Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Welcome to the Dominican Republic
The DR is one of the Caribbean's most geographically diverse
countries, with stunning mountain scenery, desert scrublands,
evocative colonial architecture and beaches galore.
Coastal Country
Hundreds of miles of coastline define the Dominican Republic (DR) - some of it white-
sand beaches shaded by rows of palm trees, other parts lined dramatically with rocky cliffs,
wind-swept dunes or serene mangrove lagoons. Whether it's fishing villages where the
shoreline is used for mooring boats or indulgent tourist playgrounds with aquamarine wa-
ters, the sea is the common denominator. Some of the bays and coves where pirates once
roamed are the temporary home of thousands of migrating humpback whales, and part of
an extensive network of parks and preserves safeguarding the country's natural patrimony.
Peaks & Valleys
Beyond the capital, much of the DR is rural: driving through the vast fertile interior you'll
see cows and horses grazing alongside the roads and trucks and burros loaded down with
produce. Further inland you'll encounter vistas reminiscent of the European Alps, rivers
carving their way through lush jungle and stunning waterfalls. Four of the five highest
peaks in the Caribbean rise above the fertile lowlands surrounding Santiago and remote
deserts extend through the southwest, giving the DR a physical and cultural complexity not
found on other islands.
Past & Present
The country's roller-coaster past is writ large in the physical design of its towns and cities.
Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial exudes romance with its beautifully restored monasteries
and cobblestone streets where conquistadors once roamed. The crumbling gingerbread
homes of Puerto Plata and Santiago remain from more prosperous eras, and scars from dec-
ades of misrule are marked by monuments where today people gather to celebrate. New
communities have arisen only a few kilometers from the ruins where Christopher Colum-
