Dominican Republic Vacation Guide

Introduction

The Dominican Republic is in the Caribbean, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and constituting the eastern two-thirds of land. The landscape is forested and mountainous, with valleys, plains and plateaux. There are excellent beaches on the north, southeast and east coasts, rising up to the mountains. The old parts of the capital, Santo Domingo, have been carefully restored to retain their colonial charm. The modern areas contain a thriving port city with discotheques and casinos. A few miles east of the city is a remarkable cave complex, Los Tres Ojos de Agua (The Three Eyes of Water), containing three turquoise lagoons, fed by an underground river and surrounded by stalactites, stalagmites and lush vegetation.

Native Dominican cooking combines Spanish influences with local produce. Local dishes include la bandera (comprising white rice, red beans, stewed meat, salad and fried plantain) and cassava (fried yucca) Locally produced beer and rum are relatively cheap. For nightlife, the choice varies from a Las Vegas-style revue, discotheques and casinos to a quiet cafe by the sea in Santo Domingo. The national music, merengue, is celebrated in several festivals which draw large numbers of national and international musicians.

Full country name: Dominican Republic
Area: 48,730 sq km
Population: 8.71 million
Capital City: Santo Domingo
People: 73% mulatto, 16% European descent, 11% African descent
Language: Spanish
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Government: representative democracy
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4
Dialling Code: 809
Electricity: 110V ,60Hz
Currency: Dominican Republic Peso (peso)

We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the best hotels and resorts in Dominican Republic with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports. Popular hotels & resorts in Dominican Republic are Occidental Allegro Punta Cana and Punta Cana Resort & Club.

All visitors require a valid passport; citizens of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Curaçao, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Russia, Surinam, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela and Yugoslavia are eligible for a 90-day tourist card. Check with the Dominican consulate for the latest visa requirements.
More Information About Visa Requirements

The Dominican Republics national airline is Air Santo Domingo. American Airlines offers daily flights from London via Miami. Direct flights from the USA are operated by American Airlines (from New York) and Continental Airlines (from New Jersey). Iberia operates every day to Santo Domingo via Madrid. Other airlines operating flights from Europe are Air France, Condor and Martinair. Several cruise ship lines also have ports of call in the Dominican Republic.

Buses are the preferred way to see the DR. They're cheap, convenient and, if you use Metro Bus or Carib Tours, air-conditioned and comfortable. There are also gua-guas, smaller and less-comfortable buses that are favoured by locals. They're a great way to scoot between locations in the same region, and fares rarely break a few Dominican pesos. Car rental in the DR is fairly expensive. There is a daily ferry service that links Samaná and Sabana del Mar. It's limited to people, bicycles and motorcycles, and saves you a four-hour trip by bus or car.

The DR has a primarily tropical climate, with more local variations in temperature than seasonal ones. August is muggy and hot, January a bit less so. There are two rainy seasons, October to May along the northern coast and May to October in the south; bring an umbrella if you plan to travel the entire country. The June-to-September hurricane season might be worth missing; though the chances of one blowing through are miniscule, remember that one little hurricane can wreck your whole holiday.

Most travellers come to Punta Cana for its beaches, among the most beautiful in the country, if not the whole Caribbean.

Along the Atlantic coast, on the north of the island, Puerto Plata and Samana are areas familiar to tourists from around the globe. From Puerto Plata to the Samana Peninsula, a formidable 90 mile shoreline, takes you through one of the best-known beaches of the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic's Caribbean Coast boasts miles of beautiful coastline. Here discerning travelers will find a variety of tourist resorts. Juan Dolio and Casa de Campo have sprung up in previously uninhabited areas, near beautiful sandy beaches.

There are many possibilities for hiking in the Dominican Republic, especially in the Central Highlands. Not only do most of the DR's national parks lend themselves well to wilderness treks, but the country's many kilometers of unprotected beaches make for interesting places to explore. There are some excellent spots for surfing, especially along the north and east coasts. Some of the best breaks crash just west of Sosua, and there is also good surfing south of Bahia Samana.

Bicycling is a great way to take in the country's natural splendor, and there are usually places to rent bikes in major urban areas. Even better, consider bringing your own. Offshore, the Bahia Samana has been the preferred breeding area for humpback whales for many millions of years. Several boating companies offer whale-watching tours in season.

Golf - For golfers there is an abundance of fine courses. Some say that the Pete Dye architected Teeth of the Dog course at Casa de Campo near La Romana is one of the greatest in the world. There a more than a dozen more fine golf courses accessible from tourist areas of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata and Juan Dolio, and from Santo Domingo.

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