Roseau: a first-timer's guide to Dominica's capital

Why go

Roseau is where you feel everyday Dominica. Vendors set out mangoes and sorrel along the Bayfront, minibuses with music playing wait for passengers at their stations, and on Saturday morning the market fills with farmers from the hills. It is not polished, and parts still show the damage of Hurricane Maria in 2017, but it is friendly, walkable and full of character. Most of the island's best day trips are within an hour of town.

Things to do

Start on the **Bayfront**, the waterfront road where cruise ships tie up in season. The **Dominica Museum**, in the old post office building, gives a quick and clear story of the island: the Kalinago, the arrival of the French and British, slavery, the Maroons who fought from the mountains, and the Creole culture that grew from it all. Across the road, the **Old Market Plaza** is a cobbled square once used for markets and slave auctions, now lined with craft stalls.

Walk up to the **Roseau Market** by the river mouth, busiest on Saturday from early morning. It is the best place to see the island's produce: dasheen, plantain, breadfruit, citrus, herbs, bay leaf and bottled hot pepper sauce. Then climb through town to the **Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven**, built from volcanic stone.

The **Dominica Botanic Gardens** are a short walk from the centre, a wide green space of old trees and lawns, with a parrot aviary where you may see the rare Sisserou and Jaco parrots. A path from the gardens climbs to **Morne Bruce**, a lookout with a big cross and a view over the rooftops to the sea.

Day trips from Roseau

The capital is the gateway to the Roseau Valley, with Trafalgar Falls, Titou Gorge, the hot springs of Wotten Waven and the long hike to the Boiling Lake. To the south, Soufrière and Scotts Head offer Champagne Reef and the marine reserve. Whale watching trips usually leave from the coast just south of town, and dive shops cluster in Castle Comfort.

Food and drink

Roseau has the island's widest choice of places to eat, from lunch counters to quieter dinner spots. Try **callaloo soup**, **fish broth**, **stew chicken with provisions**, **bakes and saltfish**, **titiri accra** made from tiny river fish when in season, and chicken or vegetable **roti**. Fresh juices such as sorrel, passion fruit, soursop and golden apple are sold from coolers on the street. The national beer is **Kubuli**, and rum shops sell bush rum infused with spices and bark. Many places close early in the evening, so plan dinner with that in mind.

Festivals

Roseau is the heart of **Mas Domnik**, the carnival held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and of the **World Creole Music Festival**, held at Windsor Park Stadium in late October. The weeks before **Independence Day** on 3 November bring madras dress, Creole food days and parades.

Where to stay

Hotels in town are small. The **Fort Young Hotel**, built on the walls of an eighteenth century fort, is the best known. Guesthouses such as the **Sutton Place Hotel** suit people who want to walk everywhere. Castle Comfort, just south, has dive focused hotels by the sea, and many travellers stay up the valley in Wotten Waven or Trafalgar for hot springs and cooler air.

Getting there and around

From Douglas Charles Airport on the east coast, the road crosses the mountains to Roseau in roughly an hour and a quarter by taxi. Small regional flights sometimes use Canefield, much closer to town. In Roseau you can walk almost everywhere. Minibuses leave from different stations depending on where they are going, and they stop running early in the evening, so arrange a taxi for night trips.

Tips for first-timers

Bring a light rain jacket, as showers are frequent even in the dry season. Expect shops to close early on Saturday and most of Sunday. Cruise ship days make the Bayfront and the nearby sights busy, so visit popular places early or late. Use our places to visit list for Roseau picks and the free trip planner to fit the capital into your trip.