Beaches The Dominican Republic
Beaches are widely
celebrated as being among the world's best, and for good reason.
Here, more than 1,000 miles of white sand is gently lapped by
warm waters so clear and blue one has to see to believe.
Depending on location, the beaches offer a gentle lullaby for an
Oceanside nap or enough wind to keep a Technicolor kite board
adrift. Super fine white sand sprinkled with coconut palm trees
line the east coast while golden sand defines the beaches of the
north coast. Adding a third color to the palette are the grey
sand playas of Barahona in the west. Some of these areas are
populated with resorts featuring a full array of water sports,
food vendors, people watching and other activities. While others
take visitors to another world of pristine tranquility with
peaceful, uninhabited beaches. Here, the only intrusions are a
towering coconut palm and the swaying breeze.
Blue Flag Beaches
The Dominican Republic has 21 Blue
Flag beaches, the European Foundation for Environmental
Education has launched its 2015-2016 list of world's top quality
beaches. According to the international non-profit organization,
the Dominican Republic now has 21 blue flag beaches. Despite its
small size, Dominican Republic is the country with the most blue
flag beaches in America:
La Romana
The dominicus lagoon
-Beach Nueva Bahia Principe
-Bayahibe Dreams La Romana
Punta Cana
-Arena Gorda - Bahia Principe
Punta Cana
-Arena Gorda - Barcelo Punta Cana
-Arena Gorda - Hard Rock
Punta Cana
-Arena Gorda - Iberostar
-Bavaro - Palladium
-El Cortecito - Barcelo Dominican Beach
Toro Head - Be Live
Punta Cana
Toro Head - Natura Park
-Bavaro - Paradisus
Palma Real
-Bavaro - Paradisus Punta Cana
-Bavaro -
Barcelo Resort
Puerto Plata
-Costa
Dorada - Be Live Marien
-Costa Dorada - Iberostar
- Golden Gate III
-Blue Jack Tar
Samana
-Los Cayos -
Bahia Principe
-La Honda - Bahia Principe
-Portillo - Bahia Principe
Golf
A favorite golfing destination of
former presidents Bill Clinton and George H. Bush, the Dominican
Republic has become one of the hottest spots to tee-off in the
Caribbean, if not the world. Here golfers will find 21 courses
with oceanfront fairways and dogleg lefts around swaying coconut
palms. They'll also find courses designed by legends such as
Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent
Jones, Gary Player, Tom Fazio and Nick Faldo. Visitors to the
Dominican Republic needn't worry about packing golf clubs or
even knowing how to golf, for that matter. Each course offers
affordable club rentals and internationally recognized golf pros
for lessons. Regardless of handicap, the courses of the
Dominican Republic promise a challenging and unique experience
Diving The Dominican Republic's underwater world offers
exceptional reef diving and snorkeling, incredibly clear waters
and a variety of colorful marine life. In fact, the country is
often listed as one of the top diving locations in the
Caribbean. Visitors can explore centuries-old shipwrecks on the
country's north coast, or take advantage of the warm, protected
waters of the south. While the Dominican Republic is a haven for
experienced divers, most all-inclusive hotels offer lessons and
certification for those interested in learning more about the
activity. In almost all cases, scuba diving and snorkeling
equipment and instruction are provided by Dominican Republic
dive centers. In general, if a person is over the age of 10 and
in good health, he or she can dive, according to the training
agencies' standards and procedures. Complete scuba diving
certification typically consists of five to six lessons,
followed by open water dives and can be done before or during
one's trip to the Dominican Republic
Marinas
The Dominican Republic
has one of the most expansive coastlines in the Caribbean with
more than 800 miles of diverse ecological environments ranging
from desert to tropical rainforest. Regardless of where visitors
choose to drop anchor, grand mountain backdrops, white sand
beaches and turquoise blue waters are sure to meet them.
Over the next two years, the Dominican Republic is more than
doubling the number of full-service marinas, some with unique
features never before available in the Caribbean. These
additions are more than new places to dock ship. Several of
these marinas are being opened in parts of the country that
never before could service large vessels. At present time, the Dominican Republic is able
to dock yachts to 150 feet in length overall (LOA). However, the
many marinas in development will allow the country to handle any
yacht size up to 250 feet LOA. In fact, Cap Cana Harbor and
Marina will be the largest world-class mega-yacht marina in the
Caribbean with capabilities of hosting over 500 yachts.
