as well as diving and whale watching on the coast.