i
Dominican Republic
New York, USA
Toronto, Canada
136 E. 57 St Suite 803
Nueva York, NY 10022, USA
( 212-588-1012/ 14
( Toll Free: 1-888-374-6361
7 212-588-1015
8 drtourismboardny@verizon.net
26 Wellington Street
East Suite 201, Toronto, Ontario
M5E-1S2, Canadá
( 416-361-2126/ 27
( Toll Free: 1-888-494-5050
7 416-361-2130
8 toronto@sectur.gov.do
Miami, USA
848 Brickell Ave. Suite 405
Miami, FL 33131, USA
( 305-358-2899
( Toll Free: 1-888-358-9594
7 305-358-4185
8 miami@sectur.gov.do
France
Chicago, USA
Germany
561 West Diversey
BuildingSuite 214
Chicago, IL 60614-1643, USA
( 773-529-1336/ 37
( Toll Free: 1-888-303-1336
7 773-529-1338
8 chicago@sectur.gov.do
Hochstrasse 54
60313 Frankfurt, Alemania
( 49-69-9139-7878
7 49-69-283430
8 domtur@aol.com
Puerto Rico, USA
890 Ashford Ave.
Local C-3 Condado,
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907
( 787-722-0881
7 787-724-7293
8 optpr@yahoo.com
Montreal, Canada
2080 Rue Crescent
Montreal PQ, Quebec
H3G 2B8, Canadá
( 514-499-1918
( Toll Free:1-800-563-1611
7 514-499-1393
8 montreal@sectur.gov.do
8 domrepoffice@rapidmail.ca
11 Rue Boudreau
75009, Paris, Francia
( 33-1-4312-9191
7 33-1-4494-0880
8 otrepdom@aol.com
England
18-21 Hand Court
Londres WC1V 6JFReino Unido
( 44-20 72427778
7 44-20 74054202
8 inglaterra@sectur.gov.do
8 dominican.rep@btconnect.com
Spain
Calle General Yagüe #4
Puerta 12, 28020 Madrid, España
( 34-91-417-7375
7 34-91-598-0025
8 espana@sectur.gov.do
8 info@turdom.e.telefonica.net
Belgium
Ave. Louise 271 Louizalaan,
Bruselas 1050, Belgica
( 32-2-646-1300
7 32-2-649-3692
8 tourism@visitdomrep.com
8 repdomtur@skynet.be
Italy
Brazil
25 Piazza Castello
20121 Milano, Italia
( 39-02-805-7781
7 39-02-865-861
8 italia@sectur.gov.do
Ave. São Luis No. 50
Conjunto 91E-9 Andar
Edif. Italia / Centro
Cep 01046-926 São Paulo /
SP, Brasil
( 55-11-2189-2403
7 55-11-2189-2402
8 andrea@republicadominicana.tur.br
8 esmeralda@republicadominicana.tur.br
Russia
C. Shpalernaya, 54, Of. A12,
191015 St. Petersburg, Rusia
( 812-333-09-52
7 812-333-09-56
8 optdom-ru@mail.ru
Colombia
Oficina 513 de la Torre A
Edif. Teleport Business Park,
Calle 114 No. 9-01, Santa Fé de
Bogotá, Colombia
( 57-1-629-1818/ 1841
7 57-1-629-1830
8 colombia@sectur.gov.do
Japan
Kowa 38 Bldg. # 904, 4-12-24
Nishi-Asabu, Minaro-Ku
Tokyo 106-0031 Japón
( + 81-3-3499-6020
8 secturjpn@gmail.com
Venezuela
Argentina
Arenales 1101 Esq. Cerrito
(C1061AAI)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
( 54-114-312-2203
7 54-114-312-8361
8 turismodominicana@fibertel.com.ar
8 argentina@sectur.gov.do
Chile
Augusto Leguia Sur 79,
Oficina 1105, Las Condes
Santiago de Chile, Chile
( 56-2-952-0540
7 56-2-952-0541
8 chile@sectur.gov.do
8 sectursantiagochile@gmail.com
Calle Villaflor con Ave. Casanova,
Edif. Offimaker piso 1, Oficina 1-3
Sabana Grande, Caracas.
( 58-212-761-1956/761/0986
7 58-212-761-1761
8 oficinadeturismord@cantv.net
8 miguelinaruiz@cantv.net
ASONAHORES
CPT-Promotion Tourism Counsil
Av. Tiradentes, Edificio La Cumbre
Piso 8, Santo Domingo
( 809-368-4676
7 809-368-5511
8 www.asonahores.com
8 www.drdate.net
Ministry of Tourism
Ave. México / 30 de Marzo, Santo Domingo
( 809-221-4660 7 809-682-3806
www.godominicanrepublic.com | www.sectur.gob.do
Sumary
Summary
Message by the State Secretary of Tourism..............3
La Cotica..................................................................6
General Information.................................................8
Language • The Nation: Government and Territory •
Education • Couriers Directory • Religion • Climate •
Water • Electricity • Medicine • Emergencies 911 •
Health • Pharmacies opened 24-7 • List of National
Tourism Offices • Weights and Measures • Time Zone
• Sun
Our Music..............................................................55
Where to go • Night Life
Santo Domingo, the Athens of the New World.......58
Map of the Colonial Area • Royal Houses • El Alcazar,
the Prince House • The Royal Dockyards (Las Reales
Atarazanas) • Colon Park • The remains of Colon • El
Conde Street • Map for Getting out of Town
Tour Operators Directory.......................................70
Foreign Investment.................................................20
Hotels and Beach Resorts Directory........................72
Investment Directory • Chambers of Commerce • Arrival
and Stay, Documentation • What to bring from home
• Directory of Diplomatic Representations Accredited
Abroad • Airlines Directory • Diplomatic Representations
Accredited in the Country
Map of the Dominican Republic.............................84
Stepping on Dominican Land.................................30
Immigration • Money • Customs Regulations • If ladies
travel on their own • If you travel with your pet • If
you travel with children • If you wish to get married •
National holidays
Communication Media...........................................34
Telecommunications • Serenades: Beautiful spiritual
communication media • Taxi Directory • Land
Transportation • Rent-a-Car Directory • Santo Domingo
Metro Route • Distance Chart • Airport Directory • Longdistance Transportation
Gastronomy...........................................................40
Typical and regional cuisine • Dominican Locrio • Siesta
• Restaurants Directory
What to buy...........................................................46
Art • Shopping Malls Directory • Amber
Where to go...........................................................48
Our beaches • National parks • Botanical Garden •
Zoo • Museums Directory • The Culture Park • National
Theatre • Recreational activities and sports The Cibao Valley....................................................86
La Vega Real • Mountain Tourism • Constanza •
Jarabacoa • Santiago de los Caballeros
Toward the Amber Coast........................................92 Montecristi • Puerto Plata • Map of the Northern Region
• Map of Puerto Plata • Cofresi • Costambar • Long
Beach • Dorada Beach • El Banco de la Plata • Sosua
• Cabarete Beach • Maria Trinidad Sanchez • Nagua •
Samana • El Portillo and Las Terrenas
Toward the Southern Region................................109
San Cristobal • Peravia • Azua de Compostela •
Barahona • Map of the Southern Region
Toward the Land of Sunrise..................................115
La Caleta • Boca Chica • Playa Caribe • Juan Dolio,
Guayacanes, and Villas del Mar • San Pedro de Macoris
• Map of the Eastern Region • La Romana • Golf
Courses Directory
Higüey, America’s Holy Land...............................124
• Bavaro and Punta Cana
Excursions • Adventure Tourism............................128
La Cotica, the National Tourism Guide of the Dominican Republic, founded in 1984, reviewed and authorized by the Ministry of Tourism
of the Dominican Republic, publishes an annual edition in Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian. Registered at the Ministry of the
Interior and Police under No. 5692, May 21, 1985. All author rights and intellectual property registered at the Ministry of Education,
Fine Arts, and Culture under No. 6792 page 3534 April 22, 1985.
2
Greetings
Greetings
Ministry of Tousism
Dominican Republic: A unique and endless
destination throughout the world.
The seductive and tropical beauty of the Dominican Republic, in addition to the inner
happiness and joy of its people, make this land a truly unique destination around
the world, with a wide scope of different attractions, unforgettable experiences, and
renowned international quality accommodation.
There are plenty of opportunities, ethnic products, flora and fauna, talented people,
competitive offers, and history. Quite a sensorial feast of stunning landscapes, exotic
cuisine, and diversified art and entertainment options.
The rhythmic emotion of merengue, intriguing relics from past centuries, high quality
tobacco, world-class baseball and a permanent tropical weather – all of this awaits
you in the Dominican Republic.
Ecotourism, world-class golf, extreme sports, the centenary history of the First City of
America, Santo Domingo, and more… In a nutshell, a tropical paradise in the middle
of the Caribbean.
That’s what we are. An endless destination. Come and visit us.
Francisco Javier Garcia
State Secretary of Tourism.
Dominican Republic
3
2009
Editor in Chief
The native parrot, a Caribbean bird of the
Psitacide family and belonging to Amazona
ventralis species, is part of our daily lives, from
the Taíno hut of old to the Dominican home of
today.
Rita Cabrer
Executive Director
Reynaldo Caminero
Because of its exotic appearance and the ease
with which it reproduces human speech it has
been a decorative feature and a loud pet in our
Dominican homes. Children are very fond of it;
and adults patiently teach their “cotica” to talk.
Sales and Marketing
Rosa Veras
Derissé De León
The cotica makes a variety of noises. It cuddles
cutely, can repeat short phrases, and even
moves to the beat of some rhythmic tunes. In our
native slang it is known as “the green parrot”
because of its bright green plumage.
Quality Manager
Cristina Rosario
Layout
Víctor José García Betancourt
Given such peculiar characteristics it is the most
popular of our native birds. It has good eyesight, it is suspicious and so extremely observant
that it often reveals traits about an owner’s
personality or lifestyle, which may be unknown
to others.
Mayerlin Castillo
Print
Franklin Communications
Contributors
There are friendly parrots; some are grouchy;
others are tattlers; still others are cynics,
diplomatic, political partisans, and even “foulmouthed”. Not surprisingly, their unsolicited
interventions at family gatherings have often
spelled doom for many an amorous relationship
and even old friendships.
Ángel Vargas,
Tiziano de Stéfano, Thiago da Cunha
A production of
The native Taínos usually offered them as gifts
to the Spaniards as a symbol of their friendship
and hospitality.
P. O. Box 122, Santo Domingo, R.D.
809-566-0051 809-227-3801
info@lacotica.com www.dominicanway.com
Current legislation to protect this nearly extinct wild
(c) All rights reserved. No reproduction whatsoever is
authorized without the written consent of the editor.
bird imposes severe penalties for any attempt to
capture and/or sell la cotica in any form whatsoever.
“Truth Translations certifies that the translations in the
National Tourist Guide “La Cotica” are faithful to the
original. Truth Translations is not in any way responsible for
the accuracy of said information, or for any future changes
therein. www.truthtranslations.com
Our Covers:
Idea: Logroño & Thompson
Layout: Víctor José García Betancourt
Job Site: Dominican Republic Landscapes
A Free copy of this publication may be obtained at the any tourist information center nearest
you, or send an e-mail to: info@lacotica.com
¡En cada artículo, en cada foto y en todo color... estás presente!
General
Information
In the heart of the Caribbean, washed
by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to
the north and the impetuous Caribbean
Sea in the south, nestles a placid and
beautiful country officially called The
Dominican Republic.
It is located between latitude 17o 40’
and 19o 56’ North and longitude 68o
20’ and 72o01’ west of the Greenwich
meridian (GMT -4). Christopher
Columbus discovered the island on
December 5, 1492, during his first
voyage to the New World.
It occupies 18,704 sq. mi/48,442 sq.
km of the 76,192 sq. km it shares with
the neighboring Republic of Haiti. Its
natural beauty and rich history fascinate
as well excite those who get to know it.
By a 1508 royal edict, King Ferdinand
of Spain named it the Island of
Santo Domingo. Its aboriginal name,
Quisqueya, in the Taíno language
means “mother of all lands.” Well before
the Iberian presence, our island was
inhabited by an indigenous population
who called themselves the “Taínos”, a
word that in their language means “the
good.”
archipelago of islands in the Lesser
Antilles. They were physically well-built;
they had a rather tawny complexion
and dark eyes. Relatively peaceful,
even when they were nearly subjugated
under the dominion of a chieftain,
called a cacique, historical records do,
however, reveal a people who valiantly
defended their families, their land, and
their freedom, when the Conquistadors
tried to enslave them. Unfortunately,
a population estimated at around
600,000 was practically exterminated in
less than thirteen years.
Taíno sociopolitical structure was
organized under five polities or
cacicazgos: Marién, governed by
Guacanagarix; Maguá was dominated
by the cacique Guarionex; Caonabo
ruled in Maguána; in Higüey, Cayacoa;
and Jaragua fell under the might of
Bohechío. After Bohechío’s death, his
sister, the widow of Caonabo, the
cacica Anacaona, emerged as the
successor. She was reputed to have
been a most efficient administrator, and
The Taínos, a part of the broader
Arawakan culture, may have originated
from the tropical region of the South
America. Through a series of migrations
by canoe, they settled throughout the
Cradle of the Caribbean.
8
the most beautiful and highly respected
woman on the island. Nevertheless, she
had to witness the merciless slaughter
of her people at the sword of Nicolas
de Ovando, the Spanish governor,
in 1503. This first act of cruelty has
gone down in historical records as the
Jaragua Massacre. Imprisoned, the
Queen answered with these verses:
not known precisely when the common
country parlance started to be used in
literary writings. Nevertheless a rustic
poem written in 1635 by Tirso de
Molina earned a literary award— the
rustic lilt had been immortalized thanks
to his sojourn between 1616 and
1618 at the Convent of Las Mercedes
in the colonial zone of Santo Domingo.
“It is not honorable to kill; nor can
honor propitiate the tragedy. Let us
open a bridge of love, so that across it
even our enemies may walk and leave
for posterity their footprints.”
In spite of the Spanish influence,
common terms derived from the Taíno’s
melodious andsweet language remain
in use, and nearly all preserve their
original meaning. For example:ají
(pepper), barbacoa (barbecue), batea
(trough or small tub), bija (anatto fruit),
bohío(hut), burén (flat griddle), canoa
(canoe), carey (tortoise-shell), caribe
Language
Spanish is the official language of
the country. Nevertheless, in some
communities of foreign origin and in the
tourist hubs, English, German, French,
Italian, Dutch, and various dialects are
spoken.
It is important to point out that the
Dominican use of language is the sum
total of our soul and wisdom, expressed
with a rustic accent and with flavors
of the hinterland. In our country, each
region has its charm and accentuates its
expressions in a peculiar way; from the
first words uttered many speakers are
identified.
This unique form of expression has been
a source of inspiration for renowned
writers, both native and foreign. It is
10
Place of the Flag, Santo Domingo.
