The island of Dominica offers an alternative to the standard white-sand-and-surf Caribbean setting: rocky, black beaches at the edges of an untamed jungle; gnarled banyan trees that line the pathways to secluded waterfalls; volcanic gases that belch into mud cauldrons and underwater bubble streams...

If you're so inclined, you can also find a patch of white sand on which to place your beach towel and sip an umbrella drink. But Dominica is about embracing nature, not passively

The island of Dominica offers an alternative to the standard white-sand-and-surf Caribbean setting: rocky, black beaches at the edges of an untamed jungle; gnarled banyan trees that line the pathways to secluded waterfalls; volcanic gases that belch into mud cauldrons and underwater bubble streams...

If you're so inclined, you can also find a patch of white sand on which to place your beach towel and sip an umbrella drink. But Dominica is about embracing nature, not passively crisping your epidermis as you snooze away your vacation.

And few places on the island are as uniquely qualified to deliver that experience as Papillote, a rainforest retreat in a remote valley where volcanically heated water feeds a series of mineral pools, streams trickle through a four-acre botanical garden, and the towering, two-tiered Trafalgar Falls are a 15-minute jungle walk from your doorstep.

Like Dominica itself, Papillote isn't fancy. Fresh flowers in your room and views of the surrounding foliage give it all the dressing up it needs. The spacious rooms are furnished simply with wood blinds, local artwork, locally made furniture and bedspreads, and the requisite mosquito canopies. Each room or suite has a balcony or private veranda that opens to the lush valley or the garden, where begonias, heliconias, and orchids attract 30 bird species and 19 kinds of butterflies.

Simplicity is also the rule at the Rainforest Restaurant, where Creole spices, fresh-caught seafood, and home-grown fruits and vegetables are the primary ingredients. Rum punch is one Caribbean tradition that Papillote embraces wholeheartedly, and the house interpretation of this fruity concoction is the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Though you can easily experience natural Dominica without leaving the hotel grounds, your hosts will gladly facilitate more expansive adventures. The best-known (and most feared) outing is the grueling, six- to eight-hour hike through the Valley of Desolation to Boiling Lake, a 190-degree, bubbling basin in Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Some of the island's gentler trails can be explored on foot, by mountain bike, or on horseback.

Sunbathing may not rank high on the list of recommended activities, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy Dominica's beaches. Kayakers can trace the rugged coastline, snorkelers can swim amidst colorful reef fish, and scuba divers can explore wrecks, reefs, walls, and the noisy bubble streams that emerge from underwater sulfur vents.

Or, visit the 3,700-acre Carib territory on the island's northeast coast, where a few thousand descendents of the island's first inhabitants struggle to preserve their language and culture. It's yet another element that distinguishes Dominica from its more typical Caribbean neighbors.

Kimberly Lisagor is a freelance journalist who covers travel and the environment from her home base in San Luis Obispo, California. She is the co-author of the book Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them and has written for publications including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and Men's Journal.