Welcome to Nation, my 139th Visit and 133rd Run UN Country out of a UN total of 193. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
Guess who the first person was to get off the ship for a fifth port in a row here in Roseau, the capital of Dominica ? Yes, you guessed correctly – it was me !!! Bundy and I slipped off the ship at 750am with car in-hand by 830am. Bundy set off on his walk and I set off on my run. Immensely painful quads given my sudden rush back to running so cat back distance to try to ease my way back in. We always timed it so that Bundy would get back to the car just before me. We were both exhausted given the heat and humidity in the absence of cloud. A quick wipe down with our beach towel and we were off to see the island. The capital was crowded with the usual narrow streets and traffic jams. Buildings were in similar condition to Santa Lucia and everything was better than Antigua. Our first stop was the famed Emerald Pool & Waterfall which was a lot smaller than in the photos – this is because the photo was taken in the wet season (summer) and this was the dry season (winter). After a colling (but not cold) dip we headed to the second waterfall, Jacko Falls – this was even smaller than Emerald but stronger with more water pouring over. The third waterfall, Salton, was easily the best. Highest fall with lots of water and you could walk behind it like King Kong. The falls are in the centre of the island with rainforest all around – not as thick as Saint Lucia but just as green and lush. We then drove to the coast to swim the most popular beach – Mero Beach that has very clear and calm water with black volcanic sand. We let the drone up here and enjoyed the dip. From here we drove back south towards the capital and headed up back into the mountains towards Titou Gorge. More windy, twisty roads with more hair pins than fish in the sea !!! The roads here were nowhere near as good in Saint Lucia but the scenery and peaks earned Dominica second place to date. We found a breathtaking view towards to coast about 4km out of Titou Gorge and decided to head to a city lookout close to the ship instead of heading to Titou Gorge since we were running out of time. The Morne Bruce (Roseau Lookout) was a good move with terrific views of Roseau and our ship. By 330pm we had fuelled and returned the car and boarded the ship. The usual blog routine with wine, cheese and olives before a sumptuous dinner of Prime Rib. Dinners on the boat continue to break records. Salads, soups, pasta, pizza, Asian dishes, sautéed veggies, assortment of cooked meats, cheese, olives, cold cuts, breads and a every-changing sweets bar with individual servings and soft serve or scoop ice-cream. VEEP lulled us to sleep ready for another day of light-speed adventure !!!
DOMINICA IN A NUTSHELL:
Dominica is a small, mountainous island country in the Caribbean known as the "Nature Island" due to its lush scenery and volcanic features, including the world's second-largest boiling lake.
• Area: 750 sq km.
• Capital City: Roseau.
• Population (2025): 65,718.
• Ethnic Groups: African descent (84.5%), mixed (9%) & indigenous Kalinago (3.8%).
• Official Language: English & French (patois dialect).
• Life Expectancy (2023): 78.5 years.
• Urbanization (2021): 81%.
• Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD), pegged to the US Dollar.
• GDP (2025): $740 million.
• GDP per Capita (2025): $USD19,580.
• Main Industries: Agriculture (bananas), ecotourism), soap production.
• Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy; a republic within the Commonwealth.
BRIEF HISTORY OF DOMINICA:
The history of Dominica is marked by indigenous resistance, European colonial struggles (primarily between Britain and France).
• First settled by the Arawak people, then the Kalinago (Island Caribs) in the 14th century.
• Christopher Columbus sighted the island on Sunday 3 November 1493 & named it "Dominica," which is Latin for "Sunday".
• The native Kalinago people and the island's rugged terrain prevented colonisation by Spain.
• In 1660, the French and British agreed by treaty to leave Dominica and St. Vincent as neutral territory, a reserve for the Caribs.
• Despite the treaty, French woodcutters from Martinique and Guadeloupe established the first permanent European settlements in the 1690s, developing coffee plantations and bringing enslaved Africans to the island.
• The island became a formal French colony in 1727, but control shifted several times between Britain and France during the 18th century.
• Britain captured the island in 1763.
• Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1834.
• Dominica became a Crown Colony under direct British rule in 1896.
• In 1967 Dominica became an associated state of the United Kingdom.
• Dominica was granted full independence on 3 November 1978.
• In 2017, Hurricane Maria caused widespread destruction.
• In 2024, Thea LaFond won Dominica's first Olympic gold medal, a historic achievement for the nation.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DOMINICA:
Here are 10 interesting facts about Dominica, the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean":
1. Home to the world's second-largest Boiling Lake in Morne Trois Pitons National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The largest is the Frying Pan Lake (also known as Waimangu Cauldron), located in the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley of New Zealand.
2. Only country with a year-round sperm whale population.
3. Dominica has 365 rivers, along with countless waterfalls and natural swimming pools.
4. Home to the Kalinago people (Pop 3,000), the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean.
5. Dominica is one of only two sovereign nations in the world to use purple on their National Flag. The other is Nicaragua.
6. Highest density of active volcanoes on Earth with 9 volcanos.
7. Rainforests cover two-thirds of the island earning the nickname "Nature Isle of the Caribbean".
8. No poisonous snakes or spiders.
9. Home to the Caribbean's longest hiking trail: The Waitukubuli National Trail stretches 183 k) across the entire length of the island.
10. Only place of the "mountain chicken" which is a giant ground frog.
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