(Caribbean),casabe (cassava), coa
(sharp wood rod), conuco (a plot
of land for cultivation),guanábana
(soursop), guayaba (guava), hamaca
(hammock), higüera (calabash tree),
huracán (hurricane), iguana (iguana),
lambí (conch meat), maíz (corn),
tabaco(tobacco), tiburón (shark),
yagua (palm), and yuca (yucca),
among others.
When visitors speak with us they tend
to think that we either think they are
deaf or that we are angry. Indeed,
shouting and gesticulating, common
among rural folk who overcome
distances by raising their voices, have
now made their way to urban areas,
and have even crossed generational
lines.
For this reason, protest in this country
differs markedly from what one might
see in Switzerland or the United
States. While it is their practice to
walk slowly in silence at the venue
of the protest as they hold a poster
that expresses their feelings, we
Dominicans tend to shout express
ourselves with abrupt gestures and
run from one place to the other in
order to call attention. For this reason
a demonstration that may appear
imminently violent to a visitor tends to
fizzle out within half an hour without
any great problems. This manner
of protesting, which is very much a
reflection of our national character, has
on occasion been misunderstood by
the international media.
Dominican Republic
11
The Nation: Government and
Territory
The Dominican Republic has a
population over 8.5 million. Its territory
is divided into 31 provinces and
the national capital district of Santo
Domingo. The country’s political structure
is based on the principles of democracy.
Power is exercised among the executive,
the legislature and the judiciary. The
country elects its president, vice president
and legislators every four years by
universal adult suffrage.
The president, by constitutional mandate,
appoints the governors, who are his
representatives within the provinces. The
legislature comprises the Senate and the
House of Representatives (one senator
for each province and the national
capital district, and a representative for
every 50,000 inhabitants or a fraction
greater than 25,000.) The national
judicial council elects the members of the
judiciary.
The country’s capital, Santo Domingo
de Guzmán, with a population of
nearly 2.5 million, was founded by Don
Bartolomé Colón on August 4, 1496. It
is the oldest city of the New World.
The Dominican Republic is an integral
part of the strategic frontier in the field
of hegemonic politics because of its
geographical location. Throughout its
12
history, the country has been coveted
and invaded, at different epochs, by
Spain, France, England, Colombia, Haiti
and the United States.
However, thanks to the unbridled
patriotism of Juan Pablo Duarte,
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and
Ramón Matías Mella, the Founding
Fathers, the nation won its independence
and Dominican Republic, as a free and
sovereign state, was established on
February 27, 1844.
Located on Hispaniola, it was the pearl of
the Great Admiral Christopher Columbus, as
he stated in his diary... Its past is studded with
the names of such important historical figures,
heroes of the epic adventure of the age of
discovery... This land of promise, conquered
and colonized by the Spaniards in 1492,
has become a new world of opportunities
and an unsung paradise for international
tourism five centuries later.
Welcome, thus, to this old American
haven, the original site of the conquest
and pre-Colombian civilizations. We
invite you to browse in the secret
drawers of this antique colonial cabinet,
now five hundred years old, where relics
of an era, very much the heritage of all
of the Americas, still survive; it is also a
source of pride for those who received
the light of the Gospel under the
influence of Spanish culture.
Education
In 1505 the Convent of the Friars of the
Franciscan Order established the first
primary schools that were later moved to
the St. Francis Monastery in 1512. It was
here that the cacique Guarocuya was
educated and baptized into the Christian
faith under the name Enriquillo.
In 1510 the missionaries of the
Dominican Order settled in Hispaniola
under the leadership of Friar Pedro de
Córdoba. The Order requested the
Pope to confer the status of university
upon the center of higher education
that they were then directing. The
Pontiff granted their request by the
“In Apostulatus Culmine” papal bull
and, on October 28, 1538, the
first university in the Americas was
established. It was named after St.
Thomas Aquinas. Today, it is the
Autonomous University of Santo
Domingo- a center of great intellectual
activity whose reputation aptly earned
for the city of Santo Domingo the
nickname “Athens of the New World”.
Based on that heritage of scholarship,
many prominent citizens felt the need
to make education accessible to all
people. Consequently, the constitution
provides for free, compulsory education
for all children between the ages of six
to twelve. Basic education is no longer
a privilege; it has become a universal
right in the Dominican Republic.
The state’s public education policy
extends to the secondary level through
the provision of subsidies for private
Columbus Park, Colonial Zone.
14
Fantino Falco 40
809-540-4005
809-565-5174
www.eps-int.com
DHL • Sarasota 26
809-534-7888
809-535-1556
www.dhl.com.do
UPS • Las Américas Km. 25
809-549-2777 809-549-9561
TOL FREE: 1-809-200-5177
www.ups.com.do
FEDEX • Av. Los Próceres
809-565-3636
TOLL FREE: 1-200-3138
www.fedex.com
MAIL B.OXES • Tiradentes 10
809-412-2330
809-412-2442
www.mbe.com.do
school education as well. The state
also supports public higher education
at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo
Domingo (the Autonomous University of
Santo Domingo), and subsidizes higher
education in schools of science and
technology and several private academic
centers that have been accredited by the
State Department of Higher Education,
Science and Technology. (Secretaría de
Estado de Educación Superior Ciencia y
Tecnología).
Currently public education at the
basic level and secondary education
is provided to more than 1.8 million
students nationwide.
Religion
San Francisco de Macorís, Mao,
Montecristi, Baní, Puerto Plata, and
San Pedro de Macorís. There are also
minority adherents to such other Christian
denominations as Episcopalian, Baptist,
Protestant, Seventh Day Adventists and
Mormonism.
In places of worship, men uncover
their heads as a sign of respect and
reverence. Women are no longer
obliged to cover their heads as they
were in the past, but as a sign of respect
and modesty, many of them wear long
sleeves and mantillas (an elegant,
hand-woven cloth that is draped over
the shoulders or head) in church. It is
considered offensive and inappropriate
to enter a temple inebriated or in shorts.
In the Dominican Republic, freedom of
religion is guaranteed and protected
under the constitution. According to the
latest census figures, Roman Catholicism
is the predominant religious group of
about 95% of the population.
The Catholic Church has two
Archdioceses (the one in Santo Domingo
is the first one in the Americas; the other
one is in Santiago de Los Caballeros) as
well as nine dioceses that are located
in the provinces of La Vega, Higüey,
San Juan de la Maguána, Barahona,
Dominican Republic
15
Climate
Electricity
The fertile Dominican soil is ideal for the
cultivation of grain. According to the “W.
Koppen Climate Classification System” the
predominant climate is best described as
humid tropical savanna, with five variations
or microclimates, classified as: humid, dry
steppe, tropical jungle, forest and savanna.
The average annual temperature fluctuates
between 18oC/65oF and 27oC/81oF.
So for Dominicans there is only one season
namely, summer.
We use 100-120V/60Hz NorthAmerican plugs. There are power cuts
in our country, but 95% of hotels in
tourist areas have their own private
power supply, and restaurants have
emergency generators.
The country’s pleasant climate may be
understood in terms of its geographical
location. The prevailing determinant
of precipitation and vegetation is the
northwest trade winds. Variations from
the general weather and vegetational
patterns are conditioned by such factors
as elevation and proximity to ocean
currents.
In the central mountain range, the Pico
Duarte soars to the highest peak in the
Antilles at 3,175m (10,417ft) above
sea level. Another interesting feature
of the island’s relief is in the province
of Barahona: the Lake Enriquillo. From
the lake’s surface, at 30m below sea
level, emerges Cabritos Island, where
according to Dr. Sophie Jackowska
“there exists the largest reserve of the
American crocodile.”
Water
About 80% of the urban population has
access to tap water. Nevertheless, to avoid
“the revenge of Caonabo”, one should drink
purified and bottled water.
16
Medications
Most essential and generic medications
are available at reasonable prices.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to bring
with you whatever pharmaceutical
products and supplies you generally
need or use. Also it is important to
have antihistamines, broad-spectrum
allergy medications and repellants
Medical Emergencies
Corazones Unidos
Fantino Falco 21
809-567-4421
CEDIMAT Centro de Diagnóstico Medicina
Avanzada y Telemedicina
Ortega y Gasset
809-565-9989
Plaza de la Salud
Av. San Martín
809-565-7477
Centro de Medicina Avanzada Dr. Abel
González
Av. Abraham Lincoln 809-227-2235
Movimed
Office............................. 809-535-1080
Emergency number........ 809-532-0000
911
24-Hour Services
Hospitals • Pharmacie
• Movimed • The Red Cross •
Civil Defense • National Police
• Fire Department
on hand to ward off bees, wasps,
mosquitoes and other insects.
Pharmacies opened 24-7
Health
Carol.......................... 809-562-6767
In our country, on matters of health we
refer to the Taínos, who first settled on
this island - that they also called bohio because they found in it the largesse of
mother nature, the absence of any hostile
environmental conditions, and a mild
climate that beckoned them to make this
place their home.
Farmax....................... 809-333-4444
This has not changed much. In a recent
report submitted by the World Health
Organization’s technical commission, the
benign health climate has not changed
much. According to its conclusions, the
average level of public health and life
expectancy in the Dominican Republic is
equal, if not better, than what obtains in
the United States.
Los Hidalgos.............. 809-541-4848
Amada Melo.............. 809-554-2360
“In all circumstances, it is possible to
enjoy a delightful climate where one
rarely encounters either lung diseases,
scarlet fever, or any of the dreaded
diseases of the northern countries. Also
there is no risk of yellow fever or malaria
assuming that you know how select your
location.”
Weights and Measurements
Concerning weights and measurements,
the Dominican Republic uses, in
conformity with national legislation, the
List of Offices of Tourism in the Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
( 809-221-4660
Luperón
( 809-571-8002
Barahona
( 809-524-3573
Mao, Valverde
( 809-585-8131
Bávaro
( 809-552-1237
Montecristi
( 809-579-2254
Boca Chica
( 809-523-5106
Nagua
( 809-584-3862
Bonao
( 829-962-4421
Neyba
( 809-527-3396
Cabarete
( 809-571-0962
Pedernales
( 809-524-0409
Cabrera
( 809-589-8136
Puerto Plata
( 809-586-3676
Constanza
( 809-539-2900
Río San Juan
( 809-589-2831
Cotuí
( 809-240-2550
Samaná
( 809-538-2332
Higüey
( 809-554-2672
San Cristóbal
( 809-528-1844
Jarabacoa
( 809-574-7287
San Jose de Ocoa
( 809-558-4166
Jimaní
( 809-885-9417
San Pedro de Macorís
( 809-529-3644
La Romana
( 809-550-6922
Santiago
( 809-582-5885
La Vega
( 809-242-3231
Sosúa
( 809-571-3433
Las Terrenas
( 809-240-6363
Zona Colonial
( 809-686-3858
Dominican Republic
17
metric system. Nevertheless, the country
continues to use certain units from the old
Spanish system and from other systems
that were formerly used in the territory.
Business Hours
Banks: Lobby Hours
8:00 a.m. –4:00 p.m Mon. – Fri.
8:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m Sat.
Solids for example are measured in
ounces/pounds instead of in grams/
kilograms. Gasoline and motor oil are
sold by the American gallon, about 128
fluid ounces; cooking oil is measured
by the pint. Fabrics are sold by the yard
instead of the meter. And rum, beer and
other liquids are packed in bottles of
about 0.75631 liters.
Banks Express at Malls
9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Mon. – Sat.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Sun.
Government Offices
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mon. – Fri.
Commercial Service Offices
8:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m Mon. – Fri.
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sat.
Stores / Shopping Centers/ Malls
9:00 a.m. – 9:0 0 p.m Mon. – Sat.
Urban land areas are measured in
square meters, while in the countryside
they are measured by “tarea”, a unit that
equals 624 sq. meters.
Supermarkets
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Mon. – Sat.
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sun.
Bars / Nightclubs
6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Sun. – Thur.
Another unconventional custom in our
markets, is the bargaining that takes
6:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Fri – Sat.
place between potential buyer and seller
to arrive at a mutually acceptable price.
Your purchasing success will depend on
your human-relations expertise. During the
process you might even make a friend,
and the seller might give you a ñapa
(gratuity) at the end of the sale.
Sun
Dermatologists advise against sunbathing
between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; instead they
suggest gradual exposure and the use of
such protective items as lotions, hats, and
sunglasses. Daily moisturizing of the skin
enhances the longevity of a tan.
18
Foreign
Investment
If you consider investing in the Caribbean
region, the Dominican Republic offers a
set of laws aimed at providing foreign
investors with favorable terms and
conditions in some specific areas.
Taking full advantage of the benefits
allowed by the new laws, firms have
successfully established themselves in the
field of telecommunication, transportation,
tourism and the industrial free-zone
industries, among many others.
Various private and public organizations
can provide reliable information,
objective counseling, and suggestions
for succeeding in any entrepreneurial
venture in The Dominican Republic.
Documents: Arrival and Stay
Pursuant to Law No. 875 regarding
Visa issuance, foreigners traveling to the
Dominican Republic must hold among
their traveling documents the adequate
For more information
CEI-RD Dominican Republic Center for
Exports and Investment
27 de Febrero, Plaza de la Bandera
809-530-5505
809-531-5136
webmaster@cei-rd.gov.do
www.cei-rd.gov.do
Balcones del Atlántico
Jacinto Mañón No. 5, Plaza El Avellano,
Suite3, Ens. Paraíso.
809-732-6622
809-227-0654
info@balcones.com.do
www.balconesdelatlantico.com.do
Hispaniola Real Estate North Coast, S.A
Pedro Clisante No. 7, Altos
Sosúa, Puerto Plata.
809-571-2727
809-571-2728
hispaniola@hispaniolarealestate.com
www.hispaniolarealestate.com
20
Gestión y Servicios Empresariales
Plaza Las Américas II
3 er Nivel, Local Y-1-C
809-381-1189 809-381-1191
info@gestionyservicios.com
www.gestionyservicios.com
Pellerano & Herrera, Abogados
John F. Kennedy #10, Santo Domingo
809-541-5200
ph@phlaw.com
www.phlaw.com
Higüey (Bavaro, Punta Cana)
809-554-7720
Santiago
809-580-1725
Group Metro Real Estate
Juan Dolio, República Dominicana
809-566-8645 809-526-1200
mcountryc@groupmetro.com
www.costablanca.com.do
www.groupmetro.com
Chambers of Commerce
Nationals
Binationals
Chamber of Commerce
and Production of
Santo Domingo
809-682-2688
American
809-381-0777
British
809-616-2335
Chinese
809-547-3316
Dutch
809-227-6525
Puerto Rican
809-563-5060
Russian
809-620-1471
Spanish
809-567-2147
Chamber of Commerce
and Production of
Santiago
809-582-2856
Taiwanese
809-531-3555
Dominican-German
809-688-6700
Dominican-Belgian
809-985-8595
Dominican-Brazilian
809-540-9292
Dominican-Canadian
809-540-7545
Dominican-Chinese
809-687-7785
Dominican-Korean
809-985-2007
Dominican-Haitian
809-688-7100
Dominican-French
809-472-0505
Dominican-Italian
809-535-5111
Dominican-Japanese
809-565-5531 Ext. 212
Dominican-Mexican
809-541-8724
Dominican-Salvadorean
809-549-5510
Dominican-Swiss
809-689-0077
Dominican Republic
21
visa granted by Dominican embassies
and councils accredited abroad.
