Dominican Republic Travel Guide: Overview

Still impressing visitors today with its lush tropical mountains and valleys, rushing rivers and miles of sandy beaches, the island of Hispaniola, lying among the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean, is in fact two countries with two distinct cultures and languages. The western third is occupied by French-speaking Haiti, while the eastern two thirds, or 48,442 sq km (18,704 sq miles), is the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic. To the west of the island lie Jam­aica and Cuba, to the east Puerto Rico and to the north the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Landscape and Vegetation

The Dominican Republic is home to the two highest mountains in the Caribbean, the twin peaks of Pico Duarte and La Pelona, at 3,087m (10,127ft) and 3,082m (10,111ft) ­respectively, in the Cordillera Central mountain range. ­Vegetation ranges from dry tropical ­forest in the west through subtropical humid forest on the slopes of the central mountains to pine forests at the summits. While arid areas are home to inhos­pitable acacia thorn bushes and cacti, wetter areas are overflowing with orchids, bromeliads, boug­ainvillea, ginger lilies and other exotic blooms. Palm trees are a feature of the landscape, Royal palms sprouting up in cattle pastures and coconuts along the coastline. Fruit trees are laden with tropical delights: mangoes, avocados, papaya, guava, while breakfast tables are weighed down with pineapple, passion fruit, melon and banana. Huge orchards of citrus and plantations of sugar cane and tobacco are found in the lowlands and rice paddies in the coastal flatlands, while at higher ­altitude strawberries, coffee and a wide range of vegetables are further proof of the country’s fertility. 

People

It is believed that at the time of Columbus’ arrival, there were between 300,000 and 500,000 Amerindians, known as Taínos. They were hunter-gatherers living on fish, vegetables and fruit. The Spaniards referred to them all as ‘Indians’, believing that they had arrived in India, the aim of their voyage. Tragically, the Spanish enslaved the Taínos, tortured and murdered them and eliminated them as a race by the 1530s. African slaves were imported to replace the Taínos as a stronger and more reliable workforce and today the population of 8 million is largely a mixture of Spanish and African. 

Dominicans are very colour conscious. Anyone who is black is assumed to come from Haiti, where a slave revolt was carried out at the end of the 18th century and the Africans drove out their white, French masters. Haitian rulers at one time ­controlled the whole of the ­island, and resent­ment against them helped to instil colour discrimination in the people of what became the Dominican Republic after independence. There is a romantic attachment to the Amerind­ian heritage and people with fine features are often referred to as ‘Indios’, although it is highly unlikely that any of them can trace their ancestry back to Taíno blood. The elite is white and the paler your skin, the higher up the social ladder you will climb. Conversely, the poorest agricultural labourers are likely to be black Haitians.

Santo Domingo, the capital, is home to about half the population. The old colonial town, founded in 1498 and a World Heritage Site, now occupies only 1 percent of the total area of the city. Many of the most important buildings in the founding of the Americas are here, as it was from here that the conquistadores sailed to conquer other territories for Spain. It boasts the first cathedral, the first university and the first Aud­iencia Real (court) in the New World. Now, however, it is largely a site of tourist interest and most of the political and economic activity of the city takes place in the newer districts. 

Income distribution is decidedly uneven. The growth of the city since the 1960s has attracted migrants from the countryside. Now they are packed into slum dwellings on the banks of the polluted river or on the outskirts of the city. Unemployment is rife, while drunkenness and drug abuse is common. A change of policy has led to greater spending in the countryside to reverse the trend, but it is a slow process. 

Tourism and Attractions

The main engine of growth in the economy for the last 20 years has been tourism. The Dominican Republic has some of the best beaches in the world, with crystal clear water and plentiful sunshine. Large resort hotels have been widely embraced. However, this is also a place for the fit and active, the adventure seeker, the independent traveller who prefers a small, family-run hotel and the backpacker on a tight budget. Head inland into the mountains for river-rafting, canyoning, tubing and other adrenaline-pumping watersports. Take a few days to hike up Pico Duarte or go trekking elsewhere in the extensive Nat­ional Parks. If your legs are up to it hire a mountain bike, one of the most rewarding ways of seeing the countryside.

Cabarete, on the north coast, is a major windsurfing centre, hosting international competitions. Kitesurfing has also taken off as another ­exciting sport. Underwater, the island has yet more to offer divers and snorkellers, with coral gardens, caves, pinnacles and wrecks providing a home for colourful fish and invertebrates. The largest visitors to Dominican waters, however, are the humpback whales, which migrate there from January to March, to mate and repro­duce. Whale watching should not be missed if you are there at the right time.

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