History with a glance at the Dominican calendar, one sees month
after month awash with holidays patriotic in nature. While some
believe this stems from the Dominican people's love of a good
fiesta, it's actually the country's long and storied history
that is responsible. Holidays such as Juan Pablo Duarte's
birthday and Restoration Day all point to the turbulent past of
this now tranquil tropical getaway. The Dominican Republic was
discovered on December 5, 1492, by Christopher Columbus during
his first voyage to the New World. At that time the island of
Hispaniola (as Columbus named it) was called "Quisqueya" by the
Taino Indians who occupied the land. With a population estimated
around 600,000, the Tainos (meaning "the good") were peaceful
and hospitable to Columbus and his crew of Spaniards. Columbus
himself grew a particular fondness for Hispaniola, describing it
in his journal as "a beautiful island paradise with high
forested mountains and large river valleys."
Columbus'
admiration for Hispaniola coupled with his crew's discovery of
gold deposits in the island's rivers led to the establishment of
European settlements, the first of which was founded in 1493 in
La Isabela. With the presence of new settlements, the Taino
Indians were put into slavery and over the next 25 year, were
eventually wiped out. Simultaneously, the settlers began
bringing African slaves to the island to ensure adequate labor
for their plantations.
Columbus' brother, Bartholomew,
was appointed governor of Hispaniola and in 1496 he founded the
city of Santo Domingo. The capital city quickly became the
representative seat of the Spanish royal court and therefore, a
city of power and much influence. However, by 1515 the Spaniards
realized the gold deposits of Hispaniola had significantly
dwindled. Around this time Herman Cortes discovered silver
deposits in Mexico. Upon hearing this news, most Spanish
residents of Santo Domingo left for Mexico, leaving only a few
thousand settlers behind. Because of the predominance of
livestock, initially introduced by Columbus, these settlers
sustained themselves by providing food and leather to Spanish
ships passing Hispaniola on their way to the richer colonies on
the American mainland. It is during this period of time that the
pirates of the Caribbean made history.
The island of
Hispaniola remained under Spanish control until 1697 when the
western third of the island became a French possession. (In
1804, the western part of the island became the Republic of
Haiti.) This area, which the French called "Saint Domingue"
became the richest colony in the world thanks to large sugar
plantations which were worked by hundreds of thousands of slaves
imported from Africa. In 1791 a slave revolt broke out in Saint
Domingue. For fear of losing their colony to the slaves, the
French abolished slavery in 1794. With calm in Saint Domingue,
the French were able to focus on overwhelming the Spanish on the
island's eastern side, who later surrendered power.
In
1809 the eastern side of the island returned to Spanish rule. In
1821 the Spanish settlers declared an independent state but just
weeks later, Haitian forces invaded the eastern portion of the
island and incorporated Santo Domingo. For the next 22 years the
entire island came under Haitian control. However, fueled by
their loss of political and economic control, the former Spanish
ruling class developed an underground resistance group led by
Juan Pablo Duarte called "La Trinitaria." After several attacks
by La Trinitaria on the Haitian army, the Haitians retreated. On
February 27, 1844, the eastern side of the island declared
independence and gave their land the name "Dominican Republic."
Culture The spirit and charm of the Dominican Republic is
captured in its music, food, and national pastimes. Known for
its professional winter baseball, handcrafted cigars, and annual
music festivals, the culture of the Dominican Republic is never
stodgy, or boring. It's always an artful and colorful expression
of life. Even the museums and archeological sites are vibrant,
bringing the daring history of the Dominican Republic alive with
antique treasures, dazzling jewels, and the cavernous time
capsules left to us by a long lost culture. In the Dominican
Republic, culture really means adventure. The culture of the
Dominican Republic, like its Caribbean neighbors, is a blend of
the European colonists, Tanos and Africans, and their cultural
legacies. Spanish, also known as Castellano (Castilian) is the
official language. Other languages such as Haitian Creole,
English, French, German, and Italian are also spoken to varying
degrees. Haitian Creole is spoken fluently by 159,000 or as many
as 1.2 million[98] Haitian nationals and Dominicans of Haitian
descent, and is the third most spoken language after Spanish and
English. European, African and Tano cultural elements are most
prominent in food, family structure, religion and music. Many
Arawak/Tano names and words are used in daily conversation and
for many items endemic to the DR
Baseball.
