Dominica Vs. the Dominican Republic: Which Island Is Right for You?

03.01.2024 - 13:01 / matadornetwork.com

When the temperatures are dropping across the US and you’ve made it through the stress of the holidays, you may find yourself in desperate need of a vacay. But when it comes time to look at flights, and maybe trip packages, you may notice something when you start to type “D-o-m” into the search bar: instead of flights to the Dominican Republic, you see flights to Dominica. Maybe you’ve heard of the island, or maybe it’s your first time — or maybe you didn’t even know that Dominica and the Dominican Republic were two different countries.

So before you book your flight, you may want to learn some key differences between the countries of Dominica and theRepublica Dominicana – a.k.a., the Dominican Republic, or DR.

Wood-carved Kalinago masks from Dominica. Photo: Amery Butcher/Shutterstock

Dominica boasts the largest Indigenous community left in the Caribbean due to multiple successful attempts at fighting colonization. By 1763, European settlers had pushed the Kalinago Tribe primarily onto the island’s mountainous and steep eastern side, which was difficult for outsiders to navigate. After the British gained control, the Kalinago were allotted 232 acres. In 1903, that was increased to 3,700 acres.

To this day, the Kalinago influence is still felt in Dominica. Citizens whose heritage is a mix of African and Kalinago are called Caribs, and there’s even a local radio station that devotes time each day to a Kalinago history lesson and word of the day, taught by an elder. Many members of the tribe live well into their 100s, which makes the island an unofficial “blue zone.”

The island has only 76,000 residents, and most of the population is of African descent. There are also 3,000 Kalinago and quite a few mixed-race individuals. The majority of Dominicans speak English, and a few speak Patois. Kalinago has its own language, but it’s predominantly an English-speaking territory. The currency is the East Caribbean dollar, but USD is widely accepted.

The DR, on the other hand, has more than 11 million residents and is the most-visited Caribbean island for US travelers. The population in the Dominican Republic has a mix of Taino, African, and European roots. Most of the population speaks Spanish, but that won’t impact English speakers on the island in tourist destinations. Staff at resorts and tour companies are bilingual, and travelers should be fine getting by with just English. Most signage, museum displays, restaurants, and tours are also in English. The currency is the Dominican peso, but USD is also accepted.

The main cities in Dominica are Roseau, Portsmouth, and Marigot; the latter is home to the island’s only international airport, Douglas-Charles Airport. By Caribbean standards, these may seem quite big, but