Dominica
Dominica
Dominica: The Nature Isle — Rainforest Hikes, Boiling Lake, and Whale Watching
Dominica is named for the Latin word for Sunday, the day of the week on which Christopher Columbus sighted it in 1493, and it chose the same date, November 3, for its independence in 1978. Roads inland are steep and winding, so build in a wide margin for any trip out of Roseau, and note that the Boiling Lake hike takes six hours or more, longer than most calls allow.
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Good to know
What Cruise Travelers Should Know
Cruise ships usually berth at a large pier directly in front of downtown Roseau, so you step off into the capital. When that pier is taken, ships dock at the industrial port about 1.5 miles away.
- Roseau is on the west coast, with mountains rising to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west.
- The East Caribbean dollar is the currency, pegged to the US dollar at EC$2.70 to US$1.
- Roseau is very quiet on Sundays: many shops and restaurants close, and buses and taxis run less often or not at all.
- Petty crime is rare, though it is most likely around Roseau.
Dominica on Your Own
Roseau is small, and when your ship uses the main pier the French Quarter, the national museum and the cathedral are close by, with the botanic gardens just east of downtown. For nature, you can ride south of town to snorkel at Champagne or take a short drive and a short hike to the Emerald Pool.
- The French Quarter: The most historic part of Roseau has wooden buildings with balconies, many of them in the Caribbean vernacular style.
- The Dominica Museum: The national museum stands on the quay in front of the Old Market, on Dame Mary Eugenia Charles Boulevard, and covers the island's history, geology and archaeology.
- The Botanic Gardens: Just east of downtown, the gardens were first planted in 1890. A path from the gardens climbs the hill behind them to a lookout over Roseau; allow up to about 40 minutes up.
- One ride: At Champagne, south of Roseau, volcanic vents send streams of bubbles up through the water; the beach is stony, and there is a short walk down from the road. The Emerald Pool, a waterfall and pool in the national park, is a short drive and a short hike.
- Agree the price: On a bus or in a taxi, agree the destination and the fare before you set off.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Dominica's mountain roads are winding, so leave a wide margin for any trip inland.
Getting Around Dominica
Minibuses and taxis are the two ways to get around without a tour. Minibuses are cheap and leave from Roseau for most of the island, while taxis are more comfortable and can be good value when several people share the fare.
- Minibuses do not usually show their destination on the front, so ask local people which stop you need.
- Agree the destination and price with the driver before you start, on a bus or in a taxi.
- Many trips mean long rides on bumpy, winding mountain roads.
- The Boiling Lake is a strenuous full-day hike of six hours or more on a steep trail of steps and switchbacks, too long for most port days. A guide is recommended if you have little hiking experience.
What to Eat in Dominica
Dominican cooking is Creole, built on local herbs and freshly caught seafood, and even the island's French, Italian and Chinese restaurants tend to add a Creole touch. Drinks are a good way into local tastes, from fresh fruit juices to the island's own beer.
- Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice is served everywhere, and coconut water is cheap at the roadside.
- Sorrel is a red drink brewed from the flowers of a hibiscus.
- Kubuli is the locally brewed beer.
- Juice sold by street vendors in Roseau is usually unpasteurized and mixed with tap water and sugar.
Culture and Sights in Dominica
Some 3,000 Kalinago people still live on Dominica, the only pre-Columbian population left in the eastern Caribbean. English is the official language, and a French-based Creole, or patois, is widely spoken.
- The Kalinago Barana Autê, a heritage village beside the Crayfish River in the Kalinago Territory, shares the history and traditions of the Kalinago people.
- The World Creole Music Festival is held on the last weekend in October.
- Dominican music includes bouyon and cadence-lypso, alongside calypso, soca and reggae.
- The sisserou parrot, which lives only in Dominica's mountain forests, is the national bird.
- The Roseau Cathedral, Our Lady of Fair Haven, is a stone church in the Gothic Romanesque revival style, with its spire completed in 1916.
History of Dominica
Dominica was the last Caribbean island to be colonized by Europeans, because its Kalinago people resisted so fiercely. France and Britain fought over it through the 18th century, Britain gained it in 1763 and made it a colony in 1805, and it became an independent republic in 1978.