Nevertheless, and with tourism purposes
only, citizens of the following countries
may enter the country as visitors, asking
for a tourism card in the Dominican
embassies and councils accredited
abroad, when buying their air tickets or
upon their arrival at the country, in its
international ports and airports at a cost
of US$10:
Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda
(Bermuda), Aruba, Australia (Cocos
Islands, Nativity Island, Norfolk Islands),
Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados,
Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana,
Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada,
Cyprus, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark
(Feroe Islands, Greenland), Dominica,
El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland,
France (French Guyana, Martinique,
Guadalupe, Reunion, Wallis Islands,
Futuna, Mayotte, New Caledonia,
French Polynesia), Germany, Greece,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana,
Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary,
Ireland, Island, Italy, Jamaica,
Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kingdom of the
Netherlands (Holland, Curacao and St.
Martin), Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Macao,
Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritius, Micronesia, Mexico, Monaco,
Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand (Cook,
Niue, Tokelau Islands), Netherlands
(comprising Holland, Curacao and St.
Colonial Zone.
22
Sundial, Colonial Zone.
Martin), Nicaragua, Northern Mariana
Islands, Norway (Greenland, Mayen,
Svalbard), Panama, Paraguay, Papua
New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romany, Russia, St. Kitts and Nevis,
Salomon Island, San Marino, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia,
Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Suriname, Thailand, Taiwan, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tokelau Islands,
Turks and Caicos Islands, Turkey, Tuvalu,
Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United
Kingdom of Great Britain (Akrotiri and
Dhekelia, Anguilla, Bermudas, England,
Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
Gibraltar, Sandwich Islands, Caiman
Islands, the Falklands, Montserrat),
United States of America (including
Guam, Hawaii, Palau I Island, American
Samoa Island, Puerto Rico, St. John, St.
Croix, St. Thomas), Vanuatu, Vatican City
(the Holy See), and Venezuela.
This document allows visitors to stay up
to 90 days. If you wish to stay longer, it
is important to request an extension in the
General Direction of Migrations.
Citizens of the following countries may
enter the country with no need of Visa
or Tourism Card: Argentina, Chile, South
Korea, Ecuador, Israel, Japan, Peru
and Uruguay; countries with which the
Dominican Republic has entered into
agreements regarding Visa issuance, as
well as those people carrying diplomatic,
service and official passports of:
Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, China
For further information:
www.serex.gov.do
809-987-7002 Ext.7415
Immigration Service:
809-508-2555
Dominican Republic
23
(Taiwan), Colombia, South Korea,
Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Finland, Guatemala, Honduras,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Holy See,
Switzerland, Ukraine, Uruguay and
Vietnam.
What to Bring from Home
First of all, bring a positive state of
mind and the intention of having a
good time.
Regardless of what the thermometer
reads while you are packing, include
a bathing suit, sun screen/lotion, sun
glasses and loose, comfortable clothing
made of natural fibers. Do not forget
your Bermuda shorts and some baggy
shirts, to wear in the evenings as you
relax under the palm trees are lulled the
enchantment of this a tropical, moon-lit
night.
Men traveling to attend a conference,
or for business reasons, may need to
bring a jacket and a tie. Some events,
depending the type, may require a
tuxedo for the men and an evening
dress for the women. On certain, lessformal occasions, a white suit or a
linen guayabera may be adequate. For
cool evenings (from November through
February), a light jacket will suffice for
the women. In the mountains a light
jacket is desirable.
Don’t forget to bring your camera
and video-recorder. The area of the
colonial city that is studded with
monuments offers tremendously beautiful
sceneries-- flower-covered balconies
and panoramic views – from which
fabulous effects of high contrast may be
achieved.
There is also a dazzling spectacle
that you may capture as an indelible
memorabilia of your visit – one place
that still inspires artists, painters and
photographers. It is offered to us by
an extraordinary miracle of nature
during the spring when the red foliage
of the flamboyant in bloom covers the
countryside and cities.
• Tips
The photographing of some museums and
military establishments is prohibited. In
addition, it is not advised to take a picture
of an on-duty military official-- unless you are
first given permission to do so. In general
people are willing to
allow you to take their
picture you simply
have to ask first.
24
Accredited Dominican Diplomatic
Representation Abroad
Argentina • cdar07@yahoo.com
(5411) 4894-2080 (5411) 4312-8562
Israel • admatalon@admatalon.co.il
(972-3) 516-2020 (972-3) 516-1888
Australia • consudom@bigpond.net.au
(61-2) 9363-5891
Italy • consudomil@tiscalinet.it (39-02) 2024-0965 (39-02) 2951-6180
Austria • consudom.viena@iip.at
(43-1) 5046437 (43-1) 5053236
Jamaica • consudom_jamaica@hotmail.com
1 (876) 946-2714 1 (876) 946-2768
Belgium • aapf@skynet.be
(323) 506-3973/3976 (323) 506-3974
Japan • consudom@gol.com
(81-33) 499-6020 (81-33) 499-2627
Belize (501) 822-2387 (501) 822-2096
Jordan • regency@nets.com.jo
(962) 6 560 7000 (962) 6 566 0013
Bolivia • consuladorepdom@salazar-law.com.bo
(591-2) 24-7836 (591-2) 211-2407
Lebanon • domcon@terra.net.lb
(961) 4-3305896 (961) 4-723406
Brazil • consudom@terra.com.br
(55-11) 3898-1120 (55-11) 3086-3492
Lithuania • kasausk@agvila.lt
(370-2) 613-521 / 614-432 (370-2) 613-521 / 225-560
Canada • consudomtoronto@gmail.com
(416) 369-0403 (416) 369-1685
Chile • gerencia-gral@fosforo.cl
(562) 707-6255 (562) 231-5447
China (8610) 8532-3837/2423 (8610) 8532-3544
Colombia • jlmn@hotmail.com
(571) 620-1012 (571) 213-7715
Cyprus
(011) 003572-22755171
(011) 003572-22755935
Czech Republic • consuladopraga@hotmail.com
(420) 224-87-21-32 7 (420) 224-87-21-34
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka • bafalul@eureka.lk
(941) 433986-9 (941) 447213
Ecuador • rickie@jcardio.com.ec
(5932) 258-2420/252-4864
Finland • kockberg@interperson.inet.fi
(358) 20 741 95 70 (358) 20 741 95 71
France • consuldompar@magic.fr
(331 55) 37.10.30.35/31 (331 55) 44.09.98.88
Mexico • consudom@hotmail.com
(525) 55 531-3754 (525) 55 545-0701 Morocco • consudom.ma@yahoo.com
(212) 61 20 98 16 (212) 22 98 12 13
Netherlands, Holland
• consudomamsterdam@hotmail.com
(31-20) 647-1062 (31-20) 640-8300
Nicaragua • rene@casateran.com
(505) 228-1505 (505) 228-3088
Panama • consulrd@sinfo.net
(507) 264-8630/265-4364 (507) 269-6591
Paraguay • domiconsul@hotmail.com
(331 55) 37.10.30.35/31 (331 55) 44.09.98.88
Philippines • consudom_mm@yahoo.com
(63-2) 810-6546/6548 7 (63-2) 810-6549
Portugal • consudom@net.sapo.pt
(351-21) 3637568 7 (351-21) 3649022
Puerto Rico • consudompr@hotmail.com
(787) 725-9550 (787) 721-7820
Republic of Korea • bhjun@willbes.com
(041) 529-5773 (041) 552-5501
Geneva • isabel.cretton@ties.itu.int (4122) 738-00185
Republic of Singapore • klh888@pacific.net.sq
(65) 298-9588 (65) 296-2137
Germany • conrdomffm@aol.com
4969/ 7438-7781 4969/ 2578-7640
Spain • consudomadrid@hotmail.com
(34-91) 435-0027 (34-91) 576-1168
Greece • roidis@yahoo.com
011 30 6976288050
Thailand • contact@dominicanconsulate.org (662) 933-5686 (662) 933-5685
Haiti • consudom.pap.haiti@direcway.com
(509) 257-1968 (509) 257-6374
Turkey • sahipak@superonline.com (90 212) 292-8555 (90 212) 292-8561
Honduras • consudom@sulanet.net
(504) 553-6356 (504) 553-6358
United States • cdny@consuldord-ny.org
(212) 768-2480-81 (212) 768-2677
Info.: Chancelleri of the Dominican Republic • www.serex.gov.do • 809-987-7002
26
Diplomatic Missions Accredited to the
Dominican Republic
Antigua y Barbuda • mattress@codetel.net.do
Juan Alejandro Ibarra, 124 809-544-3797 809-541-4781
Apostolic Nunciature • nuncap.rd@codetel.net.do
Maximo Gomez 27
809-682-3773 809-687-0287
Argentina • embarg@codetel.net.do
Maximo Gomez 10, 809-682-2977 809-221-2206
Austria • auxiliar@cdo-austria.org.do
General Roman Franco Bido 11
809-947-7888 809-532-5603
Bahamas • c.actuariales@codetel.net.do
Cesar Nicolas Penson 116
809-688-3797 809-682-0237
Belgium • consuladobelgica@dona-elvira.com
Padre Billini 207, 809-687-2244 809-221-7369
Belize • consul.lama@bonanza.dominicana.com.do
Av. John F. Kennedy 2nd floor
809-567-5023 809-567-6474
Ecuador • mecuador@yahoo.com
R. Augusto Sanchez 17, Edif. Profesional Saint Michell 301
809-563-8363 809-563-8153
El Salvador • emb.salvador@codetel.net.do
Haim Lopez Pena 32-B, Dom. Odontology Building, 4th Floor
809-565-4311 809-541-7503
Estonia • consulestonia@yahoo.com
Unicentro Plaza 2nd floor, suite 59
809-333-3330 809-333-3331
European Union • delegation-dominican-rep@ec.euopa.eu
Abraham Lincoln No.1063, Ens. Serralles
809-227-0525 809-227-0510
France • ambafrance@ambafrance-do.org
Las Damas 42, 809-695-4300 809-687-5273
Germany • info@santo-domingo.diplo.de
Piantini Tower, 16th and 17th floor, 809-542-8949 809-542-8955
Great Britain • sarah.hidersly@sadom.mail.fco.gov.uk
27 de Febrero 233, 809-472-7111 809-472-7574
Bolivia • mariatelovayen@hotmail.com
C/ E, Edif. 8, Manz. 12, Apto. 105, Res. Jose Contreras
809-539-7469 809-530-1712
Greece • c.otorrino@codetel.net.do
27 de Febrero, corner of Franco. Henríquez y Carbajal,
809-685-3372 809-689-0071
Brazil • contacto@embajadadebrasil.org.do
Eduardo Vicioso 46, Bella Vista
809-532-0342 809-532-0917
Grenada • sdqkoenig@gmail.com
Juan Alejandro Ibarra 124, 809-544-3797 809-541-4781
British Guyana • consul.lama@bonanza.dominicana.com.do
Av. John F. Kennedy 2nd floor
809-567-5023 809-567-6474
Canada • sdmgo@international.gc.ca
Eugenio de Marchena 39, 809-685-1136 809-682-2691
Chile • embaj.chile@codetel.net.do
Anacaona 11, Mirador Sur, 809-530-8441 809-530-8310
China • e.china@codetel.net.do
Romulo Betancourt 1360, 809-562-5555 809-508-6335
Colombia • consulbia@codetel.net.do
Fernando Escobar 8-A, Enz. Serralles
809-562-1670 809-562-3253
Costa Rica • embarica@codetel.net.do
Malaquias Gil 11, Serralles
809-683-7002 809-565-6467
Cuba • embadom@codetel.net.do
Francisco Pratz Ramirez 808,
809-537-2113 809-537-9820
Guatemala • embrepdominicana@minex.gob.gt
27 de Febrero 233, 809-381-0167 809-381-0278
Haiti • embajadahaiti@yahoo.com
Juan Sanchez Ramírez 33, 809-686-7115 809-686-6096
Honduras • e.honduras@codetel.net.do
Aristide Garcia Mella 23, 809-482-7992 809-482-7505
Hungary •
Av. Lincoln, corner of Gustavo M. Ricart, Piantini Tower,
809-543-1977 809-543-1927
IDB • dominicana@iadb.org
BHD Tower, 809-562-6400 809-562-2607
Island • miledah@hotmail.com
Sarasota 10, 809-532-3556 809-535-2187
Israel • emb.israel@codetel.net.do
Pedro Henriquez Ureña 80,
809-542-1635 809-472-1785
Italy • ambsdom.mail@esteri.it
Rodriguez Objio 4, 809-682-0830 809-682-8296
Czech Republic • jrbrea@centennialrd.net
Av. Bolivar 830, 809-685-6900 809-221-5607
Jamaica • embajada@embajadadejamaica-rd.com
Av. Sarasota 36, Plaza Khoury, Suite 304-A
829-567-7770 809-620-2497
Denmark • dmnconsul@maersk.com
Jose Amado Soler 49, 809-732-1234 809-683-3556
Japan • emb.jpn@codetel.net.do
BHD Tower, 809-567-3365 809-566-8013
28
Jordan
Luis Eduardo Vicioso 12,
809-533-0127 809-532-1162
Romany • arturo.villanueva@azonahores.com
P. Gonzalez, corner of Tiradentes, La Cumbre Building, 8th Floor,
809-368-5522 809-567-7181
Russia • camararusard@yahoo.com
Korea • embcod@mosat.go.kr
Anacaona 7, Mirador Sur, 809-532-4314 809-532-3807 Diamond Plaza, 2nd floor, Shop 35B, Arroyo Hondo
809-620-1471 809-473-9154
Latvia • lvconsulate@codetel.net.do
Saint Lucia • mattress@codetel.net.do
Gaspar Polanco 119, Bella Vista
Juan Alejandro Ibarra 124
809-620-0802 809-620-0379
809-544-3787 809-541-4721
Lebanon •
Sovereign Military Order of Malta •
Plaza Central 1st Floor, Maja Jewelry Shop,
emb.ordenmalta@codetel.net.do
809-547-3440 809-536-0323
Agustin Lara 45, 809-549-5576 809-549-5774
Liberia • consul.liberia@enel.net
Spain • emb.santodomingo@mae.es
Av. Enriquillo 100, Los Cacicazgos,
Independencia 1205, 809-535-6500 809-535-1595
809-482-0216 809-54820216
Lithuania • svbrouwer@internet.codetel.net.do
Camino del Norte 4, Arroyo Hohndo,
809-565-3333 809-544-3612
St. Kitts & Nevis • consul.lama@onanza.dominicana.com.do
Av. John F. Kennedy, Bonanza Dominicana CxA Building,
809-567-5023 809-566-1087
Mexico • embamex@codetel.net.do
Arz. Meriño 265 809-687-7494 809-687-7872
Switzerland • sdd.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Av. Jimenez Moya 71, B. Vista,
809-534-6944 809-532-3781
Morocco • consuladomarruecosrd@hotmail.com
Av. Sarasota 6, Apartm 2, 809-286-0361
Netherlands • std@minbuza.nl
Max Henríquez Ureña 50,
809-262-0320 809-565-4685
Nicaragua • embanic-rd@codetel.net.do
Eric Ekman esq. Euclides Morillo, Edif. Metrópolis II
809-563-2311 809-565-7961
Norway • rfrankenberg@jfrankenberg.com
Av. Rómulo Betancourt, corner of C/ D,
809-530-5400 809-530-5303
OAS • oasrepublicadominicana@oas.org
Jimenez Moya , corner of Juan de Dios Ventura, Indrhi Building
809-533-1962 809-535-0905
Panama • emb.panama@codetel.net.do
Benito Monción 255
809-685-3533 809-689-1273
Paraguay • claradeporcella@yahoo.com
Angel Severo Cabral, corner of Virgilio Diaz Ordoñez,
809-412-5016 809-412-2829
Peru • embaperu@codetel.net.do
Mayreni 31, Los Cacicazgos
809-482-3300 809-482-3334
Philippines • dadulo@codetel.net.do
4ta Terraza de Arroyo 18, Cuesta Hermosa II, Arroyo Hondo,
809-947-9501 809-222-3052
Portugal • salvadordacunha@codetel.net.do
Building C, Las Praderas 809-227-8790
Thailand • a.diaz@ceprisa.com.do
Calle Recodo 7, 809-620-9585 809-533-7735
Trinidad & Tobago • freyes@alnap.com.do
27 de Febrero 218,
809-688-1645 809-731-3325
Turkey • turconsd@hotmail.com
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 39, Edif. Centreone, Naco
809-381-4242 809-381-4343
Ukraine • consuladoucrania@codetel.net.do
C/ 13 8, Urb. Fernandez
809-472-2908 809-732-6640
UNDP • fodom@pnud.org.do
Anacaona 9, Mirador Sur,
809-537-0909 809-531-3507
UNESCO • cnu_rd@hotmail.com
Luperon 105, Colonial Area
809-688-9634 809-688-9459
UNICEF • santodomingo@unicef.org
Anacaona 9, Mirador Sur 809-473-7373 809-473-7272
United States of America • webmaster@usemb.gov.do
Cesar Nicolas Penson 809-221-2171 809-686-7437
Uruguay • embur@codetel.net.do
Luis F. Thomen 110, GAPO 401 Building
809-227-3475 809-472-4231
Venezuela • emb.venezuela@codetel.net.do
Anacaona 7, Mirador Sur
809-537-8882 809-537-8780
Dominican Republic
29
Upon Arrival
Immigration
Before entering the country at ports,
airports or crossing the border, the
international regulatory and form should
be filled and given to immigration
authorities upon arrival and departure.