Whether it's little, minor or major league, baseball
has been dominating the U.S. sports industry for decades.
However, before legends like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson
appeared in the spotlight, the Caribbean was flooded with
pro-level players batting, throwing, catching and running the
bases. Back in 1866, American sailors stationed on the island of
Cuba taught natives the rules of the game of baseball. Following
the Ten Years' War (also known as the Big War) in Cuba, baseball
migrated to the Dominican Republic along with Cubans who were
fleeing their country. Quickly nicknamed "beisbol" by the
Dominican people, the sport was rapidly learned and became a
passion. Today, traveling from one side of the country to the
other presents national scores of baseball fields and stadiums,
attesting to the Dominicans' love for the game. Some of the
famous Dominican baseball players in USA : Pedro and Ramon
Martinez, Juan Marichal, Moises, Jesus, Mateo and Felipe Alou,
Manny Mota, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz (big pappy), George Bell,
Juan Samuel, The great Sammy Sossa, Alex Rodriguez, Tony (Cabeza)
Fernandez, Ricardo Carty, Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols,
Manuel Tejada, Henry Rodriguez, Alfredo Griffin and so more than
1000 players.
Cigars of Dominican Republic
The largest producer of cigars in the world, the
Dominican Republic is known to enthusiasts around the globe as
"Cigar Country." While Cubans are often more recognizable,
Dominican varieties are of a far superior quality overall. With
products that cover a wide variety of aromas, colors and price
tags, visitors won't be able to resist sampling and returning
home with a local stogie. Providing the ideal growing
environment, the majority of cigars are produced in the central
island's Santiago and Cibao Valley regions. In fact, the country
boasts more than 600,000 acres of tobacco plants. It is because
of Dominicans' careful cultivation and management of tobacco
crops that the country is able to produce cigars that are truly
distinctive and of impeccable quality.
Dominican Cusine
Dominican Republic cuisine is predominantly made up of a
combination of Spanish, Taino and African influences over the
last few centuries. Typical cuisine is quite similar to what can
be found in other Latin American countries but, many of the
names of dishes are different. Breakfast usually consists of
eggs and mang (mashed, boiled plantain). For heartier versions,
these are accompanied by deep-fried meat (typically Dominican
salami) and/or cheese. Similar to Spain, lunch is generally the
largest and most important meal of the day. Lunch usually
consists of some type of meat (chicken, pork or fish), rice and
beans, and a side portion of salad. "La Bandera" (literally, The
Flag), the most popular lunch dish, consists of broiled chicken,
white rice and red beans.
Typical Dominican cuisine
usually accommodates all four food groups, incorporating meat or
seafood; rice, potatoes or plantains; and is accompanied by some
other type of vegetable or salad. However, meals usually heavily
favor meats and starches, less dairy products, and little to no
vegetables. Many dishes are made with sofrito, which is a mix of
local herbs and spices sauted to bring out all of the dish's
flavors. Throughout the south-central coast, bulgur, or whole
wheat, is a main ingredient in quipes or tipili (bulgur salad).
Other favorite Dominican dishes include chicharrn, yucca, casave,
and pastelitos (empanadas), batata, pasteles en hoja,
chimichurris, platanos maduros and tostones.
Some treats
Dominicans enjoy are arroz con dulce (or arroz con leche),
bizcocho dominicano (lit. Dominican cake), habichuelas con dulce
(sweet creamed beans), flan, fro fro (snow cones), dulce de
leche, and caa (sugarcane).
The beverages Dominicans
enjoy include Morir Soando, rum, beer, Mama Juana, batida
(smoothie), ponche, mab, and coffee.
Music of the
Dominican Republic
Musically, the Dominican Republic
is known for the creation of Merengue music, a type of lively,
fast-paced rhythm and dance music consisting of a tempo of about
120 to 160 beats per minute (it varies wildly) based on musical
elements like drums, brass, and chorded instruments, as well as
some elements unique to the music style of the DR, such as the
marimba. Its syncopated beats use Latin percussion, brass
instruments, bass, and piano or keyboard. Not known for social
content in its commercial form (Merengue Tpico or Perico Ripiao
is very socially charged), it is primarily a dancehall music
that was declared the national music during the Trujillo regime.
Well-known merengue singers include Juan Luis Guerra, Fernando
Villalona, Eddy Herrera, Sergio Vargas, Too Rosario, Johnny
Ventura, and Milly Quezada. Merengue became popular mostly on
the east coast of the United States during the 1980s and 90s,
when many Puerto Rican groups such as Elvis Crespo were produced
by Dominican bandleaders and writers living in the US territory.
