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North of Roseau, the coastal road passes the Layou River, then climbs through St Joseph , a rickety fishing hamlet perched on extremely steep roads, before hitting the village of Mero . There's little of interest here, save for the black-sand beach, where there's good snorkelling to be found in front of Castaways BeachHotel . Heading inland immediately north of Mero you'll arrive at Dominica's finest rum distillery, Macoucherie (Mon-Fri 7am-3pm), which produces rum from sugarcane grown on its estate. Still further up the coast is the Northern Forest Reserve , a 22,000-acre parkland and home to the island's highest peak, the 4747ft Morne Diablotin . Despite the reserve's gargantuan size, only two hiking trails have been created here, both of which begin four miles inland along a well-signposted access road hedged by banana and pineapple plantations. The easier Syndicate Nature Trail is a straightforward 1.6km loop past a couple of parrot -viewing platforms; two endangered species - the imperial (or Sisserou) parrot and the red-necked parrot make their home here, and sightings often occur during early morning and late afternoon. The second of the hikes, a rugged day-long outing to the summit of Morne Diablotin, should only be attempted with a guide, which can be arranged through your hotel for about EC$50.
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