Money
The monetary unit of the Dominican
Republic is the Dominican peso. Its
symbol is RD$.
The peso is divided into 100 cents.
In circulation are coins of 1, 5, 10
and 25 pesos. The currency note is in
denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100,
200, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 pesos.
When making purchases, remember
that all prices are marked in pesos
and that you can ALWAYS pay with
local money. Knowing the official
exchange rate, which is published
daily in the newspapers, could make
it advantageous for you to pay in
American dollars.
As a general rule, you obtain greater
security and a more favorable
exchange rate at major commercial
banks, which are legally required
to place the official exchange rate
for the day in public view. For your
convenience, there are often currency
exchanges in hotels; these are also
required to place for public view the
daily exchange rate.
Most hotels, restaurants and businesses
accept major credit cards, and
cardholders are charged the official
exchange rate at the time of the
transaction.
www.bancentral.gov.do
Customs Regulations
30
Personal luggage or other personal
items generally clear customs without
much difficulty. You are entitled to
bring 2 liters of liquor, 200 cigarettes,
your laptop, and medication under
prescription.
However, depending on where your
flight originated, and on the “tourist
sensibility” of the customs officer, you
may either be waved through the
entire process or undergo a cursory
inspection of your luggage, with the full
authorization of Dominican law.
If you are on a business trip, on
vacation or traveling for health reasons,
everything will undoubtedly turn out
well. If, on the contrary, you are part
of a group that is smuggling firearms,
explosives, drugs or other illegal
substances, you will probably find
yourself face-to-face with an INTERPOL
agent.
According to Act. 50-88 on drug
enforcement in the Dominican Republic:
“For the purposes of the present
legislation, the following are defined as
narcotic drugs:
• Opium in all its forms and all
its by-products (alkaloids, salts,
compounds, synthetic preparations or
replacements).
• Heroin.
• Coca (Erythroxylum Coca).
• Cocaine, its by-products, synthetic
replacements or any other compound
whose base it is used as.
• All plants of the Cannabinacea
Family and those by-products having
narcotic or stimulating properties,
such as: Cannabis Indica, Cannabis
Sativa, Marijuana and other herbs
which present similar properties.
Ladies Traveling Alone
Women can either walk or take a taxi to
museums, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs,
or shopping centers. There are no
newspaper listings of fashion shows,
cultural activities, conferences and art
exhibitions. If you wish to visit tourist hot
spots, ask your hotel.
Traveling with Your Pet
The Department of Animal Health
requires the following documentation for
any pets being brought into the country:
Cats and Dogs
• Complete vaccination certificate
signed by a certified vet.
• A health certificate from the Office of
Animal Health.
• Anti-rabies vaccine, triple vaccine
(distemper, lectopirosis, hepatitis)
and Parvo-virus vaccine certificates
showing inoculations 15 days prior to
the arrival date of the animal.
Severe sanctions are applied to those
people who do not comply with the
above-mentioned legal provisions.
Dominican Republic
31
Pets not meeting these requirements will
be quarantined for at least eight days
or up to one month, depending on the
country of origin. For all other types of
animals, special authorization should be
sought from and issued by la Dirección
General de Ganadería (Department of
Animal Husbandry). 809-535-9689.
Prior to your departure, be sure to
obtain:
Nuptial Celebration in the
Dominican Republic
Most hotels and resorts listed in our
Directory offer special wedding and
honeymoon packages conveniently
personalized and customized to
make the pre-nuptial and honeymoon
celebrations a memorable experience for
all couples.
• A health certificate from the Office of
Animal Health.
• Health certificate issued
• Vaccination Certificate.
• Any other certificate required by the
country of destiny.
Traveling with Children
Most hotels and resorts offer facilities
and a wide array of activities to entertain
visiting the children and wards of their
guests; they also offer trained personnel
to care for them during their parents’
absence.
Holidays
January 1: New Year’s Day
January 6: Day of the Magic kings
January 21: Our Lady of Altagracia
January 26: Duarte Day
February 27: Independence Day
Moveable: Good Friday
May 1: International Workers Day
32
Moveable: Corpus Christi
July: Merengue Festival
August 16: Restoration Day
September 24: Our Lady of las Mercedes
October 12: Colombus Day
November 6: Constitution Day
December 25: Christmas Day
Viva Whyndam Resorts offer different
“Wedding Packages” so that you
can celebrate the wedding of your
dreams at their luxurious hotels. A
wedding organized by this exclusive
resort chain includes exquisite details
such as a décor with wild flowers,
photography services, the rooms,
the wedding reception, a decorated
carriage for the groom and the
bride, the wedding cake, the bride’s
bouquet, spa services, among many
other amenities. Date reservations
should be made one month in
advance, enough time to arrange the
services with a Civil Registry Judge.
as their valid passports and those of
any accompanying foreign witnesses.
Please remember that such documents
must be translated into Spanish upon
arrival in the Dominican Republic. It
is recommended that all the requisites
should be confirmed at the time you
make your hotel reservations.
For a marriage to be authorized,
the groom and the bride must bring
a notarized statement attesting to
their marital status and certified in
the Dominican consulate in their
country of origin. If previously
married, they must bring a legalized
copy of the divorce decree, as well
Dominican Republic
33
Media
In Santo Domingo, there are six morning
newspapers published: Diario Libre, El
Caribe, El Dia, El Nuevo Diario, Hoy,
and Listin Diario; one evening paper: El
Nacional; and two weekly magazines:
Clave and Primicias. All of them may be
accessed through the digital network,
as well as through www.dr1.com, an
influential digital media published in
English.
The www.dominicanway.com portal
encompasses a wide range of tourism
information about the Dominican Republic,
which is available in ten different languages.
At a national level, there are 390 AM /
FM radio stations, 44 VHF / UHF television
channels, and satellite channels operating
through cable TV.
The Caribbean Travel Network (CTN) offers
tourist information 24-7 through Channel
30 of Telecable Nacional.
Telecommunications
As a result of its telecommunications quality,
the Dominican Republic enjoys one of
the first positions in Latin America. The
country holds permanent communications
with any other part of the world through
the Internet and other direct circuits.
The main telecommunication companies
provide Rent a Phone services for mobile
phones, with plans specially designed
for holidays or business trips, all of which
include the possibility to make both local
and international calls. Moreover, from the
34
hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and
main avenues in the cities, it is possible to
have access to a wireless connection.
AT&T is the main carrier in the country,
offering services for long-distance
international calls through CODETEL
and TRICOM; and All American Cables
& Radio is the operator of the Viva.
Besides, Orange, through France Telecom
Dominicana, offers the widest mobile
digital network in the whole country.
You can also visit
www.godominicanrepublic.com and
www.sectur.gob.do for further official
tourism information and promotion of
our country, available in ten different
languages.
Serenades, a beautiful way of
spiritual communication
In our country, serenades are among
Dominican traditions, as they have proved
to be a beautiful means of spiritual
communication, through which a man in
love can express his feelings to the beloved
woman.
Although urbanism has made it more
difficult for the night troubadour to sing his
love song in front of the lady’s window, this
tradition still prevails in the neighborhoods
of the capital city and villages in the interior
of the country, as well as in the rural area.
Serenades are still widely thought to be the
most romantic and simple way to say... “I
love you”.
TAXI BAVARO • Bávaro - Punta Cana
809-552-0617 / 809-221-2741
809-552-0505
www.siutratural.com
AERO TAXI • Rocco Cochía 38
809-686-1212
809-689-1212
809-221-0210
comella4@hotmail.com
TAXIS
TAXI PARAISO
809-567-6826 809-683-9000
TAXI ANACAONA
809-530-4800 809-531-1212
Ground Transportation
The metropolitan area of the city of Santo
Domingo has an efficient, permanent, and
secure public transportation service that is
overseen and regulated by the Metropolitan
Transit Services (OMSA).
Eight regular routes are serviced by gray
Mercedes Benz buses, while semi-express
routes are serviced by yellow Volvo
BUSCAAR buses, which take you from your
embarkation point to your destination at a
rate of RD$5 and RD$10 respectively. These
buses are air conditioned and run every 12
minutes from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Taxi cabs which offer tourist services in
Santo Domingo are easily found in ports,
airports, the Colonial Area, and at any hotel
where you can also find a list of regular
fares. Those vehicles are cream-colored and
you can identify them with a code in their
doors assigned by the State Department of
Tourism as TOURIST TAXI.
When you need transportation to and from
ports and airports try to agree on the fare
in advance to avoid problems and ask for
the chauffeur’s identification before entering
the car. Not all vehicles that serve the routes
in the city and in the interior towns use
meters, but the rates are fixed according
to the distance, regardless of the number
of passengers in the vehicle. Another less
conventional method of transportation is
the “moto-concho”. This form of transport is
very dangerous and insurance companies
do not offer coverage for its passengers. It is
therefore highly recommended that you not
use this form of transportation.
This year, the metropolitan area has
welcomed the opening of the North-South
route of the Santo Domingo Metro, which
runs 15 kilometers through the city, stopping
at 16 stations located at strategic points,
and which also encompasses a secondary
service of safe and efficient public transport,
offered and regulated by the Land Transport
Development Fund (FONDET). See road
map.
Most hotels and tour operators provide airport
transportation for their customers. Additionally,
all airports have car rental offices and
facilities. Car rental agencies formalize rental
contracts only upon the presentation of a
credit card. The minimum requisite age is 25
years. A valid driver’s license from the country
of origin or an international driver’s license
must also be presented.
Driving is on the right-hand side. Gas stations
measure fuel by the American gallon. Tolls
are paid on expressways.
For inter-city transportation – express service
or with regular stops – reputable companies
have been offering for many years now secure
and efficient services aboard comfortable, airconditioned buses.
Dominican Republic
35
Av. Independencia 654
809-687-7997
809-687-7263
reservaciones@nellyrac.com
www.nellyrac.com
AVIS • Abraham Lincoln
809-535-7191 809-535-1747
reservaciones@avis.com.do
www.avis.com
EUROPCAR • Independencia 354
809-688-2121 809-688-0808
europcar.sdq@codetel.net.do
www.europcar.com.do
BUDGET • J. F. Kennedy
809-566-6666 809-567-0177
reservaciones@budget.com.do
www.budget.com
HONDA • J. F. Kennedy / P. Salcedo
809-567-1015 809-541-0039
hondarentcar@codetel.net.do
www.hondarentcar.com
DOLLAR • Independencia 366
809-221-7368 809-221-7270
reservaciones@dollar.com.do
www.dollar.com.do
NATIONAL-ALAMO • Próceres 41
809-562-1444 809-227-9015
nationalcar.dr@grupoambar.com
www.nationalcar.com
Santo Domingo
Metro Route
Stations
Above-ground Line
Subway Line
1. Villa Mella (Marañón).
2. Cerros de Buena Vista II.
3. La Paz.
4. Hermanas Mirabal.
5. Parque Mirador Norte.
6. Isabela (En la antigua Cementera).
7. Av. Nicolás de Ovando con Máximo Gómez.
8. Cementerio de la avenida Máximo Gómez.
9. Café Induban.
10.Máximo Gómez con Kennedy.
11. Máximo Gómez con 27 de Febrero.
12.Teatro Nacional.
13.Secretaría de Estado de Educación.
14.Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD).
15.Dominico Americano.
16.Centro de los Héroes.
