Fort Shirley
Fort Shirley
4
About
This English colonial fort is among the ruins found at the Cabrits Historical and Marine Park, which preserves remnants of the islands tumultuous history.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Fort Shirley and nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
16 within 5 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
117 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
48
Average
19
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Fort Shirley is an easy hike from the dock, up a low hill. The cost is US $2.00 to take a self-guided walk around the park. Cannons and stone ruins overlook and guard the harbor where pirates and invaders attempted to plunder the riches of Dominica. Good photo ops, sweeping views, and a nice educational walk for kids. There is a small refreshment stand (where you pay for your ticket) and souvineer shop at the base of the fort. Local children play and frolic on the grassy hillside.
Written 19 April 2002
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel F
118 contributions
Aug 2016 • Friends
Great scenery and so relaxing and refreshing.. there is a small 10 minute walk you have to take if you don't have a vehicle but its worth it!
Written 13 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KeptWoman
Caribbean34 contributions
Jul 2016
Fort Shirley is located at the northern end of Portsmouth Bay just a short drive from the town. It has been restored brick and block by block by locals to its former glory. Nice grounds for quiet reflection, hiking the trails and beautiful views from the cannon vantage points overlooking the bay. You can go inside the restored officer's mess. A small admission fee is payable at the entrance. There is a small restaurant, toilets and historical exhibit at the entrance. Locals sell hand made craft. Have the fresh grapefruit juice!
Written 11 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan Q
Calgary, Canada391 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
We enjoyed our visit here very much.
Many buildings have been restored and learning about the history was interesting.
We took the hike up to a viewpoint on the east, seeing lots of lizards, hermit crabs and a few harmless snakes enroute. At the top, we had a wonderful panoramic view of Portsmouth on the right and Douglas Bay to our left.
We also ate at the little snack place there and it was good too.
Recommendation for visitors? Carry lots of water! You can buy it from the snack bar.
Recommendation for whoever runs the Fort? Improve both your maps and signage, particularly on the trails. It's almost non-existent. I was surprised when I read other posters talk about the ruins. We didn't know anything about them, so missed them and would have liked to see them.
However, what we did see, wandering around by ourselves, was very good.
Many buildings have been restored and learning about the history was interesting.
We took the hike up to a viewpoint on the east, seeing lots of lizards, hermit crabs and a few harmless snakes enroute. At the top, we had a wonderful panoramic view of Portsmouth on the right and Douglas Bay to our left.
We also ate at the little snack place there and it was good too.
Recommendation for visitors? Carry lots of water! You can buy it from the snack bar.
Recommendation for whoever runs the Fort? Improve both your maps and signage, particularly on the trails. It's almost non-existent. I was surprised when I read other posters talk about the ruins. We didn't know anything about them, so missed them and would have liked to see them.
However, what we did see, wandering around by ourselves, was very good.
Written 1 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JenniferSpencer
Annapolis, MD77 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
It's a bit of a steep hike but the fort up top is nicely restored with several signs for a self-guided tour. There are some beautiful trees on site as well. The view from the fort of the harbor below is just gorgeous, too. Seventeen cannon are at the top, and the buildings are now in good condition. There is also a discovery center at the bottom of the hill with some historical information and discussion of the Battle of the Saints.
Written 13 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jesse M
San Rafael, CA22 contributions
May 2017
If you enjoy seeing some of the islands history from the 17 and 1800's then you need to walk through the excellently restored Fort Shirley. While there take the walk up to the ruins of the commandants home or out to the ruins of the Douglas bay battery where you'll find cannons still laying in the original battlements.
Written 7 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JaclynHunt
Colonia, NJ176 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
My husband and I explored this national park and fort on our trip to Dominica in May 2017. It was a challenge to walk up the hills but the views were completely worth it. We also walked along the trails and saw many lizards, crabs and birds. A fun place to spend a half day or so.
Written 4 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danise R
Caledonia, MI14 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
This location provides great views and the history of Dominica.
The Fort has been refurbished and provides great photo opportunities.
The Fort has been refurbished and provides great photo opportunities.
Written 12 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Island_Highlander
Largo, FL170 contributions
Nov 2016 • Family
We visited here after spending the morning horseback riding in Portsmouth, and were really surprised by the size of the entire park and the incredible views. After buying your site pass at the front building, be prepared to walk a great deal. The main fort is just up the hill from the entrance, but to really see everything you will need to hike some distance. Nothing too difficult but you will feel it in your legs. The views are panoramic. You can see the entire shoreline of Portsmouth and the mountains behind. The restoration of all the buildings is very impressive. Nice way to spend a couple of hours.
Written 22 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edmond M
Grenada9 contributions
Apr 2016 • Family
The fort has a scenic view of the sea to the west and the land scape to the east . The atmosphere is one of a kind. The old vintage look and feel brings you back to the colonial days. At the entrance to the fort you can find a very informative resource center which is located next the restaurant and bar. With a few foot steps up the hill, Fort Shirley awaits you. The rustic cannon, buildings and trees creates a time capsule in to the past. The surrounding Cabrits National Park is well maintained and a habitat for birds and reptiles so walk with your camera. Over all fort Shirley was an amazing experience.
Written 8 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gaggle of elderly!!! What does that mean exactly Cheda M??
Written 9 October 2018
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing