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From Portsmouth, a road heads east across the island, passing towering royal palms and seemingly endless banana plantations, to the Atlantic coast where you'll encounter dramatic vistas of the ocean pounding against unusual red rock outcroppings, and roadsides bursting with red-hued hibiscus, poinsettia and malvina. There's little to keep you in the string of villages clinging precariously to the rugged cliffs here, though they do offer some picture-postcard views before reaching Bataka , the northernmost village of the CARIB TERRITORY . This 3700-acre reserve is home to the only remaining tribe of Carib Indians in the Caribbean; a modern community, its traditions are nonetheless still evident in the intricate, handcrafted woodcarvings and baskets sold in huts along the 7.5-mile coastal road south of Bataka. The community's centre, the longhouse-shaped Ste Marie of the Caribs Church , overlooks the sea from Salybia , the main settlement, its dug-out canoe altar framed by colourful frescoes of Carib life. It's not obviously marked from town, though, so you're best to ask a local for directions. Southward, at the village of Sineku , a sign points seaward to the serpentine Escalier Tete Chien (or "dog's head stairs"), a peculiar lava formation that resembles steps climbing out of the sea. Despite its name, according to Carib legend the lava outcrop is thought to be the embodiment of a boa constrictor. The friendly Carib Territory Guesthouse at Crayfish River (tel 767/445-7255, ; US$25-50) has basic doubles and a communal verandah with ocean views and can arrange diving, snorkelling and birdwatching tours.
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