From the Carib Territory, I continued walking along the coastal cliff road, until I reached Pagua Bay in the northeast of Dominica.
The setting is quite wild. A long rock and sand beach, with a river running through it, is framed by cliffs on all sides. And being on the Atlantic, it is pounded by breakers. It was on this beach, sitting on a fallen coconut tree that I waited for a minivan bus to take me back to Roseau. But the bus never came, and I was getting hungry, so I decided to see what was in the village of Marigot.
Luck was in store for me as I stumbled upon Pagua Bay House with its bar and grill.
Set up by Rick and Alicia, a young American couple who searched all over the Caribbean and Central America, before deciding that Dominica was the ideal place for them, Pagua Bay Bar and Grill has been tastefully designed and built. Using materials typically used on houses in Dominican villages- painted wood planks and galvanized aluminium- along with a modern, clean minimalist style, Pagua Bay feels like a fusion of modern California and laid-back Dominica. Infact, the philosophy behind the design was to keep in mind the long standing history of banana production in Dominica, and create buildings to resemble the banana processing sheds.
For me, it's the type of place to appear in lifestyle and travel magazines.
Alicia worked in the wine industry in California for years, so wine is a focus of the menu. They get their own wines imported and the wine list includes easy-drinking wines from California, Chile and Argentina, which are perfect for the tropical climate.
And the food is great. As I waited for my bus, I had a hamburger- one of the best I've tasted. Their menu is also a fusion: American style food, with a Caribbean flare- including fresh breads, smoked meats and plenty of seafood.
The setting is incredible. Outside, there is a wooden deck with a breath-taking view of Pagua Bay.
And just down the road are the oceanfront cabanas, set in tropical gardens.
The architectural style, like the bar and grill, is open-planned and modern, with wood and galvanized aluminium.
The outside seating areas are a great feature.
And the gardens have lots of Heliconias and Hibiscus.
This is the view of the beach, which has areas of sand amongst stretches of volcanic rock boulders.
Inside, the rooms exude understated luxury.
And in a place like this, you're bound to be up at 6 am to see the sunrise and make the most of the day.
Pagua Bay is located in the northeast, a ten minute drive from Melville Hall international airport.
Prices in the cabanas range from US$150-320, excluding taxes.
The website is www.paguabayhouse.com
Photo credits to Pagua Bay House
