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Scotts Head, Dominica

Travel guide · The nature island: rainforest, waterfalls and hot springs

Travelling to Dominica

The Boiling Lake, Trafalgar Falls, the bubbling Champagne Reef, sperm whales and the Waitukubuli, the Caribbean’s great long-distance trail. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from December to May
  • Where to eat: a Creole stall or a family restaurant
Photo: XeresNelro · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dominica in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Dominica are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).
  • To eat like a local: a Creole stall or a family restaurant. Don’t leave without trying: Callaloo, Bakes and saltfish, Bouyon.

Dominica in November

You can go, with a few caveats: hurricane season. Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

  • November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Dominica

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Dominica are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with strong warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in April

  • from June to November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

    Best time: December to April

  • September, October

    Peak hurricane season

    September and October are the months with the highest risk of storms and heavy rain.

    What to do: The best time is January to April, the driest months.

What to see in Dominica

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Roseau

    Roseau

    A small capital of wooden Creole houses, with a botanical garden and reefs nearby.

    • Botanical garden
    • Market
    • Cathedral
    • Champagne Reef
    Roseau guide
  • Portsmouth

    Portsmouth

    The quiet north, with the Indian River by rowing boat and Fort Shirley.

    • Indian River
    • Fort Shirley
    • Prince Rupert Bay
    • Calibishie
    Portsmouth guide
  • Morne Trois Pitons National Park

    Morne Trois Pitons National Park

    A World Heritage national park: rainforest, volcanoes, waterfalls and the Boiling Lake.

    • Boiling Lake
    • Valley of Desolation
    • Trafalgar Falls
    • Emerald Pool
    Morne Trois Pitons National Park guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Roseau

From Portsmouth

From Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Dominica

To eat like a local: a Creole stall or a family restaurant, and order callaloo or bakes and saltfish. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Callaloo

    Taro-leaf soup.

  • Bakes and saltfish

    Fried bread rolls for breakfast.

  • Bouyon

    A thick soup of meat and vegetables.

  • Accras

    Saltfish fritters.

  • Breadfruit

    Roasted or boiled.

  • Sea moss

    A drink of seaweed and milk.

The typical dish of Dominica, at home

Callaloo soup
Photo: GeoTrinity (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Callaloo soup

One of Dominica’s most typical dishes: a creamy soup of taro (dasheen) leaves with okra, coconut milk and a touch of chilli, eaten above all on Saturdays.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h

Ingredients

  • 400 g taro leaves or spinach
  • 8 okra pods
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 150 g pumpkin
  • Thyme and chives
  • 1 whole chilli
  • Salt and pepper

How to make it at home

  1. Fry the chopped onion and garlic gently in a little oil.
  2. Add the washed and chopped leaves, the sliced okra, the diced pumpkin and the thyme.
  3. Cover with the coconut milk and 500 ml water, add the whole chilli and simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the chilli and blend the soup until creamy.
  5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with chopped chives.

The trick: Don’t break the chilli: kept whole, it adds aroma without too much heat.

Curious facts about Dominica

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It’s called the “nature island” of the Caribbean: they say it has a river for every day of the year.
  • The Boiling Lake is one of the largest hot lakes in the world.
  • The Kalinago Territory is home to the last Carib community in the eastern Caribbean.
  • Sperm whales live off its coast all year round.
  • The Waitukubuli is a trail that crosses the island from end to end.
  • Part of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here.

Traditions of Dominica

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • October World Creole Music Festival

    Three nights of Creole music.

  • October Creole Day

    Everyone in traditional dress.

  • February or March Mas Domnik

    The carnival.

  • 3 November Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Dominica

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t go to the Boiling Lake without a guide: the hike is demanding.
  • Don’t swim in rivers when it rains: they rise suddenly.
  • Don’t touch the coral at Champagne.
  • Don’t forget insect repellent.
  • Don’t confuse it with the Dominican Republic.
  • Don’t underestimate the mountain roads.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Dominica

What people search for most before travelling to Dominica.

What’s the best time to travel to Dominica?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Dominica are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

What to see in Dominica in a week?

The essentials of Dominica: Roseau, Portsmouth and Morne Trois Pitons National Park. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Dominica?

Callaloo, Bakes and saltfish, Bouyon, Accras, Breadfruit, Sea moss. To eat like a local: a Creole stall or a family restaurant.

What is the typical dish of Dominica?

Callaloo soup. One of Dominica’s most typical dishes: a creamy soup of taro (dasheen) leaves with okra, coconut milk and a touch of chilli, eaten above all on Saturdays.

What should you not do in Dominica?

Don’t go to the Boiling Lake without a guide: the hike is demanding. Don’t swim in rivers when it rains: they rise suddenly. Don’t touch the coral at Champagne.

Is it worth travelling to Dominica in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: hurricane season. Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, XeresNelro (CC BY-SA 4.0). Roseau, Hans Hillewaert (CC BY-SA 3.0). Portsmouth, Cowbell Solo (CC BY-SA 2.0). Morne Trois Pitons National Park, XeresNelro (CC BY-SA 4.0).