RoseauCapital

Roseau is the small, lush capital of Dominica, the green Caribbean town that packs its historic streets, its wooden houses, its churches and its market onto the delta of the River Roseau, beneath the extraordinary volcanic peaks of the island of the nature island. The capital of the country since the eighteenth century, when the French founded the town and the British captured it with its island, it is still laid out on the old colonial grid, its wharf, its market and its colourful lanes climbing gently from the waterfront into the green hills, with the great boiling lake and the rainforests of the interior crowding close beyond the town. The market and the cathedral of the town, the museums and the botanical gardens, the hot springs and the waterfalls of the near valleys anchor the essential visits, while the whole natural wonderland of the island, its valleys, its canyons and its enormous crater lakes, spreads out beyond the little capital. Green, warm and wonderfully laid-back, Roseau is the dozy, friendly portal of the nature island of the Caribbean.

About Roseau

Roseau is the capital of Dominica. The city's documented population is around 15,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +1767.

The Cathedral of the Mission and the Grid of the Old Town

Roseau is a compact, walkable capital where the essential circuit moves between the market of the waterfront, the historic church and the old lanes of the town, with the botanical garden and the museums filling the short centre days. The indoor and the waterfront markets, the cathedral and the museum of the country, and the botanical garden with its parrots and its giant trees anchor the essential visits, while the waterfalls, the hot springs and the river valleys of the interior, and the whale-watching and the diving of the offshore shelf, fill the excursions beyond the town. The whole little capital is West Indian to the bone, unhurried, friendly and fringed with the volcanic green of the nature island, and the days go easily between the town and its astonishing natural backyard.

The Garden of the Botanical and the Parrots of the Island

The climate of the capital is the warm, humid tropical of the island arc, with the heavy rains and the hurricane season of the summer and the autumn, and the drier, tempered winter and spring months the pleasant season of the year. The East Caribbean dollar is the currency, with the English the language of the town and the patois of the islands the everyday speech of the streets. The market, the town and the botanical garden make the core visits, and the natural wonders of the island lie within the easy organized reach of the capital. Light cotton clothing, insect protection, sturdy shoes for the forest trails and rain gear complete the preparation for the nature island.

The Springs of the Hot and the Whales of the Winter

The old quarter of the capital, the compact historic town of the wooden houses, the uptown lanes and the vendor markets that climbs from the wharf along the grid of the original French town, preserves the friendly colonial heart of Roseau, anchored by the elaborate gothic cathedral of the mission with its extraordinary interior of the starry blue and its carved pulpit. The botanical garden of the town, the fine garden of the palms and the giant trees of the island, with its story of the cricketers and its resident parrots, spreads above the river, while the museum of the country tells the story of the indigenous Kalinago and the natural history of the island. The settlements of the hot springs and the sulphur pools, the waterfalls and the trails of the near valleys, and the whale-watching boats of the coast where the sperm whales gather through the winter months, complete the essential circuit of the small, green, marvellous capital of the nature island of the Caribbean.

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Country: Dominica
Population: 15,000

Capital: Roseau
Region: North America
Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
Languages: English
Calling code: +1767
Country code: DM

Frequently asked questions

Is Roseau the capital of Dominica?

Yes — Roseau is the capital of Dominica.

What currency do I need in Roseau?

The local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD). Languages spoken in Dominica include English.

What is the dialling code for Dominica?

The international dialling code for Dominica is +1767.

Flying out of Roseau? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.