36
DISTANCE CHART
AIRPORT DIRECTORY
NAME
IATA CODE
Aeropuerto Internacional de
Las Américas Dr. José Fco. Peña
Gómez AILA-JFPG
SDQ
ICAO CODE
MDSD
LOCATION
Santo Domingo
PHONE NUMBER
809-947-2225
Aérodromo El Portillo
EPS
MDPO
Samaná
809-530-1310
Aeropuerto Internacional de La
Isabela Dr. Joaquín Balaguer
JBQ
MDJB
Santo Domingo
809-826-4019
Aeropuerto Internacional de
La Romana
LRM
MDLR
La Romana
809-813-9000
Aeropuerto Internacional del
Cibao
STI
MDST
Santiago
809-233-8000
Aeropuerto Internacional de
Barahona María Montés
BRX
MDBH
Barahona
809-524-4144
Aeropuerto Internacional de
Puerto Plata Gregorio Luperón
POP
MDPP
Puerto Plata
809-291-0000
Aeropuerto Internacional
PUNTACANA
PUJ
MDPC
Punta Cana
809-959-2376
Aeropuerto Internacional
Presidente Juan Bosh
AZS
MDCY
Samaná
809-338-5888
Aeropuerto Doméstico de Cabo
Rojo
CBJ
MDCR
Pedernales
809-530-1310
Aeropuerto Doméstico 14 de
Junio de Constanza
COZ
mdcz
"Constanza, La
Vega"
809-530-1310
Aeropuerto Doméstico de Monte
Cristi Osvaldo Vigil
MTC
MDMC
Monte Cristi
809-530-1310
Aeropuerto Doméstico de San
Juan de la Maguana
SJM
MDSJ
"Sabana de la Mar,
Hato Mayor"
809-530-1310
Aeropuerto Doméstico de
Sabana de la Mar
SNX
MDSM
"Sabana de la Mar,
Hato Mayor"
809-530-1310
MDAB
Samaná
809-248-2719
MDSI
Santo Domingo
809-688-3333
Aeropuerto Doméstico Arroyo
Barril
Base de la Fuerza Aérea de
San Isidro
SDX
For more information: www.departamentoaeroportuario.gob.do
38
Transport
Interurban
Caribe Tours
Expresso Bávaro
Metro Expreso
809-221-4422
809-682-9670
809-227-0101
Guaguas (Bus) OMSA
Corredor 27 de Febrero. Origin:
km. 13 Autopista Duarte. Destino:
Hipódromo V Centenario, Autopista Las
Américas.
Corredor Norte J F. Kennedy. Origin:
Terminal OMSA, km. 9 1/2 Autopista
Duarte. Destination: El Tamarindo, Parque
Industrial Nueva Isabela.
Corredor Sur (Av. Independencia).
Origin: Hipódromo V centenario.
Destino: Muelle de Haina.
Metro de Santo Domingo.
Corredor Los Ríos. Route: Los RíosNúñez de Cáceres-Independencia-W.
Churchill-Los Ríos.
Corredor Los Alcarrizos. Origin:
Hato Nuevo, Los Alcarrizos. Destination:
Muelle de Haina.
Corredor Charles de Gaulle. Origin:
Av. Hermanas Mirabal. Destino:
Hipódromo V Centenario.
Corredor Naco. Origin: Terminal
Omsa, Km 9.5 de la Autopista Duarte.
Destination: Terminal Omsa, Km. 9.5 de
la Autopista Duarte.
Corredor Central Máximo Gómez.
Norte - Sur. Origin: Av. Charles de
Gaulle. Destino: Centro de Los Héroes.
Gastronomy
The Dominican Republic boasts
many cozy and comfortable eating
establishments that are headed by
competent chefs whose skills and service
will satisfy the most demanding palate.
Each restaurant carries an international
menu, in addition to its own specialty.
Conceivably you can enjoy culinary
delights from Germany, the Middle-East,
Argentina, Spain, France, Italy, the
Mediterranean, Mexico and the Oriental.
Above all, however, feast on some our
exotic local specialties.
As a general rule, restaurants accept
major international credit cards.
• Tips
By law, an 16% sales tax (ITBIS) and a 10%
service charge are added to the bill. An
additional tip may be added if service was
particularly special or excellent.
Typical and Regional Cuisine
The typical Dominican kitchen is very
rich and varied. The most common
meal known as “La bandera” (the flag)
consists of white rice, beans, meat,
vegetables, and fried, ripe plantains or
“fritos verdes”(which are nothing other
than green plantains fried in a special
way). The Dominican sancocho is a
gastronomic derivative of the Spanish
cocido (stew), and each region of the
country has its peculiar way of preparing
40
it. Do not leave without tasting a
“sancocho prieto”, made of seven
different local meats. It is a respectable
and respected dish.
If time permits, we suggest you try other
regional specialties. Samaná’s pescado
con coco (fish cooked in a coconut
milk sauce) for example, or chivo
de Azua (goat dish from Azua) and
chivo liniero (goat dish from the north
western region), which has an exquisite,
peculiar taste because the goat eats
wild oregano daily and consequently,
its meat is seasoned while the animal
is alive. Also the delicious “puerco en
puya” (pit-smoked pork), meat pies in
leaves and “chicharrones de pollo”
(deep-fried pieces of chicken).
All these and many more dishes, like
green banana and yuca mofongos, and
the famous soups that “revive death”,
can be savored in D’Luis Parillada
restaurant, for authentic Dominican
gastronomy.
Johnny Cakes and mangú, the
gastronomic legacy of Windward and
Leeward island immigrants, are part of
our daily diet. You can order the former
from the fritureras (women who sell fried
food) or on beaches as “yaniqueques”.
The mangú (a purée made of boiled
green plantains) is a popular native
breakfast, menu time in most hotels. It is
highly recommended for “tourist’s illness”
(diarrhea), known locally as “Caonabo’s
revenge.”
The casabe (flat and round cassava
bread) and catibías (cassava flour fritters
stuffed with meat) are Taíno foods we
maintain in the typical Dominican diet.
Those who enjoy natural food should
know that cassava bread has a high
content of vegetable fiber and less than
0.35% fat per portion. Casabe seldom
goes bad, and it may be purchased in
almost all the colmados (small grocery
stores) and supermarkets in the country.
In the presidential palace, and in hotels
and restaurants offering native foods, it is
served as a substitute for bread.
Dominican Republic
41
Dominican Locrio
This native preparation of rice is the
missing link of the Valencian paella
(rice dish with meat, fish, seafood and
vegetables). Apparently, the Spanish
ladies who arrived here at the time of
the conquest, bereft of the ingredients
for a paella, adapted the recipe to
the ingredients found on the island.
For example, they substituted annatto
for saffron; and giving free rein to
their imagination, they created a
basic formula from which emerged the
delicious Dominican locrio.
In our country, locrio is made with the
most varied ingredients. For this reason
it is considered the most versatile dish of
the native kitchen, allowing us to create,
with a little rice and whatever else is at
hand, an exquisite meal for our special
guests.
The Siesta Habit
The native Dominican still takes a nap
after lunch. If time permits, take a
momentary vacation, and let yourself
sway in a hammock for about ten or
fifteen minutes after lunch. You will
understand why it is so difficult for us to
get rid of this habit.
When on the contrary, you believe a
walk will aid your digestion, take a tour
of the colonial district and walk in the
footsteps of the historical legacy of Santo
Domingo conserves and exposes in its
legendary monuments. At this time of the
day, the oldest streets of the city of the
Americas are all yours.
42
Restaurant Directory
The city of Santo Domingo has many comfortable and beautiful restaurants capable of
satisfying the most demanding palate.
Especialities
1
2
3
4
American Cuisine
Latin American
Mexican
Steakhouses
Reservations t Air Conditioned Facilities
5
6
7
8
Local Cuisine
Spanish
French / Swiss
International
ADRIAN TROPICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-566-8373
A. Lincoln esp. Rafael Augusto Sánchez
t 5
AKA SUSHI BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-338-0099
Lope de Vega 48, Naco
t 12 Japonesa
ANDREW JACKSON STEAK HOUSE . . . 809-540-1114
Gustavo M. Ricart 130
t 4
BELLA CRISTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-540-2923
Roberto Pastoriza 458, Piantini
t 12
BOCA MARINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-523-6702
Prolongación Duarte 12-A, Boca Chica
8-10
BOGA BOGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-472-0950
Bolívar 203
t 5-8
CAFFE MILANO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-540-3000
Av. Tiradentes 11
t 9
CASA VICENTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-563-7665
Carlos Sánchez y Sánchez 15, Naco
t 6
CHEF PEPPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-565-4068
Gustavo Mejía Ricart 62
t 4
CITRON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-542-1111
Al Lincoln 258
t 8
D’ LUIS PARRILLADA . . . . . . . . . . 809-689-7115
George Washington 25
t 4
EL CANTABRICO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-687-5101
A. Independencia 54
t 6
EL CONUCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-686-0129
Casimiro de Moya 152
5
EL PELICANO . . . . . . . . . 809-523-4611 ext.746
Duarte 1, Boca Chica
8-10
EL SITIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-683-4848
Gustavo M. Ricart, Plaza Andalucía I
t 8
FRIDAY’S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-955-8443
W. Churchill 25, Acrópolis Center
t 1
HARD ROCK CAFE . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-686-7771
Calle El Conde 103, Zona Colonial
t 1
44
9 Italian
10 Seafood
11 Canadian
12 Oriental
13
14
15
16
Vegetarian
Mediterranean
Middle-Eastern
New World Cuisine
HUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-338-4440
Manuel de Jesús Troncoso 24, esq. Andrés J. Aybar
t 8
IBERIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-531-7694
Miguel Monclús 165, Mirador Norte
t 6-10
IL CAPUCCINO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-682-8006
Máximo Gómez 60, La Esperilla
t 9
JARDIN DEL EMBAJADOR . . . . . . . . 809-221-6290
Hotel Embajador
t 8-14
LA BRICIOLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-688-5055
Arz. Meriño 152 A, Zona Colonial
t 2
MESON DE LA CAVA . . . . . . . . . . . 809-533-2818
Mirador del Sur, Angus Beef
t 4-5-6-8-9-10-16
MITRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-472-1787
Av. Abraham Lincoln 1001
t 8
MITRE CAP CANA . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-469-7010
Marina Cap Cana
t 8
NEPTUNO’S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-523-4703
Duarte 12, Boca Chica
t 8-10
PEPPERONI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-508-1330
Sarasota, Plaza Universitaria
t 8-9-12
RANCHO STEAK HOUSE . . . . . . . . . 809-535-4817
Autopista 30 de Mayo
t 4 Angus Beef
SAPORI D’ ITALIA . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-683-5691
Max Henríquez Ureña 29
t 9
SHISH KABAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-5562737
C/ Castillo Márquez 32, La Romana
t 15
SOPHIA'S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-620-1001
Paseo de los Locutores 9, Piantini
t 8
STEAK HOUSE CAFE . . . . . . . . . . . 809-549-5505
Gustavo Mejía Ricart 52
t 4
TABOO BAMBOO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809-227-2727
Roberto Pastoriza 313, , Plaza Uris
t 8-12-16
VESUVIO TIRADENTES . . . . . . . . . 809-562-6060
Tiradentes 17
t 4-5-8-9-10-14
What to buy
It is possible to buy almost anything
here; and at better prices than you
would find elsewhere. Globalization
has brought us, among many other
things, the “malls”, which are also called
commercial plazas
In Santo Domingo, other urban centers
and vacation resorts, there are numerous
commercial plazas and specialty stores
that carry the latest in such national
and international brand name items as
Benetton, Façonnable, Gap, Guess,
Jacadi, Liz Clairbone, Ralph Lauren, and
Versace. Dominican-spun designers who
enjoy great prestige include Oscar de
la Renta, Leonel Lirio and Sully Bonnelly,
among others. La Casa Virginia and
Jenny Polanco offer affordable, custommade, linen dresses fitted with amber
buttons.
There are also specialty stores that carry
lingerie, intimate apparel, socks, and
fine leather.
Art
“To know a country’s art is to know its
people, and also the emotions of the
artists who have created it.”
A visit to art galleries will bring you to
a greater discovery and appreciation
of the native art of the Dominican
Republic. Far from the popular, pseudoprimitive artifacts that abound on other
Caribbean islands, ours is an art form
46
that shares a quintessential kinship with
the works of such renowned Dominican
artists as Guillo Pérez, Ramón Oviedo,
Alberto Ulloa, Cándido Bidó, Rosa
Tavárez, Ada Balcácer, and many
others. The Dominican School of Plastic
Arts (located at the corner of El Conde
Street and Isabel La Católica) maintains
a permanent exhibit in small and medium
formats. In addition to their affordable
prices, these are guaranteed to be
authentic pieces. For further information,
contact the School of Plastic Arts at
809-685-6985.
Do you wish to leave this country with
a memento of refined craftsmanship?
In both rural and urban areas, our
people’s collective artistic expression is
usually manifested in the production of
crafts. Each region expresses its style
and specialty in a variety of artifacts
that are available throughout the major
commercial centers of Santo Domingo,
as well as in the hinterland and tourist
centers.
Special places of interest are:
Mercado Modelo, El Conde street, Las
Atarazanas, and Casa de Bastidas,
where a wide choice of crafts made
by local artists are sold: horn, wood,
leather, snail shell, amber and larimar
articles; pottery, ceramics, baskets,
embroidery, and locally-manufactured
cotton fabrics. No matter what you
do, do not leave the country without
Shopping Centers
Bella Vista Mall
Av. Sarasota 62, Bella Vista
809-255-0664 809-255-0666
bellavistamall@codetel.net.do
www.bellavistamallrd.com
The place where you find everything!
Acrópolis
Winston Churchill esp. Julio A. Aybar
809-955-2020
www.acropolisdr.com
Mega Centro
Carretera Mella / Av. San Vicente de Paul
809-236-7660
www.megacentrord.com
Americana Departamentos
J. F. Kennedy 809-549-7777
info@americanadepartamentos.com
www.americana.com.do
Multicentro Churchill
Av. Winston Churchill / G. Mejía Ricart
809-472-4444
www.gruporamos.com
www.tiendaslasirena.com
Diamond Mall
Av. Los Próceres,
Arroyo Hondo, Cuesta Hermosa
809-412-2189
Hache Plaza
J. F Kennedy 809-566-1111
www.hache.com.do
a typical mahogany and guano (palm
frond) rocking chair, already packed for
easy shipping. For a one-stop shopping,
you may check out the Casa de las
Mecedoras and Muebles Von.
Other valued objects are cigars, jewelry,
rum, Santo Domingo coffee, bon
marmalade, and CDs of the latest Latin
music hits.
Amber
This national gem, known as the “gem
of the centuries”, is the quintessential
encapsulation of nature’s myriad
attributes: the entrapment of millennia-old
fossils of the tertiary age.
Amber contains electrical energy that is
manifested by the attraction it produces
when it is rubbed against light objects.
Cognisant of its physical attributes,
the ancient Taínos considered it a
potent panacea to counteract negative
energy and often wore it as an amulet.
According to tradition, however, the
Plaza Central
27 de Febrero esq. Winston Churchill
809-872-0352
publimercadeoplazacentral@gmail.com
Plaza Naco
Tiradentes/Fantino Falco 809-683-2820
gem’s magical attributes remain dormant
unless it is received as a gift.
Make the most of your stay and bring
home to your love ones a jewel as a
souvenir of your visit. There aren’t many
places in the world where you can
buy amber and larimar, the Dominican
turquoise.
One of the biggest deposits worldwide
is located in the Amber Coast and only
in our country can you find mines of
blue, red and black amber, which are
classified among the more desirable
varieties. The exhibition and sale of
the finest amber and larimar jewels are
in Santo Domingo, in the Museum of
Ambar and Larimar, located in an old
house in Zona Colonial.
The Christi House from London auctioned
and sold a piece of amber from the
Dominican Republic, with a pre-historic
lizard captured and preserved, intact, in
its interior. It sold for US$130,000. The
export of rough amber is restricted.
