Introducing Portsmouth

Dominica’s second-largest town, set on attractive Prince Rupert Bay, is popular with the sail-boat set but otherwise not particularly attractive. The bay is littered with rusting wrecks; the legacy of Hurricane Dean that lashed through here in 2007. The cargo vessel blocking the mouth of the Indian River is especially unsightly.

Much nicer and livelier is the southern suburb of Picard, home to Ross University School of Medicine, which plays a major factor in the local economy. In recent years, candy-colored apartment buildings and a few bars and cafes have cropped up across from the campus along what has been dubbed the ‘Banana Trail’.

The main area attractions are Cabrits National Park, north of town and the Indian River, to the south. There’s also some good diving and snorkeling to be done around here.