Note: This post was guest blogged by Dan Tanner of
Dan and Ruth Tanner dot com
It seems I have created a monster, 👿 soon after I published the video post about the golden sand beach in Woodford Hill. My good friend Dan Tanner couldn’t help himself and have decided to write reviews on some of the best and worse beaches on Dominica Island. First up Batibou Beach.
Batibou Beach is on the Atlantic-side of the island is one of the broadest and widest of all beaches in Dominica. A stream goes down to it, but it’s a small stream, so the water tends not to cloud after rainstorms (and one swims, but seldom snorkels Atlantic-side anyhow). Because this part of Dominica’s Atlantic side is a “shelf? where the coastline runs east-west, the breakers are mostly gentle and fun to play in. And the beach’s slope is quite gradual without drop-off, so you can wade in a good distance from the shore. At Batibou you’ll find plenty of shade trees and sandy spots for picnicking, too. Just don’t sit under a coconut tree!
Is Batibou perfection?
Well, that depends on your definition of “perfect? Batibou is not within walking distance of any lodging. It can be very difficult for the first-time visitor to locate, and from the roadside entrance, the walk down is a tough half-hour trek or a very harrowing drive – and don’t even think of driving down unless you have a 4WD vehicle with high ground clearance and there’s not been any recent heavy rain. Of course, those attributes make for “perfection” if you definition connotes “unspoiled” and “isolated”. The isolation also has served well to make Batibou virtually litter-free, which is always a plus. But there’s one more thing that, unfortunately, must be said: Tourists should not go to Batibou alone.
Isolated-Good
The isolation permits a few “bad apples” to prey upon unaccompanied tourists and rob them. You will be quite safe if you take a Dominican with you – and if you make friends in a town or village you can always find someone eager to go to the beach with you. My wife and I are fond of Batibou. We always take friends to the beach with us – heck, going to the beach is more fun that way, especially if children are brought along, we think. And we’ve never been bothered, but we have heard of many who went alone and were. And let’s be honest, your unguarded possessions aren’t very safe at those beaches by the hotels on the “developed” islands.
Find Batibou Beach
Follow the main road from Portsmouth toward Melville Hall Airport. Pass the Bense bus stop; there the main road takes a sharp uphill left turn immediately after a bridge, and stay on the main road. Later, there will be an intersection sign, and then the new concrete road from Bense joins the main road, coming in from the right. A bit further on you will see an abandoned yellow church and weeded-over burial ground on the left. Just a few hundred yards past that there is a dirt track on the left – that is the track down to Batibou Beach.
So, go to Batibou Beach if you can, is our advice. Bring your picnic, because there are no “services” at this beautiful, wild-looking natural spot, and please remember to carry out everything you’ve carried in. Enjoy!
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Tagged with: Batibou, Batibou Beach, Beach, Caribbean, Dominica, Islands, Melville Hall Airport, One Of Dominica’s Best Beaches, Portsmouth, Road, Travel and Tourism
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