Dominican Republic
47
Where to go
Our Beaches
Perhaps there is no better of providing
our readers with a more objective
appraisal of our beaches than to borrow
the experts below a from United Nations
report on our beaches and coasts:
“Of all the tourist beaches in the world,
few are blessed with such beautiful
grains of sand or crystal-clear waters.
The beaches are strewn with granules
of sand that are so white that they
seem nearly magical, fantastic. Without
question, they must rank among the best
in the world.”
The choice is yours! You may bask in the
magic of our unspoiled, virgin Atlantic
shores to the north. Or you may lull
yourself to wonderland with the white
sands of our southern shores, alternately
kissed and teased by the crystalline
waters of the Caribbean Sea.
National Parks
Designated and managed as the
national parks system are: urban parks
and recreational areas, natural habitats,
and zoological/botanical reserves
where the country’s flora and fauna are
protected.
The Dirección Nacional de Parques
(National Parks Office) is the institution
in charge of the development,
administration, organization, and
48
maintenance of all natural and
recreational areas. Its principal objective
is to conserve our natural resources as
well as preserve our ecological patrimony
for the perennial enjoyment of present
and future generations.
The natural areas and scientific reserves
are composed of, among others: The J.
Armando Bermúdez National Parks, José
del Carmen Ariza, Nacional del Este,
Los Haitises, Isla Cabritos, Sierra de
Bahoruco, Montecristi and lastly, Jaragua,
which is the largest in the country, and
the Scientific Reserve Ébano Verde,
located in the province of La Vega, which
is representative of a very wet sub-tropical
forest ecosystem, with an average annual
temperature of 12oC/23 oC.
There, the visitor can see many species
of flora and fauna endemic to our island;
the source of Camú and Jatubey rivers;
taking a refreshing swim in El Arroyazo,
one of the most important affluent of
the river Jimenoa; touring by mountain
bike around the surrounding mountains;
camping in the forest or having a relaxing
trekk through the El Sendero Baño de
Nube.
National Botanical Gardens
All known species of the island’s flora
have been collected, classified and
exhibited at the Museo de Historia
Natural (Museum of Natural History) as
well as at the Jardín Botánico Nacional
(National Botanical Garden). The latter
resembles a huge emerald island amidst
the surrounding urban development. It
also bears the name of the prominent
Dominican botanist, Dr. Rafael M.
Moscoso, founder of the Botanical
Institute of the Autonomous University of
Santo Domingo.
a beautiful, lilac-colored variety that
adorns most of our coastal areas. The
National Botanical Garden issues the “notin-danger-of-extinction” certificate that is
necessary to export these.
809-385-2611. www.jbn-sdq.org
More than any other native flora,
the orchid has been the most studied
specimen. Indeed, the term “orchid” is
a broad botanical designation covering
some 67 major species throughout the
island, and 300 classified miniature, rare
species. The latter come in fascinating
shapes of all kinds, a feature that makes
this jewel of nature particularly attractive
to collectors. Among them are: oncidium
henekenii, shaped like a small tarantula;
polyradicium lindeníi, shaped like a toad;
oncidium variegatum shaped like a little
angel; leonchilus labiatus shaped like a
little nun; and, broughtonia domingensii,
The Dominican Republic, as a territory
in the Caribbean, is endowed with a
varied yet peculiar range of animal life.
A taxonomy of the island’s fauna shows a
predominance of the lower species, a rich
bird population, and few native mammals.
National Zoo
Among the most interesting native
species are the rock-climbing iguanas,
of the cyclura type; the hutias, rodents
of the solenodon and plagidontia types;
the American crocodile, cocodryluys
americanus acatus, and our “cigua
palmera,” all examples of groups and
species exclusive of our Antillean region.
Dominican Republic
49
In terms of native terrestrial mammals,
there are only two species of the
aforementioned hutias— both are an
endangered species of great biological
value.
Other species of our bird population
are: the guaraguao (red-tailed hawk),
the zumbador (hummingbird), the
barrancolí, the flautero, and the parrots
of the Amazona ventralis type, that
have been a part of our daily lives well
before the Iberian advent, and finally
the cigua palmera Dulus Dominicus, the
national bird.
Of the island’s foreign species,
the manatee and the whale, both
amphibious mammals, are the most
exceptional. The humpback whale in
particular migrates each winter from
the frigid Arctic waters to give birth to
its young along the Banco de la Plata
(Silver Bank)— approximately 35 miles
northeast of the community of Cabrera,
in Dominican territorial waters.
Museums Directory
Name
Panteón Nacional
Convento de los Dominicos
Hard Rock Café
Museo Dominicano Larimar
Alcázar de Diego Colón
Museo Mundo del Ámbar
Museo Bellapart
Address
Phone
Cover
Calle Las Damas
809-682-0185
No cover
C/ El conde 103
809-686-7771
No cover
Isabel la Católica 54 Esq. P. Billini
809-689-6605
No cover
Zona Colonial, Plaza España
809-682-4750
Cover
A. Meriño 452 Esq. Restauración
809-686-5700
Cover
Jonh F. Kennedy Esq. Luis Lembert, 5 piso
809-541-7721
No cover
No cover
C/ Hostos Esq. Paseo padre Billini
Dr. Pedro Henríquez Ureña
809-221-9111
No cover
Galería de Arte Moderno
Pedro H. Ureña, Plaza de la Cultura
80-685-2154
Cover
Museo de Historia Natural
Pedro H. Ureña, Plaza de la Cultura
809-689-0106
Cover
Zona Colonial
809-682-4750
No cover
Museo de Historia y Geografía
Pedro H. Ureña, Plaza de la Cultura
809-686-6668
Cover
Museo del Hombre Dominicano
Pedro H. Ureña, Plaza de la Cultura
809-687-3622
Cover
A. Meriño, Esq. Padre Billini
809-689-5000
Cover
Isabel la Católica Esq. Emiliano Tejera
80-687-4722
No cover
Cover
Museo Numismático y Filatélico
Altar de la Patria
Casa de Tostado
Museo Casa del Cordón
Museo de Duarte
Museo Infantil Trampolín
Museo del Dibujo Contemporáneo
Isabel la Católica 308
809-687-1436
Las Damas, Ciudad Colonial
809-685-5551
Cover
Rafel A. Sánchez 53, Piantini, 3er piso
809-563-7860
No cover
Las Damas Esq. Mercedes
809-682-4202
Cover
Museo de la Porcelana
José Reyes 6, Ciudad Colonial
809-688-4759
Cover
Centro Cultural E. León Jiménez
27 de Febrero 146, Santiago
809-582-2315
Cover
A. Meriño, Plaza Colón
809-682-6593
No cover
Extremo oeste Malecón, Puerto Plata
809-330-8876
Cover
Boulevard del Faro, Villa Duarte, Sto. Dgo.
809-591-1492
Cover
Museo de las Casas Reales
Catedral Primada de América
Museo Fortaleza de San Felipe
Faro a Colón
50
Most species of the Dominican fauna
are on exhibit at the Museo de Historia
Natural (Museum of Natural History),
the Acuario Nacional (National
Aquarium), and the Parque Zoológico
Nacional (National Zoological Park).
In parks where the animals are allowed
some freedom to roam about, park
rangers escort and supervise visitors.
809-562-3149.
www.zoodom.gov.do
For an opportunity to observe the
animals and plants in their natural
habitat, an excursion may be arranged
by calling the Sub-Secretaría de Estado
de Áreas Protegidas y Biodiversidad
(Protected Areas and Biodiversity).
809-472-4204.
Cultural Plaza
The Plaza de la Cultura (Cultural
Plaza), just as its name suggests, is a
cultural center located in the heart of
Santo Domingo. Its design and layout
make its facilities easily accessible from
three of the city’s major arteries: Ave.
Máximo Gómez, Pedro Henríquez
Ureña and César Nicolás Penson.
The modern buildings complex houses
the Biblioteca Nacional (National
Library), the Cinemateca Nacional
(National Film Library), the Galería
de Arte Moderno (Gallery of Modern
Art), the Museo de Historia Natural
(Museum of Natural History), Museo
de Historia y Geografía (Museum
of History and Geography), Museo
del Hombre Dominicano (Museum
Dominican Republic
51
of Dominican History), and the Teatro
Nacional (National Theater). A visit
to the Cultural Plaza is more than just
a pleasant stroll; it is a walk through
Dominican culture and history.
M/D 9:00 a.m. a 6:00 p.m
809-686-2472
National Theater
The Teatro Nacional (National Theater)
is a modern building located in the very
heart of the Cultural Plaza.
The main auditorium can hold 1,700
patrons in comfortably designed seats
that allows for optimal viewing from
any seat. Its state-of-the-art modulated
acoustics system can authentically
transmit a whisper from stage to
audience. Should your stay coincide
with the theater season, it would be
worthwhile attending a performance.
809-687-3191.
Other places that present ballets, plays,
international festivals, exhibitions and
experimental theater are:
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Máximo Gómez / Independencia
809-682-1325.
www.bellasartes.gov.do
Casa de Teatro
Arz. Meriño 110, 809-689-3430.
www.casadeteatro.com
Sports and Recreation
The Dominican Republic is a unique
tourist destination in the Caribbean.
Its benign climate allows you to watch
52
or participate in a variety of sports
and recreational activities year-round.
Throughout the country’s vacation and
tourist hubs, different excursions to
various sports activities and tournaments
are regularly organized.
Professional and amateur baseball is
the number one sporting activity in the
Dominican Republic. Our hearts fill
with imperishable pride each time we
reminisce about the epic achievements
of a Juan Marichal, US baseball hall-offame inductee, and those of such major
league baseball superstars as Sammy
Sosa and Pedro Martínez. Season: From
October to January www.lidom.com.
The annual international calendar of
sporting events that are celebrated in
the country is very extensive. In Santo
Domingo there are many good sporting
facilities for practicing basketball,
boxing, fencing, judo, karate, tennis,
billiards and bowling, which are
practiced in the Olympic Center,
Coliseo Carlos Teo Cruz, Sebelén
Bowling Center. The Cartodromo (karting
racetrack), the Autodromo (car racetrack)
and the 5th Centenary Hipodromo (horse
racetrack) are located in front of the
Caribbean Sea. The two latter, 16 km
from Las Americas Expressway.
For golf lovers the country offers a great
amount of 18-hole golf courses designed
by the most renowned golf players and
designers in the world such as Pete Dye,
in Casa de Campo, Robert Trent Jones,
in Playa Dorada, and Jack Nicklaus, in
Cap Cana. They are among the best in
the world according to Golf Magazine.
In the Nacional District you can play
golf at the Santo Domingo Country
Club -a private club where only people
invited by members are admitted- Isabel
Villas and Las Lagunas.
In the Eastern region –in Juan Dolio, to be
more precise– we can find the Guavaberry
Resort & Country Club, Los Marlins Metro
Country Club, and Costa Blanca designed
by Greg Norman. In La Romana and within
the famous Casa de Campo, visitors can
enjoy La Romana Country Club –a private
club with exclusive entrance by member
invitation–, Los Links, and Dientes de Perro;
Dye Fore in Altos de Chavon, in addition to
the new nine holes offered by this heavenly
place. Moving ahead to Bavaro, we can
find (by order of appearance along the
road) the Catalonia Golf Club, the Bavaro
Golf Course of Barcelo Hotels, Cocotal
Golf Club, White Sands, and Punta
Blanca. Heading for Punta Cana, we can
discover the Punta Cana Golf Club, in Punta
Cana, and Punta Espada, in Cap Cana.
Moreover, in –his area, we should point out
Roco Ki –opening soon–, La Estancia and
another design by Tom Fazio called Los
Corales.
In the region of Cibao, Las Aromas Golf
Club –18 holes–, in Santiago; Bonao
Golf Club, in Bonao; and reaching the
mountain area, Jarabacoa Golf Club, in
Jarabacoa, these two latter with 9 holes
each.
In the Northern area we find Costambar
–9 holes–, Playa Dorada in Puerto Plata
and Playa Grande Golf Club in the Rio
San Juan area, this latter one has, maybe,
the most spectacular view you can ever
imagine.
If you would like information regarding
tournaments, call the Federación
Dominican Republic
53
Dominicana de Golf (Dominican Golf
Federation). 809-383-1007.
www.golfdominicano.com
If you a habitual jogger or a walker, there
are places in the capital city where you
can exercise safely, both at dawn and at
dusk: the Centro Olímpico, the Malecón, the
Paseo de los Indios or Mirador Sur, Boulevar
27 de Febrero and Boulevar Winston
Churchill And The Núñez de Cáceres
Enviromental Park.
The Cockfighting Club in Santo
Domingo located in Luperon Avenue.
809-565-3844,
www.coliseogallistico.org, the
season goes from November to
July, and cockfights are held on
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Polo: Facilities and good coaches are
available at Sierra Prieta and Casa de
Campo, in La Romana. Information:
809-523-8951.
For those intrepid adventurers and for
the less daring ones, Rancho Baiguate
organizes outings to suit all tastes. The
choice of options including kayaking,
whitewater rafting, dirt-bike and fourwheel riding, and tubing down the
Jimenoa River. It may also include a
visit to a coffee factory or an ascent of
Pico Duarte. Paragliding— generally
beginning from a hill 200 meters
above sea level— is an intense,
exhilarating experience that allows for
the contemplation of nature’s splendor:
flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables
for your eyes and mind to feast upon
throughout the fertile Jarabacoa Valley.
54
The impressive countryside that offers
locals and visitors the crystalline
waters that surround our island, make
it a paradise for those who enjoy
aquatic sports. Beaches with tranquil
waters or with a strong surf, seduce
the aficionados and professionals of
windsurfing, jetskiing, sailing, sport
fishing, deep-sea fishing and diving.
Annually, the Marlin Azul (blue marlin)
classic, as well as the Dorado and
the Marlin Blanco (White marlin)
tournament, are held in Cabeza de
Toro. Info: Club Náutico de Santo
Domingo, in Andrés, Boca Chica.
809-523-4226.
For deep-sea fishing and diving,
almost all hotels along the littoral
offer excursions to the coral reefs, fish
sanctuaries, and treasure-laden sunken
vessels from the age of high sea
piracy. On the Atlantic coast are sites
of remarkable beauty that span five
provinces, from Montecristi to Samaná.
Along the Caribbean coast are La
Caleta, Bayahibe, Punta Cana, Bávaro,
and the Saona and Catalina islands.
Convert sport diving into an
unforgettable experience and enjoy the
underwater world’s fauna and flora,
coral reefs, fish sanctuaries and the
treasures of the galleons which sailed
our coasts.
Specialized companies such as
Scubacaribe, present in more than
50 of the most prestigious hotels and
resorts in 6 different countries, also offer
waterside excursions.
Our Music
Of all the rhythms that have enriched
our cultural heritage, the merengue is,
par excellence, the collective expression
of our people’s very soul. As a popular
musical form, it is very dynamic and
varies from one generation to the next.
