Cultural Experiences You Won’t Find Anywhere Else

Dominica isn’t just about nature — it’s also about culture, history, and people.

Fresh produce varies by season. Pro tip: Early Saturday Morning is the best time to visit the market

Roseau Market – Roseau Market: A Feast for the Senses

Wake early, head into the capital, and plunge into the vibrant hub that is the Roseau Market. Every morning (especially Friday and Saturday), farmers, fishers, artisans, and vendors set up stalls of colors, textures, and smells.

• You’ll find baskets overflowing with citrus, guava, pineapple, plantains, dasheen, ginger, scotch bonnet peppers, and more.

• Fresh fish and seafood arrive early in the day, cleaned and laid out on ice or banana leaves.

• Spice stalls—cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, cocoa, and local blends—release an aromatic tug that leads you deeper into the alleys.

• Handcrafted goods: woven baskets, coconut shell bowls, carvings, local textiles, and souvenirs form a lively juxtaposition with the produce.

• The energy is contagious — locals chatting, children weaving through stalls, vendors calling out specials.

• Tips: Bring cash, bargaining is customary, but be humble, respectful and fair.

ibdesignsvi.com photo shoot in Kalinago Territory.

• Kalínago Territory – The Kalínago community is one of Dominica’s most precious cultural treasures. It’s a living history — not a museum — and visiting gives you a chance to see traditions passed down through generations.

  When you go:

  • Guided village tours show you traditional homes (often called carbet), handicraft workshops, storytelling, and demonstrations of weaving, carving, and basketry.

  • You’ll often see (or be invited to try) making cassava bread — a staple made from the starch of the cassava root, sometimes enriched with coconut milk and spices, then cooked over a hot griddle.

  • Traditional music and dance: drums, bamboo flutes, and singing accompany many demonstrations and ceremonies.

  • Crafts for sale: beautifully woven baskets, wood carvings, jewelry made from local seeds or shells — buying from local artisans helps support the community.

  • Nearby natural features: waterfalls (like Jacko Falls), rainforest trails, and river crossings often accompany the village visit.

  • The owners of Kai Famille and Kai Karma run ibdesigns, a jewelry store on the island of St. Croix and the photo featured was from a shoot in Kalinago Territory.

  • Learn more at DiscoverDominica.com

So many local cuisines to try. Start with the Callaloo Soup and learn more at DominicaGourmet.com

Food: The Heartbeat of Dominican Culture

Food and festivity are inseparable in Dominica. The island bursts into song, dance, and feasting during certain seasons — and trying local dishes is a form of storytelling.

Festivals

• World Creole Music Festival (October): A major draw. International and local artists perform, crowds dance in the streets, food vendors line the venues, and the island pulses with joy.

• Other local events: fishing contests, village fairs, religious feast days, and carnivals — each with their own flavor, local food stalls, traditional dance, and communal gathering.

Food to Savor

• Callaloo soup: Made from dasheen leaves (or other greens), coconut milk, and seasonings. In the Creole season, it’s often paired with land crab.

• Crab-back: Land crab meat cooked with onions, peppers, herbs, sometimes curry, and served in its shell.

• Cassava bread and kanki: Traditional Kalínago dishes. Kanki is made from grated sweetened cassava (manioc) steamed in banana leaves.

• Saltfish / Codfish dishes: Cooked in coconut milk or sautéed with vegetables and peppers.

• Local “bakes,” aloo pies, roti: Street-food style comfort foods.

• Fresh seafood & grill: Catch of the day grilled or steamed, sometimes paired with provisions (breadfruit, yams, plantains).

• Bush teas and herbal remedies: Ginger tea, guava leaf tea, lemongrass infusions — part of the food-culture continuum.