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Santo Domingo
The colonial part has been carefully restored to retain its original
charm, and is home to the first university, cathedral and hospital built
in the New World. The modern city of Santo Domingo, by contrast, is a
thriving port city, equipped with discos, gambling casinos, shops and
the Cultural Plaza , which houses the Gallery of Modern Art and the
National Theater. Just a few miles east of the city is a remarkable cave
complex, Los Tres Ojos de Agua (The Three Eyes of Water), so-called
because it contains three turquoise lagoons on three different levels,
each fed by an
underground river and
surrounded by countless stalactites, stalagmites and lush tropical
vegetation. |
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Hotels at Punta Cana |
Southern Coast
To the west of Santo Domingo is San Cristóbal, where the first
constitution was signed on 6 November 1844. It is probably the most
visited city, particularly by those wishing to get a closer look at the
historical sites linked to the life of Trujillo, the dictator who
governed the country with an iron fist from 1930-61. In the church and
Caves of Santa Maria, the patron saint’s day is celebrated with drums
and dance rituals. One hour 45 minutes east of Santo Domingo is the city
of La Romana, home to the understated elegance and graceful charm of the
7000-acre Casa de Campo resort, designed by Oscar de la Renta. Nestled
within the resort is Altos de Chavón, a reconstructed 15th-century
Mediterranean-style village of culture and art which is perched high on
a cliff overlooking the tropical Chavón River and the Caribbean Sea.
Altos de Chavón hosts major events in a 5000-seat Greek amphitheater,
built in the traditional design of Epidaurus. Near Punta Cana, is Manatí
Park, a theme park which includes a zoo, gardens, a recreated Taino
village and a variety of exotic animals, visitors have the opportunity
to swim with dolphins. The popular destination of Barahona is a humid
area with beautiful beaches of white sand. Cabritos Island, a national
park in the center of Lake Enriquillo, is the greatest preserve of the
wild American Crocodile, large populations of flamingos and two species
of iguana. Azúa de Compostela was founded in 1504 by Diego Velázquez,
who later conquered Cuba. In particular, the ruins of the colonial city
in Pueblo Viejo are well worth a visit.
Northern Coast
The Northern, or Amber Coast, is so-named because some of the most
beautiful amber in the world is mined here. The Amber Museum houses a
good display of amber pieces found in this area. Puerto Plata (the
Silver Port) has some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean Islands. It
was founded in 1504 and boasts colonial architecture. The Fort San
Felipe was built in the 1600s by the Spanish to protect the settlement
from pirates. The Atlantic coast of the country is renowned for its
miles of unspoilt beaches that surround Puerto Plata, the most popular
being Sosúa. Just 3km (2 miles) from the town is the Playa Dorada resort
complex. Just outside, in Puerto Plata, is the Costambar Beach Resort,
with 5km (3 miles) of beach. Mount Isabel de Torres features a cable car
which climbs over 760m (2500ft) above sea level. The breathtaking view
of the Atlantic and the port of Puerto Plata is well worth the seven-minute
ride up to the top of the mountain. 10 sq km (4 sq miles) of botanical
gardens can be explored here. Río San Juan is still an undeveloped area
awaiting the adventurer to discover Playa Grande (with a few resorts
under construction), the beautiful Playa El Caletón and the Gri-Gri
lagoon.
The Samaná Peninsula is located on the northern portion of the island,
approximately two hours from Puerto Plata’s international airport.
Samaná, with its transparent blue waters, miles of unspoilt beaches, and
dozens of caves, is a romantic paradise. Other resorts include The Gran
Bahía Beach Resort, Cayo Levantado and El Portillo Beach Club.
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Sosua -
Dominica Republic |
Activities
Baseball
This is not only the national sport, but also a national obsession, and
even the smallest communities have floodlit stadiums. The center of the
country’s baseball is the industrial seaport of San Pedro de Macoris.
Many Dominican players go on to play in the US major leagues. Juan
Marichal, whose pitching exploits for the San Francisco Giants landed
him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, is now the country’s Director
of Sports. The professional winter season runs from October to January.
Visitors should ask local people or look in the local paper for
schedules
and the nearest game.
Watersports
The opportunities for watersports in the Dominican Republic are
excellent. Although some shores are rough and rocky, there are
magnificent stretches of beach suitable for swimming. For scuba-diving
and snorkeling enthusiasts, there is reef diving, good visibility, warm
waters, wrecks, caverns and a rich marine life. Good dive sites include
Sosúa (near Puerto Plata); Cabrera (freshwater cave diving
with an underground lake); Las Terrenas; the Samaná peninsula;
Punta Rucia (good for coral diving); La Caleta National
Underwater Park (accessible by boat from Boca Chica); Catalina
and Saona islands (accessible by boat from La Romana); and
Barahona (an area currently being developed for ecotourism).