Generally sung in our vernacular, we
love to move to the thump and beat
of this music which, according to the
lyrics of a carnival song, pulsates in
our every being the urge to: “...dance
in the street by day, dance in the street
by night.” Merengue is the sum total of
the harmonious interplay of güira, the
tambora (small drum), and the accordion.
Just as in the 19th century, Lanner
and Strauss took the waltz from local
taverns to the great dance halls and the
imperial Austrian theaters, the Dominican
merengue has been interpreted by
national and foreigndance bands and
symphonic orchestras, thanks to the
works of important Dominican composers
of yesterday and today: Julio Alberto
Hernández, Juan Francisco García,
José Dolores Cerón, Luis Alberti, Rafael
Solano y Bienvenido Bustamante,
among others, who have also cultivated
the traditional musical forms. Others
are: Enrique de Marchena, Luis Mena,
Francisco Ignacio, Ramón Díaz, Manuel
Simó, Juan Luis Guerra, Michael Camilo
y José Antonio Molina.
Interested in listening to CDs of these
Creole masters? Contact Fundación
Sinfonía (the Symphony Foundation)
809-535-8587
Dominicans love to dance. Father
Labat, a French monk who arrived in
the capital city in 1795 when Spain
ceded the island to France by the
Treaty of Basle, made the following
profound observation: “Dance is, in
Santo Domingo, the favorite passion,
and I don’t believe that there is
anywhere in the world where a
people are more drawn to musical
vibrations.” Labat’s observation is
very apt. Singing is probably the only
phenomenon which can rival dancing
as food for the Dominican’s soul.
To this day, it is customary to sing
lullabies to infants before they fall
asleep. The child grows up amidst
singing games, and the practice of
singing before work continues well
past this age. The adolescent country
person sings tunes and cantos de
hacha (axe songs) in the conuco (plot
of land for cultivation). He chants
his prayers and expresses his love
in cadenced rhythms no wonder
serenading is so popular! And
when a child dies in the rural areas,
mourners sing dirges that are called
the baquiní.
Dominican Republic
55
• Tip•
The güira is a typical Dominican instrument that
consists of a grater made of latten brass in the
shape of a hollow cylinder that, when scratched
with a scraper, emits a buzzing rhythmic sound.
Our indigenous Indian population used it in the
areíto, (Indian ceremonial song and dance).
They made it from the attractive fruit of the
Where to go
(
Alta Copa . . . . . . 809-532-6405
Atarazana 9 . . . . 809-688-0969
Aura . . . . . . . . . . 809-526-2319
Bistró de París . . . . 809-683-4473
Caffé Milano . . . . . 809-540-3000
Café Teatro . . . . . . 809-688-8173
Café Thesauros . . . 809-508-1114
Cinnamon Café . . . 809-732-8048
Ferro Café . . . . . . 809-540-5718
Friday's . . . . . . . . 809-368-0026
Guácara Taína . . . 809-533-1051
Hard Rock Cafe . . . 809-686-7771
Hue . . . . . . . . . . . 809-338-4440
Jet Set . . . . . . . . . 809-535-4145
La Lupe . . . . . . . . . 809-549-5791
Las Palmas . . . . . . 809-221-3030
Mesón de Bari . . . . 809-687-4091
Mitre . . . . . . . . . . 809-472-1787
Mitre Cap Cana . . 809-469-7010
Montecristo Café . . 809-542-5000
Pepperoni . . . . . . . 809-508-1330
Praia . . . . . . . . . . 809-732-0230
Punto y Corcho . . . 809-683-0533
Red Bar . . . . . . . . 809-476-0782
Retro Café . . . . . . 809-540-3927
Segafredo . . . . . . . 809-685-9569
Steak House Café . 809-566-1039
Taboo Bamboo . . . 809-227-2727
Vesuvio Tiradentes . 809-562-6060
Vetro's Sushi Bar . . . 809-563-4424
Zences . . . . . . . . . 809-542-1111
Zin Lounge . . . . . . 809-473-4200
56
gourd, from which they extracted the pulp and
then scraped it, to later rhythmically rasp it with
a forked stick. There still are pericos ripiaos that
use this type of güira.
The perico ripiao, a minstrel trio, interprets
various popular musical forms in the rural
environment. The Dominican tambora (small
drum) owes its peculiar sound to having on one
side, the hide of an old male goat, tempered
with native rum and, on the other, that of a
young female goat that has not given birth.
Night Life
The pleasant climate, the congeniality of our
people, and the overall level of security make
for an enviable social life throughout our
country.
We are a happy and friendly people,
and here the night starts with happy hours
after work. Discos and nightclubs are
usually open from 6 PM.
There are nice restaurants, discos, pubs,
bohemian bars, and you may choose from
different environments and shows according to
your preferences and possibilities.
For moviegoers, there is good news. Santo
Domingo has modern and comfortable
movie theaters such as Acropolis, Broadway
Cinemas, Coral Mall, Hollywood Diamond
Cinemas, Hollywood Island, Malencon
Center, Mega Plex and Palacio del Cine.
Most theaters show current box-office
attractions. We are generally familiar with
big screen, box-office hits. We also know
most award-winning movies and actors
through the Oscar ceremony that is telecast
to us via satellite.
Boulevard of 27 de Febrero, located on the
narrow downtown intersection of Abraham
Lincoln and Winston Churchill Avenues. The
walk along this miniature cultural enclave
will take you to monuments, fashion shows,
classical or popular music concerts or to
nearby stores.
However, there is an even more enchanting
spectacle that can be enjoyed at no
expense to you: a stroll along the Malecón
of Santo Domingo. During the carnival
celebrations, on New Year’s Day, and every
weekend, this ocean-view boulevard is
converted into the world’s largest nightclub.
Better yet, you may stroll along the attractive
Dominican Republic
57
Santo Domingo
The Athens of the New World
Santo Domingo de Guzmán, modern and
cosmopolitan, was the cradle of civilization
in the Americas between the 15th and
16th centuries. Founded by the Admiral
Don Bartolomé Colón in August 1496,
it is the oldest city in the New World. Its
colonial district, the sanctuary of some
three hundred monuments, was declared
“A World Heritage Site” by UNESCO in
1990.
From this colonial core, bordered by the
Ozama River along the Port Avenue and
the beautiful Malecón (seafront) overlooking
the waters of Caribbean Sea, the city
extends eastward and westward, and
radiates into modern avenues surroundings
that are ideal for relaxation and
contemplation.
We begin our tour of the colonial district
through the Calle Las Damas, the oldest
street in the first city of the Americas. In our
mind’s eye, we chance upon a procession
of Doña María de Toledo and her retinue
of courtiers.
Within walking-distance is the Paseo de
Los Nichos (The Walk of Los Nichos),
a charming pedestrian walkway named
after an illustrious citizen, Dr. Arturo
Pellerano Alfáu, founder of Listín Diario, the
newspaper. Opposite is a military complex
where the Torre del Homenaje (Tower of
Homage) stands watch, a solid medieval
tower, constructed between 1503 and
1507 by mandate of Nicolás de Ovando.
58
It is the oldest fortification in the Americas.
Over it have flown, from 1503 to 1925,
the flags of seven nations that have militarily
occupied the Dominican Republic at various
eras. The lyrics of a popular ballad by
Padre Vásquez, aptly encapsulates the
melancholy and bewilderment of this state
of affairs of yesteryear:
“Yesterday a Spaniard was I born At dawn’s
light I was French by dusk an Ethiopian had
I become Today I wear the tag of a British
subject Whither am I bound?...”
The fort’s history is full of interesting events.
On July 9, 1509, in a ceremony full of
pomp and pageantry, Don Diego Colón
made his triumphant advent through its
portals laden with the titles of Viceroy of
the New World, Admiral of the Ocean
Sea, First Duke of Veragua, First Marquis
of Jamaica and governor of Hispaniola
accompanied by his wife, viceregent
Maria de Toledo, his uncles Bartolomé and
Diego Colón, his brother Fernando, son
of Admiral Christopher Columbus, and an
entourage of noblemen with their wives and
mistresses.
In the esplanade is a gigantic statue of
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, Chronicler
of the Indies, who around 1533 wrote
within the fort’s ancient walls the “General
and Natural History of the Indies.”
The Casa de Bastidas is part of the military
complex. Indeed, in 1512, Rodrigo de
Bastidas was the honorary mayor of Santo
Domingo; and his casona (manor) now
serves as offices for cultural institutions and
a craft shop.
Opposite stands one of the first fifteen
structures that were built upon the orders
of Ovando in 1504.It is currently the
offices of the Sociedad Dominicana de
Bibliófilos (Dominican Bibliophilist Society)
whose main objective is to rescue, restore
and reprint extant primary documents and
scholarly works on Dominican history for
distribution and dissemination among its
members.
Westward along sidewalk, after crossing
El Conde street, stands what used to be
the home of Hernán Cortés, another of
the fifteen houses that were ordered built
by Ovando. It is believed that it was here
that Cortes, then Santo Domingo’s city
clerk, planned his strategy for his punitive
expedition against Mexico’s Moctezuma.
Next is the Plazoleta María de Toledo, the
site of a Sunday flea market.
Exuding a rather stern façade, this building
was erected between 1714 and 1745
to serve as a temple for the Jesuit Order. It
was restored in 1958 and converted into
the Panteón Nacional (National Pantheon).
The central nave and the lateral chapels
are in the shape of a crucifix. At their point
Dominican Republic
59
of intersection is a dome from which a
grandiose bronze chandelier is suspended
a donation from Spain’s General Francisco
Franco as a symbolic contribution of his
country to the monument’s restoration.
chapel of the Casa de los Dávila (a
prominent family of the colonial settlement)
where, at the sound of the Angelus, all the
city’s inhabitants gathered to pray in honor
of the Incarnation.
Next to the Panteón Nacional is the Casa
de los Jesuitas (Abbey of the Jesuits) one
of the city’s oldest structures. Commander
Nicolás de Ovando ordered its construction
in the early 16th century. Formerly the
seat of the Universidad de Gorjón (Gorjón
University), in 1711 it became the Casa de
los Jesuitas (Abbey of the Jesuits).
Close by the chapel stands the sundial,
erected in 1753 at the request of Francisco
de Rubio y Peñaranda. It continues to mark
time accurately even to this day.
The building complex occupies an area of
788 sq. meters. It is joined to the Casa
de Villoria and the Casa de las Gárgolas
through interior courtyards.
Today, it houses branches of the Museo
de Las Casas Reales (Museum of the Royal
Estates) and the offices of the Fundación
Dominicana para el Desarrollo (Dominican
Foundation for Development), the institution
that financed its restoration. According to
Popular lore, strange noises, strange noises
said to be those of now departed “good”
Jesuits, can be heard.
Opposite, are the Casa de los Dávila
and the Casa del Comendador de Lares,
Nicolás de Ovando, distinguished by the
beautiful Gothic-Elizabethan portal, the
only one of its kinds in the New World
and judged by some art historians as an
architectural gem of universal interest. To the
side stands the Capilla de Nuestra Señora
de los Remedios (Our Lady of Mercies
Chapel) a charming building constructed
almost entirely of bricks, a place for solitary
meditation. It was there, at the private
60
From this Plaza there is a view over the
surroundings of the impressive cylinders,
a monumental work of modern art in the
neighborhood of Villa Duarte made by
master Carlos Cruz-Diez who intended to
recapture, through the magic of colors, the
old silos of Dominican Mills, today known
as Molinos del Ozama.
Las Casas Reales, The Royal
Estates
On the opposite side of the street, the
magnificent architectural complex is part
of what in colonial times was called
the Casas Reales (Royal Estates). There,
the Real Audiencia (Royal Audience
Chamber) a superior court with jurisdiction
in all the New World was established
on April 5, 1511 by an edict of King
Ferdinand. It later housed the Palacio
de los Gobernadores y de la Capitanía
General (Mansion of the Governors and the
Captains-General).
The Real Audiencia circumscribed the limits
of authority granted to Viceroy Don Diego
Colón. Following the 1795 Spanish
cession of eastern Hispaniola to France
as part of the treaty of Basle, the Real
Audiencia was transferred to Cuba on
November 12, 1799.
From the southern facade of the Casas
Reales, facing Las Mercedes Street, one
can admire the only known coat of arms in
the world of Queen Juana de la Castilla,
who aptly earned the appelation “Juana
la Loca”, wife of Felipe el Hermoso. This
artifact is currently on public display at
the Museo de las Casas Reales, more
than three centuries after Spain’s twilight in
Hispaniola.
Downhill on Calle Las Damas, to the right,
is the Puerta de San Diego. This portal,
constructed between 1540 and 1555,
allowed to the walled city from the harbor.
To the left is the Plaza de la Contratación
(The Trading Post) and, continuing to Calle
Isabel la Católica, La Casa del Cordón
dating to the early 16th century. It is the
first residential property to be built in Santo
Domingo. Its first owner, Francisco de
Garay, arrived with Christopher Columbus
on his first voyage. According to the
historical records, Garay was also the
notary public in Hispaniola; he is also
known to have amassed an immense
fortune in real estate. When King Ferdinand
appointed Francisco Tapia mayor of Santo
Domingo de Guzmán, he also asked Don
Diego Colón to vacate his residence at the
Torre del Homenaje. Colon then temporarily
occupied the Casa del Cordón with his
wife and entourage. It was here that his
daughters Felipa and María were born in
1510 and 1511respectively. Nowadays,
it serves as the offices of the Banco Popular
Dominicano, the entity that financed its
restoration. It may be visited at no charge.
El Alcázar, The Prince’s Palace
A few meters away stands the Alcázar
de Colón, grandiose and majestic abode
that Don Diego Colón ordered to be
constructed as his residence. Construction
work on the Alcázar’s began in 1510, with
some 1,500 native Taínos laboring under
the watchful eye of Spanish architects who
were brought to the island for that purpose.
Work was accomplished with very
rudimentary tools: saws, chisels, and
hammers. This magnificent palace, a mix
of Gothic-Mudejar and Spanish and Italian
Dominican Republic
61
Renaissance styles, was completed without
the use of a single nail in any of its 22
rooms or on any of the 72 doors and
windows that, even today, pivot open and
shut with the help of huge mahogany crossbars embedded in the thick walls.
The original walls of Alcazar have braved
the storms of time and still stand to this
day, silent witnesses to the many intrigues,
triumphs and agonies that the descendants
of Admiral Don Christopher Columbus
endured for nearly seven decades.
There, in 1512 and 1513, respectively, Juana
and Isabel, the other two daughters of the
couple, were born. The adjoining chapel,
whose original structure has been preserved,
witnessed the marriage of Enriquillo and
Mencía were married in 1517.
The Alcázar was the seat of the first
Spanish court of the New World and of
the tribunal of the viceroyalty. From here,
the New World was administered, military
strategies were hatched, and expeditions
were launched. Ultimately, this nerve-center
of power and authority facilitated the
colonization of Guatemala, Cuba, Peru,
Mexico, Florida, Puerto Rico, Colombia,
and Jamaica.
Probably an unknown to most people, Enriquillo
is to most Dominicans the very incarnation of
rebellion against injustice. His personal history
is very inspiring. Thanks to one of our greatest
novelists, Manuel de Jesús Galván, the epic
of his life history, which bears his name, is
available as a book.