The emergence of Bachata-Merengue along with a larger number of
Dominicans living among other Latino groups (particularly Cubans
and Puerto Ricans in New York, New Jersey, and Florida)
contributed to the music's growth in popularity.
Bachata,
a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and
rural marginal neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic, has
become quite popular in recent years. Its subjects are often
romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and
sadness. In fact, the original term used to name the genre was "amargue"
("bitterness," or "bitter music"), until the rather ambiguous
(and mood-neutral) term bachata became popular. Bachata grew out
of, and is still closely related to, the pan-Latin American
romantic style called bolero. Over time, it has been influenced
by merengue and by a variety of Latin American guitar styles.
Another genre of music that has been growing in popularity
in recent years in the Dominican Republic is Dominican Rap, or
"Rap del Patio" (Street Rap). This genre can be described as
similar to American Hip Hop or Rap music rapped in Spanish with
a thick Dominican accent, with subject matter that varies from
social problems to money to fame, similarly to its U.S.
counterpart. It must be noted, however, that it differs from
Reggaeton in the fact that the beats do not use the familiar Dem
Bow rhythm of Reggaeton, instead using beats similar to American
rap. Singing is usually not a part of Rap del Patio; and the
themes of Rap del Patio are usually more street-oriented rather
than the club-themed Reggaeton. Notable artists are Lapiz
Conciente, R-1, Vakero, Joa and Toxic Crow.
Merengue The
country's national dance, traditional meringue groups are
comprised of a three-piece band including a melodeon
(accordion-like instrument), a guira (a scraped percussion
piece) and a tambora (double-headed drum); however, it has
expanded to incorporate other instruments such as the saxophone,
trumpets, violin, flute and piano. Its tempo is characterized by
an aggressive beat, requiring its dancers to swing their hips in
rapid, fluid motions and make sure their feet follow suit. Early
meringue's lyrics were based on sexual encounters and other
socially taboo subjects, thus preventing it from becoming widely
accepted. Today, meringue's lyrics cover more general topics
including politics and current events. Its music has become so
popular, in fact, that it is honored with two regional festivals
each year.
Archeology
The Dominican
Republic has a rich and storied history that traces back over
8,000 years to the arrival of the Taino Indians. Following the
island's discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Republic
had epic interaction with the Spanish, French, Haitians and
Africans. It's no wonder, then, how the Dominican Republic came
to boast such an impressive collection of personal and cultural
relics from centuries past. The country has done a magnificent
job of maintaining and preserving these artifacts as well as the
historical structures in which they're housed. Visiting the
Dominican Republic's major cities, especially Santo Domingo,
tourists can easily become engrossed in the historical legends
that accompany some of the oldest museums and archeological
sites in the New World
Punta Cana, Bavaro and Cap Cana
Santo Domingo City
Samana and Las Terrenas
Bayahibe and La Romana
Puerto Plata, Carabete y Sosua
Boca Chica and Juan Dolio
Santiago de los Caballeros
Constanza and Jarabacoa
The accommodation offer in Dominican Republic is very wide, including luxury hotels, beaches resort, apartments, boutique hotels See our hotel catalog
All the activities you can do outside the hotels to complement your holiday in Dominican Republic. our Tours and Adventure program
Hundreds of kilometers of incredible beaches of white sands and crystalline turquoise waters bordering the Dominican coasts
Dominican Republic is known for being the mecca of Caribbean golf courses
The Dominican Republic has wonderful marinas and cruise ports
The Dominican Republic not only boasts wonderful beaches but also boasts splendid mountain landscapes
The green Dominican landscapes are filled with refreshing waterfalls, lakes, rivers and streams, unique in the Caribbean
The first city founded in America has more than 300 colonial monuments, old streets and houses of the sixteenth century
Dominicans are cheerful and hospitable people, known for their cordial attitude towards their visitors.
For all activities outside the hotels, Colonial Tour and Travel offers you our wonderful Tours and Adventure Program, with With pick-up and drop-off this your hotel. Book online now o or call 1 (809) 688-5285.
Colonial Tour and Travel offers transportation services with our comfortable and modern bus fleet from any airport in the Dominican Republic to this hotel, round trip Book online now or call 1(809)688-5285.