Caribbean · North AmericaDominica
Discover Dominica - the Caribbean's Nature Island, where boiling lakes steam in volcanic craters, waterfalls crash through pristine rainforest, and the last Kalinago people thrive.
Where Is Dominica?
Dominica is a country in the Caribbean, North America. Its capital is Roseau.
- Capital Roseau
- Population 65.9K
- Area 751 km²
Dominica is not the Dominican Republic - get that out of the way first, because everyone confuses them. This is the Nature Island of the Caribbean, a volcanic, mountainous, jungle-covered gem between Guadeloupe and Martinique that looks like the Earth just finished making it yesterday. There are no white sand beaches and mega-resorts here. Instead, there are 365 rivers, nine active volcanoes, the world's second-largest boiling lake, and rainforest so thick and ancient that it was used as a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Dominica is the only Caribbean island where the pre-Columbian Kalinago people still live in their own territory, maintaining traditions that stretch back centuries before Columbus arrived. The island is just 47 kilometers long with around 72,000 people, but it contains more natural wonders per square kilometer than islands ten times its size. You can snorkel over volcanic reefs, soak in volcanic hot springs, hike to a boiling lake through the Valley of Desolation, and spot the endangered Sisserou parrot that exists nowhere else on Earth. Dominica is raw, rugged, and relentlessly green - the Caribbean for people who want adventure over all-inclusive.
At a glance
Largest cities in Dominica
Roseau
Portsmouth
Marigot
Famous people from Dominica
Jean Rhys
LiteratureDominican-born novelist best known for Wide Sargasso Sea, a postcolonial reimagining of Jane Eyre set in the Caribbean
Jeff Joseph
MusicLegendary cadence-lypso musician known as the King of Cadence whose music defined Dominican popular culture for decades
Roosevelt Skerrit
PoliticsBecame the youngest head of government in the world at age 31 when he became Prime Minister of Dominica in 2004
Traditional cuisine of Dominica
- Mountain Chicken
- Dominica's national dish is actually giant crapaud frog legs, a traditional delicacy now extremely rare due to conservation concerns
- Callaloo Soup
- Rich green soup made from dasheen leaves, coconut milk, crab, and provisions, a beloved Sunday dish across the island
- Bakes and Saltfish
- Fried dough rounds served with seasoned salted codfish, the essential Dominican breakfast found at every roadside stall
- Cassava Bread
- Traditional Kalinago flatbread made from grated cassava, one of the oldest continuously made foods in the Caribbean
Nature and landmarks in Dominica
- Boiling LakeLake
- World's second-largest actively boiling lake, hidden in a volcanic crater accessible only by a grueling six-hour round-trip hike through the Valley of Desolation
- Morne Trois Pitons National ParkNational Park
- UNESCO World Heritage Site of volcanic peaks, fumaroles, hot springs, and pristine rainforest covering the island's mountainous interior
- Trafalgar FallsRiver
- Twin waterfalls known as Father and Mother cascading side by side into pools surrounded by hot springs and tropical vegetation
- Champagne ReefCoast
- Unique snorkeling site where volcanic vents release streams of warm bubbles through the seafloor, creating an underwater champagne effect
- Middleham FallsRiver
- One of the tallest waterfalls in the Caribbean at 60 meters, reached by hiking through old-growth rainforest in the Morne Trois Pitons area
Sports in Dominica
- Cricket
- Dominica is part of the Windward Islands cricket team and has produced several players for the West Indies squad
- Football
- Football is widely played across the island, with a passionate domestic league despite the country's small population
Did you know?
Dominica has 365 rivers, one for every day of the year, more than any other Caribbean island
The Boiling Lake is the second-largest actively boiling lake in the world, surrounded by clouds of steam in a volcanic crater
Dominica is the only Caribbean island where the indigenous Kalinago people still live in their own territory
The Sisserou parrot, found only in Dominica, is featured on the national flag and is one of the rarest parrots in the world
Dominica was the last Caribbean island to be colonized by Europeans because the Kalinago resisted so fiercely for centuries
Can you find Dominica on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Dominica and its neighbours without a second thought.