- First peoples: The Kalinago called the island Wai'tu kubuli, which means tall is her body. They are thought to have displaced, or mixed with, the Arawak people who came before them.
- A Sunday sighting: Christopher Columbus sighted the island on Sunday, November 3, 1493, and named it after the Latin for Sunday.
- Left to the Kalinago: In 1660 France and England agreed to leave Dominica and St. Vincent to the Kalinago as neutral territory. French woodcutters from Martinique and Guadeloupe set up the first permanent settlements in 1690 and brought the first enslaved Africans.
- British rule: A British expedition conquered the island in 1761, and France ceded it to Britain in 1763. France moved to retake it in 1778, but it returned to Britain in 1783, and the British held it against French attacks in 1795 and 1805.
- An African-majority assembly: After emancipation, the first three men of African descent were elected to the legislative assembly in 1835, and in 1838 Dominica became the first British West Indian colony whose elected legislature had an African-descended majority.
- Independence: Dominica became an associated state in 1967 and an independent republic on November 3, 1978, the anniversary of Columbus's sighting.
- Hurricane David: In 1979 Hurricane David, a Category 5 storm, caused 56 deaths and widespread damage across the island.
- The first woman prime minister: In 1980 Mary Eugenia Charles became the first woman prime minister in the Caribbean, and she stayed in office for 15 years.
- The national park: Morne Trois Pitons National Park, created in 1975 as the country's first, became a World Heritage Site in 1997.
- Erika and Maria: Tropical Storm Erika killed 30 people in August 2015, and on September 18, 2017, Hurricane Maria hit as a Category 5 storm; early estimates were that 90 percent of the island's buildings had been destroyed.
- To learn more ashore: The Dominica Museum, on Dame Mary Eugenia Charles Boulevard by the Old Market in Roseau, covers the island's history, archaeology and natural history.
Family Experiences in Dominica
Dominica suits families who like being outdoors, and Roseau's botanic gardens make an easy first outing. Beyond town there are short walks to pools, snorkeling and whale-watching trips.
- Younger children: At the Botanic Gardens, look for the African baobab that fell in Hurricane David in 1979 and crushed a school bus; the bus and the tree are still there. Two lizards found only in Dominica, the Dominican ground lizard and the Dominican anole, are common on the grounds.
- School age: The Emerald Pool is a short drive and a short hike, and its water is cool under the forest canopy.
- Teenagers: Whale-watching and boat trips can be arranged from Roseau, and sperm whales live in the waters around the island all year. Older children can snorkel among the bubbles at Champagne.
- Turtles: Leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles nest on Dominica's beaches between April and October.
Accessibility in Dominica
When your ship uses the main pier, you step ashore directly in front of downtown Roseau, which keeps distances short. Away from town, several of Dominica's natural sights involve trails, steps or rough ground, so ask about the terrain before you book anything.
- If your ship berths at the industrial port instead, about 1.5 miles out, you will need transport into town.
- Champagne involves a short walk down from the road to a stony beach.
- The Emerald Pool is reached by a short hike after the drive.
- The Boiling Lake trail is steep and mostly on steps and switchbacks.
Shopping in Dominica
Kiosks and vendors stand along the shore at the main cruise pier, and a block inland a busy open-air market sells souvenirs. For island goods, look for Kalinago baskets and recorded local music.
- Kalinago baskets get their earth tones from fibers buried in the ground for different lengths of time. Check that you are allowed to bring the materials into your home country.
- The Saturday morning market, where the Roseau River meets the sea, sells fresh fruit, seafood and spices, and its vendors start setting up before dawn.
- A food market on the north end of town sells tropical fruit.
Beaches in Dominica
Dominica's beaches are mostly black sand, and snorkeling is particularly good at Champagne, south of Roseau, and at Scotts Head, at the island's southern tip.
- At Champagne, bubbles rise from volcanic vents under the water.
- Scotts Head is a small isthmus at the end of the road in the southwest, about an hour's drive from Roseau each way, and you can walk up the steep headland for views as far as Martinique.
- Kayaking and canoeing on the rivers are an alternative to the sea.
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