Dominican Republic

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Your vacations in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries – Saint Martin being the other. Both in area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 km² and an estimated 10 million people.

The Dominican Republic is situated on the eastern part of the second-largest island in the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola. It shares the island roughly at a 2:1 ratio with Haiti. The country's capital and greatest metropolitan area, Santo Domingo, is located on the southern coast.

The Dominican Republic has become the Caribbean's largest tourist destination, with the country's year–round golf courses among the top attractions. The Caribbean's highest mountain, Pico Duarte, is located in this rugged country, as is Lake Enriquillo, the Caribbean's largest lake.

The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. Additionally, the national capital, Distrito Nacional, is contained within Santo Domingo.

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Dominican peso

Electricity

110/120 volts, 60 cycles same as Canada

Shopping

Some of the best buys include Dominican rum, cigars and locally-grown coffee.

Useful information

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water can be purchased locally.

The climate in the Domincan Republic

The majority of the Dominican Republic enjoys beautiful tropical weather all year round, with the average annual temperature hovering around 25°C. Some call the Dominican Republic's climate, 'the endless summer', due to warm and sunny conditions experienced pretty much everywhere in the country, all year round.

The Dominican Republic, like most of the Caribbean, is located in an area where hurricanes can occur. Officially, the Caribbean hurricane season runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. Historically, most hurricane activity in the Dominican Republic's part of the Caribbean has taken place in the months of August and September.

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Dominican peso

Electricity

110/120 volts, 60 cycles same as Canada

Shopping

Some of the best buys include Dominican rum, cigars and locally-grown coffee.

Useful information

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water can be purchased locally.

Touristic attractions of Dominican Republic

Los Haitises National Park, Santo Domingo

Los Haitises National Park is a national park located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. It is a protected virgin forest with little road access. There is a multitude of caverns created by water erosion. Native Americans adorned these caverns with pictographs and petroglyphs.

National Palace, Santo Domingo

The National Palace is a building in Santo Domingo, that houses the offices of the Executive Branch of the Dominican Republic. Designed by Italian architect Guido D'Alessandro at the behest of Rafael Trujillo, it was inaugurated in August 16, 1944. The National Palace is considered one of the greatest and most beautiful buildings built in the Dominican Republic.

Pico Duarte

Pico Duarte is the highest peak in all the Caribbean islands. It lies in the Cordillera Central range. The Cordillera Central extends from the plains between San Cristóbal and Baní to the northwestern peninsula of Haiti. The highest elevations of the Cordillera Central are found in the Pico Duarte and Valle Nuevo massifs.

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Colonial City of Santo Domingo

After Christopher Columbus's arrival on the island in 1492, Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas. This colonial town, founded in 1498, was laid out on a grid pattern that became the model for almost all town planners in the New World.

La Romana

La Romana is the third-largest city in the Dominican Republic with a population estimated in 2005 at 250,000. The city is capital of the southeastern province of La Romana, opposite Catalina Island. The name Romana comes from a balance that was used to weigh merchandise for export. Santa Rosa de Lima is the patron saint of La Romana.

Punta Cana Beaches

Punta Cana in Dominican Republic is home on the eastern tip of the island and is known as a popular vacation destination for those wishing to bask in the Caribbean sun while enjoying white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. There are many beaches stretching along the Coconut Coast like Playa Punta Cana, Playa Bavaro and Playa Punta Juanillo.

Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata is one of the northern provinces of the Dominican Republic. The area has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction since the late 1990s mainly due to its fine beaches. It borders the Septentrional mountain range to the north (which separates it from Laguna Salada).

Samana Bay

The Samana Bay is one of the largest estuaries in the Caribbean and is an important sanctuary for humpback whales. The bay is fed by the Dominican Republic’s largest river, the Yuna River. The bay and the surrounding waters of the Samana peninsula contain small islands, shoals, patches of coral formation, and extensive seagrass beds

Armando Bermudez National Park

Established in 1956, this was the first national park in the Dominican Republic. It is still considered the most popular due to the 10,128-foot-tall Pico Duarte. Located within the northern Cordillera Centraland, the 306 square mile park shares Pico Duarte with Jose del Carmen Ramirez National Park.

Playa Fronton

There's good snorkelling all along this coastline but a boat trip to Playa Frontón will provide you with the best. Playa Madam and La Playita are just a short walk from Las Galeras, and still have the clear turquoise water and easy viewing of the reef. The water temp hovers around a very comfortable 30 degrees as well.