Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic with its capital city in Santo Domingo is located in the eastern part of the Haiti Island and is the second big country on the Caribbean Sea. The country has about 8 million inhabitants, 70% of mulattos, 15% of white people and 11% of black people. The dominant religion in Dominican Republic is Catholicism and the official language is Spanish. The majority of area comprise mountains. In the middle part of the country, there are the Central Mountains (Cordillera Central). The highest peak is Duarte which is also the highest point in the Antilles. In the north, east and southwest, at the border with Haiti, there are smaller mountain ranges, which are divided by wide lowlands like the Cibao Valley.

The Haiti island, discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, was first colonized by Spanish settlers. In the 17th century, its western part was given to France. The rest was the Spanish colony San Domingo which was later also under French rule. In 1821, San Domingo proclaimed its independence as the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, in 1822 it was again under the rule of the Republic of Haiti and was a part of it till 1844 when Juan Pablo Duarte fought successfully for its independence. The Dominican Republic was ruled by dictators through the major part of its history and the only exceptions were short periods of a democratic rule. The first democratically chosen government in the history of the country came to power in 1978.

The best known region in the Dominican Republic is the Southern Coast known for its white beaches and small and picturesque towns with rich local color and a very nice atmosphere. The southeastern coast, so called “coconut coast” is mainly known for beautiful, wide beaches overgrown by palms and many high-standard hotels . The Samana Peninsula is a green and mountainous region with lots of exotic plants, wonderful sandy bays and charming waterfalls. On the other hand, the northern coast called “ the amber coast” is very popular among water sports lovers and those making trips to the hinterland of the country.

The Dominican Republic has been one of the most popular Caribbean holiday resorts for many years. It is not only due to its beautiful beaches, the sun and its diversity of the landscape. A very important role play Dominicans themselves who are very open and friendly towards their guests and are always eager to help. Moreover, tourists visiting their country may also see their amazing happiness of life. The country is also so amazing due to its unbelievable diversity. Every tourist will find here a place in which they will feel wonderful, no matter weather they like places bustling with tourists or whether they are looking for peace and quiet during their trips to quiet and picturesque places or during their lonely walks along the beach.

Interesting Places

Santo Domingo – Although the capital city of the Dominican Republic is far-away from the biggest tourist centers, it is worth visiting it, because it has a lot to offer tourists interested in history. It is the first capital city of the New World. Buildings in Centro Colonial were erected only a couple of years ago after the discovery of this part of the world in 1492. In the middle of the 50s of the 20th century, the renovations of the historical buildings began. The Old Town of Santo Domingo looks now like an Andalusian town. Alcazar, which is a seat of the Spanish governors, was built in 1511. Nowadays, it is a museum with furniture coming from those times. The central point of the first church of the New World, which is made of stone, is the grave of Christopher Columbus. According to the wish of the discoverer of America, who died in Spanish Valladolid in 1506, his corpse was transported to the cathedral in Santo Domingo. Nevertheless, when the island was seized by Frenchmen 255 years later, his remains were allegedly taken out of this family grave and transported firstly to Havana and then again to Spain. In 1877, the workers renovating the grave discovered sarcophagus with an inscription: “To the memory of famous and highly respected Don Cristobal Colon”. During the celebration of the 500-year anniversary of the discovery of America, the remains of Columbus were lied down in the new tomb Faro de Colon.

Historical National Park of La Isabela – it was the first European settlement on the American continent. A lot of remnants from the period of Spanish colonizers were excavated here.

The Eastern National Park (Parque Nacional del Este) - is located in the southeastern part of the country in the Altagracia province. Places worth visiting are: Jose Maria and El Puenta caves, Las Calderas Bay, nature reserve of coral reefs, manatees, dolphins and turtles. The caves are full of paintings on the rocks.

Jaragua National Park - located in the southwestern part of the country in the Pedernalez province. It is the biggest preserved area in the country which comprises a wide area of waters and two islands: Beata and Alto Velo. Flamingos have their natural lairs here. Rich wildlife may be observed here, e.g. iguanas and 4 species of sea turtles. There have been some archeological discoveries made from the period before the Spanish age in El Guanal and La Poza caves.

La Caleta Underwater Park - located 22 kilometers away from Santo Domingo. A 180-meter deep sea area gives an opportunity to explore the underwater world. Visitors can explore coral reefs and their inhabitants. A Hikory sheep, which sank here 15 years ago, makes diving even more interesting.

Los Haitises – it is a park of the total area of 1,500 km2 known for its great diversity of plants and animals. Beautiful hills with abundant plants and diverse animals, as well as caves full of historical finds, make Los Haitises a very interesting place.

The Anthropological Reserve El  Pomier - the most important paintings in the world, drawn on the walls and called Indian Taino, were found here. It is located in the San Cristobal province, 40 kilometers away from Santo Domingo, and consists of 54 caves discovered in 1851. Deep under the earth there are stalactites, stalagmites and more than 6 thousand Indian rock paintings and pictograms. There are 12 caves available for visitors.

Armando Bermudez and José del Carmen Ramirez National Parks - the whole area comprises 1,530 km2, but there is a border of the province in the middle, so that is why the park has two names. There are the highest peaks in the Antilles here, i.e. Pico Duarte (3,175 m), La Pelona (3,087 m), La Rusilla (3,038 m) i Pico Yaque (2,760 m).