In my opinion, Dominica’s stormy southeastern coast has some of the island’s nicest beaches and a couple of its most impressive waterfalls. Apart from that, there are a few great lodges in beautiful surroundings, which make for a great base for a couple of days.

Some of my favourite spots in the area are the often deserted Secret Beach and the amazing Wavine Cyrique Waterfall near the village of the same name, as well as the powerful Victoria Falls near Delices, but there are also a few more low-key destinations worth checking out in the area.

Here are my suggestions of the top sights in Southeastern Dominica.

This post may contain affiliate links, and I might earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more info, click here

The Best Things to See in Southeastern Dominica

As many parts of the island, southeastern Dominica is full of natural attractions, mostly beaches and waterfalls.

Wavine Cyrique Waterfall

This is one of my favourite waterfalls on the island, not just because of the beautiful surroundings, but also because of the adventurous trail leading there. The hike involves climbing down a series of rope-ladders strung up at the cliff-side, but once you’re there, you definitely won’t regret it.

The waterfall can be reached by taking a residential road east to the coast in the village of Riviere Cyrique. You can read my full description of the hike to Wavine Cyrique here.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls near Delices is one of Dominica’s most impressive Waterfalls. I found the hike there through the river to be a fun adventure, and in my opinion it’s a definite must-do in this part of the island.

Something else I loved in the area was the possibility to hang out with Moses and his family at the “Rastarant” near the trailhead, and to try the fantastic Ital (i.e. vegan Rastafari) food they serve up. You can read my complete guide to the waterfall and hike here.

The Secret Beach / Bord La Mer Beach

While some people also call the beach near Wavine Cyrique waterfall “Secret Beach”, the road leading east to the official Secret Beach (aka. Bord La Mer Beach) is actually about 500m further south from the turn-off to Wavine Cyrique.

This is my second favourite beach on Dominica, only topped by Hampstead Beach near Calibishie. It’s backed by a beautiful slice of rainforest and ticks almost all the boxes in my personal requirements for a tropical dream beach.

Sadly, swimming here is discouraged, because of strong currents. Still, it’s a cool place to hang out for a while and the name seems somewhat deserved, as I at least was completely on my own there.

Dernier Falls

This small waterfall is not the most impressive one on Dominica, but it’s located in very nice natural surroundings, and I found the big pool to be a great (and not too cold) place for a swim.

It can be reached from the western end of Grand Fond Village in the hills west of Rosalie by taking a short but steep trail down to the valley of the O’Hara River.

Other Small Natural Attractions in the Area

To me, just aimlessly exploring the beautiful natural surroundings was a huge part of the fun of travelling through Dominica. In my opinion, it doesn’t always have to be spectacular sights; sometimes it’s just fun to hike along a small river through the jungle for a while to get to a tiny cascade.

The guys running 3 Rivers Eco Lodge can give you a hand-drawn map with short hiking trails and low-key natural attractions to check out in the area.

These include Flocky Falls and Coco Cascades, two tiny waterfalls in tributaries of the Clarke’s River. What I loved about them wasn’t their size (which isn’t very impressive), but the amazing feeling of being completely alone in a beautiful clearing in the tropical rainforest.

I was also blown away by the huge amount of birds, lizards, fish and crabs I saw on these short hikes. Be careful, though, as one of the latter tried to pinch my toe, when I got too close to its hidey-hole 😂.

Practicalities

Where to Stay

I stayed at 3 Rivers Eco Lodge, which has beautiful natural surroundings. Jem and his team are super helpful and knowledgeable about everything to see in the area.

If you’re a budget traveler like me, there’s the option to camp (I strung up a hammock) or stay in a dormitory-cabin, but there are also a couple of self-contained cabins for rent as more of a mid-range option.

Citrus Creek Plantation in La Plaine is at the other end of the spectrum, with luxury accommodation if you don’t have to pinch their pennies, while the Rosalie Bay Eco Resort is a well-rated upper midrange I dropped by there for a drink and really liked the beautiful grounds by the Ocean.

How to Get There and Around

Minibuses serving the coastal highway to Rosalie start in Roseau’s Kennedy Avenue (close to the Arawak House of Culture), and buses starting in Hanover Street near the New Market go the same way, continuing further on to La Plaine and Delices.

Alternatively, they will take you along if you wave them down anywhere along the route. As often on Dominica, they’re not super frequent, and I found hitchhiking to be much more convenient, especially on the longer drive to Victoria Falls.

If you’re staying in or near Rosalie, destinations like Wavine Cyrique, the Secret Beach and Dernier Falls can also be reached by just walking, although getting to the latter one from Rosalie is quite a trek (about an hour, but constantly uphill).

Where to Eat in the Area

There are not a lot of options around, and the way to go is probably to have dinner at your accommodation (like I did). If you’re visiting Victoria Falls, definitely stop by Moses’ Zion Valley Rastarant and try the fantastic Rastafari Ital Food.

See Also

Freshwater Lake, Boeri Lake and Middleham Falls – Three Fantastic Hikes in Central Dominica

What to Know About Visiting Dominica’s Emerald Pool and Other Cool Spots in the Area