TRAVEL: Peaceful trails around Cabrits National Park

Looking for some leisurely exploring? Dominica – the Nature Isle of the Caribbean – has what you’re looking for.

The sprawling Cabrits National Park, outside of Portsmouth, is home to forest trails that are peaceful, secluded and intriguing.

The 1,313 acres take in the ruins of the former garrison Fort Shirley, offering a glimpse into the island's colonial past. All of the trails are fairly short and not too challenging, and the viewpoints are among the most beautiful in the region.

The park protects tropical forest, coral reefs and wetlands. And Cabrits, a peninsula connected to the mainland by a sweep of Earth, is an extinct volcano that was once its own island, separate from Dominica.

Cabrits is the last stop on the 115-mile Waitukubuli Trail, which begins in the southern village of Scott's Head. Segment 14 of the trail runs from Capuchin to Cabrits.

Even more, it is the ruins in the entanglement of the jungle that really capture the imagination on these walks.

Spend half a day exploring and then chill out on one of the nearby beaches at Purple Turtle, Douglas Bay or Toucari.