Experienced divers can also join the North Caribbean Research Group and
participate in a government-funded project to recover and remove
artifacts from sunken ships, some dating back to the 16th century.
Snorkeling and diving equipment can be borrowed or hired from dive
operators and resort hotels. Small sailing craft are available through
hotels in Santo Domingo and most other resorts in the country. Boat
trips to the marine caves of the Gri Gri Lagoon near Sosúa are a
popular tourist attraction. Hotels also organize charter boats for
offshore fishing for marlin, sailfish, dorado, benittos and other game
fish. River fishing in flat-bottomed boats with guides can be arranged
at La Romana, Boca de Yuma and on the north coast.
Windsurfing is particularly good at Sosuá, which also hosts the
Professional Windsurfing Association World Cup.
Adventure sports
The Dominican Republic was quick to jump onto the adventure sports
bandwagon and, hence, has well-developed facilities for the usual range
of adrenalin-generating sports. Whitewater rafting is available on the
Río Yaque del Norte in Jarabacoa. The best places for tubing, in
which participants individually float down the rapids in oversized
rubber tubes, are on the Río Jamao del Norte, the Río Yaque
del Norte and the Río Isabela in Santo Domingo. Cascading
involves climbing up to the top of a waterfall and rapelling down the
cascade tied to a rope; the best places to do this are Cascada del
Limón, Cascada Ojo de Agua, El Salto de Baiguate and
El Salto de Jimenoa. Canyoning, which is cascading minus the rope
(meaning that practitioners climb up a river gorge and then jump into
the river below), is popular at La Madajagua in Imbert and the
Jarabacoa area.
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Trekking and hiking
The best places for trekking are Jarabacoa, the Constanza Valley,
and the Nuevo Valley. Hiking and climbing enthusiasts may join
the locals’ annual pilgrimage to the Caribbean’s highest mountain, the
Pico Duarte (3210m/10,700ft), which they can conquer either on
foot or by riding a mule. Similar tours can also be made at El Mogote,
Mount Isabel de Torres, Pico Yaque and, in the southwest,
the Sierra de Bahoruco.
Horse riding
Dominicans love horseriding and their country offers some of the best
riding in the Caribbean. Regular polo games are held at Sierra Prieta
in Santo Domingo and at Casa de Campo near La Romana, where
guests can join in the twice-weekly competitions.
Golf
There are a number of golf clubs and golf courses on the island, many of
which are bordered by the ocean on one side and the mountains on the
other. Following on from the 42nd Caribbean Golf Championships,
which were held in the Dominican Republic in 1998, the country continues
to actively promote itself as a major international golf destination.
Some of the best courses can be found at Casa de Campo,
Dientes de Perro (Teeth of the Dog), Gran Diablo Links (the
planned location for the country’s first Golf Academy) Playa Dorada
(designed by Robert Trent Jones), La Romana Country Club, and
Santo Domingo Country Club.
Best buys are products made on the island including amber jewelry and
decorative pieces. These are a national specialty, some pieces encasing
insects, leaves or dew drops within ancient petrified pine resin.
Larimar or Dominican turquoise is another popular stone. Milky blue and
polished pink pieces of conch shell are also made into jewelry. Rocking
chairs, woodcarvings, macramé, pottery, Taino artifacts, Creole dolls,
baskets, limestone carvings and CDs of salsa and merengue also make good
buys. Bargaining is recommended.
Shopping Shopping hours
Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1430-1830.
Currency Information:
Currency
Dominican Republic
Peso (DOP) = 100 centavos.
Notes are in denominations of peso2000, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and
5. Coins are in denominations of peso1, and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1
centavos.
Currency exchange
The peso is not available outside the Dominican Republic. Currencies of
Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA
may be converted into local currency. On departure, up to 30 per cent of
the exchanged currency can be reconverted into US Dollars at any bank,
provided original receipts are shown. All exchange must be done through
official dealers such as banks and hotels approved by the Central Bank.
Some street vendors in tourist areas accept US dollars as legal tender.
Credit & debit cards
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted.
Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant
acceptability and other services which may be available.
Traveller's cheques
Traveller's cheques are accepted by some banks. To avoid additional
exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller's cheques
in US Dollars.
Currency restrictions
The import and export of local currency is limited to DOP20,000 in notes
and DOP100 in coins; the import of foreign banknotes is allowed provided
they are declared on arrival if they are over US$10,000 or the
equivalent and reexport is intended. The import and export of
traveller's cheques is unlimited. |