There is certainly much to say about him.
However, any introduction would have
to begin with the fact that in 1533 one
Captain Francisco de Barrionuevo arrived
in Hispaniola aboard an imperial manof-war. Under his command were 200
soldiers, and in his hand was a treaty
signed by Charles V, that was to become
very first diplomatic document between a
European power and a New World polity.
The document, addressed to Enriquillo, called
for the abolition of slavery. This hitherto humble
Taíno, who had now become indomitable and
proud, and whose strength was inspired by
his people’s just claim to respect and dignity,
signed the document and placed it on his head
as a sign of approval, and immediately ordered
his followers to go down the Bahoruco Sierra
(mountain) to comply with the treaty.
62
The Palace was restored in 1955 under
the direction of the Spanish architect, Javier
Barroso.
Las Reales Atarazanas, The Royal
Shipyards
The brilliance of 15th and 16th-century
architectural expression is reflected in the
colossal, antiquated buildings of the Atarazanas
(shipyards). The narrow streets that barely
separate them from the Alcázar de Colón, the
admiralty, offer visitors a unique opportunity
of recalling an era whose very history is the
cornerstone of the heritage of all Americans.
Through its jealously guarded rustic
windows, an apparition of a damsel slowly
forms albeit an imaginary being. She is
clad in the fashion of the age, part of her
face is covered with blush as she receives,
fan in hand, the illustrious citizens who first
established the first Spanish court in the
Americas.
Opposite the wall, reconstructed in the 20th
century, is the magnificent 16th-century
monument. It is built entirely of bricks and
used to house the Casa de Contratación
(The Trading Post) and the first customs and
excise outpost of the New World.
The Reales Atarazanas (Royal Shipyards)
constitute a grandiose complex, unmatched in
its kind in the Americas. Their only nemesis is the
Atarazanas Reales de Barcelona, considered
an architectural jewel of the Catalan port.
The individual buildings of the Atarazanas
are connected through interior courtyards,
now home to art galleries, gift shops,
restaurants and the offices of the cultural
heritage association. The museum of the
viceroyalty is also located here; and visitors
can see displays of primary documents of
historical importance bearing the signatures
of Catholic kings Ferdinand and Isabella
Past the tower is a beautiful walkway
contiguous to where Christopher Columbus
moored his caravel on his second voyage
to the New World.
From here one can see the Faro a Colon
(Columbus Lighthouse), a mausoleum that
Dominican Republic
63
holds his mortal remains. Unquestionably, it is
the most fitting tribute to his memory.
this very chapel that Juan Pablo Duarte, the
country’s founding father, was baptized.
On the east bank of the Ozama River
stands the Capilla del Rosario, the city’s
oldest church dating back to 1496, when
the city, then called New Isabella, was on
the other side of the river. There is proof
that here, in 1544, Friar Bartolomé de
las Casas celebrated mass to bless the
expeditionary force that set sail from here to
colonize Guatemala.
From its gardens one can view the colonial
city from a different perspective. Walking
along Arzobispo Meriño Street leads
eventually to the Casa de la Moneda y
el Monasterio de San Francisco. At the
corner of Delmonte y Tejada stand the
ruins of the Monasterio de San Francisco
(Franciscan monastery), constructed in
1512. It was here that the Taíno named
Guarocuya was baptized into the Christian
faith and educated. He has gone down in
Dominican history under the now famous,
cryptic sobriquet “Enriquillo”.
Ascending the slope where the craft
shops are located, one comes to Isabel
la Católica Street (formerly Calle del
Comercio). A right turn at the end of the
street leads to a colonial church and a
fortress complex, the only one of its kind
in the city. The church and Fort Santa
Bárbara (as the complex is called) were
built around 1574 on a former stone-quarry
that supplied the material for most of the
colonial city’s monuments. It was also in
Farther along Arzobispo Meriño Street,
a right turn on Luperón Street leads to
the first hospital in the New World, San
Nicolás de Bari. Within its walls stand the
first chapel dedicated to the Virgen de la
Altagracia (The Virgin of the Most High),
patroness of Hispaniola. Constructed
in 1503, it has maintained its majestic
architectural form through the centuries.
Parque Colón, Columbus Park
A leisurely stroll from Arzobispo Meriño to
El Conde Street leads to a marketplace
of local and foreign products, and to the
general and jewelry shops of the colonial
district.
As we share with our guests the fascinating
pages of our country’s history, it is equally
important for us to divulge that Hispaniola
64
is, after all, the old casona (big house) of
the Americas whose secret treasure-trove
will continue to enthrall all generations.
According to historical census records, the
colonial district encompasses some three
hundred monuments, churches, street and
residences. It would therefore be wise to
spread your visit over a couple of trips.
However, add to the repertoire of things
to see the Cathedral of Santa María of
the Incarnation, the first in the Americas
and a source of imperishable pride for
Dominicans.
At a time when renascent classical forms
were undergoing a reappraisal in Spain,
the architect Alonso de Rodríguez received
on May 25, 1510 a royal edict to start
construction on a cathedral in Santo
Domingo de Guzmán.
He sailed for Hispaniola on June 13th of
that same year with eleven constructors
and two stonemasons. Soon afterward,
Don Diego Colón laid the foundation stone
and work commenced. Nevertheless, the
excitement generated by the prospect of
booty on conquistador expeditions drained
the project of its skilled labor. Many
workers, attracted by tales of wealth on the
outskirts of the Spanish empire, abandoned
the project. A dejected yet resourceful
Alonso de Rodríguez embarked for Mexico,
armed with the construction plans, where
he built the Catedral de Ciudad México
(Cathedral of Mexico City).
In 1519, Bishop Alejandro Geraldini arrived
on the island and bitterly complained about the
stark disparity between the opulent lifestyles of
Dominican Republic
65
the congregation and the “bohio-like “ (hut-like)
structure that passed for a cathedral. He tried
to resurrect the project by symbolically laying
another foundation stone on March 25, 1521.
The effort to jump-start the project took two
years. For 17 years, time crept in its very petty
pace while barely any progress was made.
Eventually the project was completed. However,
the unfinished belfry, that stands to this day, is
a reminder of the trials and tribulations of this
house of worship.
treaties recognized diplomatic immunities,
extradition agreements, or asylum or
refugee status, it was the perpetual beacon
of hope for the renegade. Given the turmoil
of our world today, we could probably use
many such portals of clemency.
The cathedral combines late Gothic and
Renaissance elements, and even though is
predominant features belong to the classical
features predominate.
The Columbus Mausoleum
In l546, Pope Paul III elevated it to
the status of Catedral Metropolitana y
Primada de las Indias (First Metropolitan
Cathedral of the Indies), thereby according
it an ecclesiastically superior rank over
other churches in the New World, and
transforming it into the hemisphere’s
Christian heart.
Its floor plan has, in addition to the
main altar, fourteen chapels where urns
containing the ashes of many renowned
individuals are kept forever alive in the
collective memory.
Three doors lead into the interior: the north
door faces Columbus Park; the one to the
south faces Plazoleta de los Curas (Small
Plaza of the Priests), also known as the
Puerta del Perdón (Portal of Clemency).
For many political dissidents, reaching
the threshold of this portal meant being in
a safe haven. Well before international
66
The plateresque-style main door leads to
an atrium that, in the 19th century, was
converted into a market during the Haitian
military occupation.
Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid on
May 20, 1506. King Ferdinand ordered
that an epitaph be placed over his grave
with the inscription: “To Castilla and León,
Colon gave a New World.”
Columbus’ mortal remains were laid to
rest in Seville until Doña María de Toledo
brought them, together with those of her
own husband, Don Diego Colón, to the
place where they had asked to be buried.
The mortal remains were buried in a crypt
in the cathedral’s main altar.
In 1586, England’s notorious pirate, Sir
Francis Drake, plundered Santo Domingo.
Given the record of havoc and destruction
that had always been left in the wake of his
activities, the bishop of the diocese ordered
the obliteration of all inscriptions to reduce
the probability of desecration by Drake and
his henchmen.
When Spain ceded eastern Hispaniola to
France in 1795, in compliance with the
terms of the treaty of Basle, Cuba (which
was then still under Spanish rule) staked
a claim to urn containing the remains of
Columbus because “[the urn] deserved to
be in Spanish territory.”
Charged with the express duty of retrieving
the remains of Columbus, a group arrived
in Santo Domingo, headed for the crypt
under the cathedral’s main altar, and
promptly left with the first urn they found—
they were convinced it contained the
remains of the admiral.
However, in 1877, when restoration
work on the Cathedral was begun, it
was with utter amazement that Father
Francisco Xavier Billini found, September
10th of the same year, a lead urn with the
inscription “Illustrious Man Don Christopher
Columbus, First Admiral of the Americas”;
the engraving had been done in Valladolid
when the remains were ordered moved for
public viewing to the chapel Santa María
de las Cuevas, in Seville.
Don Emiliano Tejada, the eminent
Dominican historian recorded in his book
Los Restos de Colón (Columbus’ Remains),
Dominican Republic
67
the events of September 1877 in Santo
Domingo.
According to this historical record, the
country’s office holders, members of the
diplomatic corps, ecclesiastical and military
authorities were all summoned to the
Cathedral on that fateful day and, before
their very eyes, the artifact was examined,
declared to be genuine and true and this
was attested to by the notary publics who
signed the document.
The Reverend Canónigo Francisco Xavier
Billini opened the urn and showed the
remains to the public; indeed the fine rock
crystal on it was carved. The priest read
aloud the inscription which confirmed,
without shadow of a doubt, that the
remains were certainly those of the Illustrious
Genoese, Great Admiral, Don Christopher
Columbus, Discoverer of America.”
Immediately, a twenty-one gun salute was
fired by the Plaza’s artillery unit, bells tolled
from church belfries, and the first notes of
martial music blared from military bands.
People were thrilled beyond words.
In 1992, the urn and the mausoleum were
moved to the Faro a Colón (Columbus
Lighthouse), the most outstanding monument
built in this century to honor the memory
of the Discoverer of Americas, Christopher
Columbus. There lie, in peace, the mortal
remains of the great admiral.Each country
in the Americas has held an exhibition to
honor his name.
68
El Conde Street
El Conde street, the Colonial district’s
commercial center is a paved street
that encompasses from Parque Colón
(Columbus Park) to Parque Independencia
(Independence Park). The only pedestrian
street in the city, it was named in honor
of the Conde de Peñalva, Governor of
Hispaniola, who in 1655 helped defend
the city against the English.
Upon arriving at Parque Independencia,
you can visit the mausoleum, where the
remains of the Founding Fathers (Duarte,
Sánchez and Mella) lie. Under the
frontispiece of the Puerta del Conde there is
a votive lamp that burns in their honor, as a
sign of the Dominican people’s respect and
veneration for their heroic deed.
To the north you can see the remains of the
wall that protected the colonial city and the
Fuerte de la Concepción (Conception Fort),
a 17th-century military watchtower.
To the south, on Palo Hincado street, stands
the Puerta de la Misericordia (Door of
Mercy), the place where Ramón Matías
Mella fired the shot that proclaimed the national
independence on February 27, 1844.
If you rent a car, review the map that
guides you from the city to Autopista
Duarte.
In addition, modern, comfortable buses
run on fixed schedules from the terminals
located in the cities covered by their routes.
This highway, considered an ecological
highway, offers a magnificent panoramic
view of the Dominican countryside.
Maximum speed allowed, and controlled
by radar, is 80 kph.
You are now heading north through the
Cibao valley, meaning “many peaks
or mountains” in the Taíno language.
Christopher Columbus named it Vega
Real and for Dominicans it is “la tierra de
María Santísima” (the land of the Most
Holy Mary).
In this region, the fertile land is good for
cultivating any grain, and this exceptional
condition is explains its obviously high
population density.
The roadside is a great market of
seasonal fruits that cooperatives and
country-folk sell.
Dominican Republic
69
It is the recommendation of the
Organization of Receptive Tour Operators
of the Dominican Republic that the tour
operators who organize vacation programs
to the country work with their affiliate
members, to ensure the guaranteed quality
of service to their customers.
Avisa Tour & Travel
Thamara Simó de Godina
809-541-2583
809-542-5488
tsimo@codetel.net.do
www.avisatravel.com
Caribbean Nexus Tours, S. A.
República Dominicana & México
Michele Rosset
809-320-1555, Puerto Plata
809-552-0943, Punta Cana
mrosset@nexustours.com
www.nexustours.com
D.S Voyages
Denise Reyes Estrella
809-472-6589
809-541-8095
d.s@codetel.net.do
www.ds-voyages.fr
Dominican Sunland
Sr. Patrick Lassis
809-523-6868, Boca Chica
809-552-1515, Punta Cana
809-523-6969
www.domsunland.com
Domitur
Sr. Roberto Salcedo
809-338-7313
809 -565 5353
incoming@domitur.com
www.domitur.com
HOTELBEDS Accommodation
& Destination Services
Sr. Juan Mota
809-688-3282, Punta Cana
809-685-8101, Santo Domingo
809-586-2223, Puerto Plata
www.hotelbeds.com
70
Prieto Tours
Ramón Prieto
809-685-0102
809-685-0457
incoming@prieto-tours.com
www.prieto-tours.com
Tropical Tours, S. A.
Sra. Josefina Brito
809-523-2028/2029
809-556-3636
directorageneral@tropicaltoursromana.com.do
www.tropicaltoursromana.com.do
Tanya Tours
Fidelina Pimentel
/ 809-548-6763
tanyagonzalezp@gmail.com
Travel Service Rusia, S. A.
Olga Lyzhina
829-452-2141
809-552-6817
olga@travelservice.com.do
www.travelservice.com.do
turenlaces del caribe, s. a.
Elizabeth Tovar
809-565-3500
809-565-1221
gerencia@turenlaces.com
www.turenlaces.com
Viajes Bohio
Boni Canto
809-686-2992
809-687-1912
ventas@viajesbohio.com
www.viajesbohio.com
Zeppelin Tours
Beatriz Cassá de Amelang
809-682-4310
809-687-2300
zeppelin@codetel.net.do
Hotel and Beach
Resort Directory
72
Legend
Hotel or Resort Name (rooms), Addresses and Locations of Hotels.
Reservation Contact. Area Code (809) Tel. Fax. URL e-mail
Rates on Request. EP/AP/FAP/All inclusive plan
Air-Conditioned
Tennis
Entertainment
CoffeShop
Golf
Conference Room
Restaurant
Beach Resort
Casino
Room Service
Secretarial Services
Child Care
Night Club – Disco
Telephone
Free Parking
Cable TV
Sauna – Jacuzzi
Pool
Regions
Santo Domingo
Hotels in the tourist hubs, identified in special
Santiago
colors, are grouped in clusters of available rooms.
Constanza
Accommodation rates quoted in this edition may be
subject to change without prior notification.
Playa Dorada
Sosúa
The directories of lodging and eating establishments
were compiled through the collaboration of the
Cabarete
National Association of Hoteliers and Restauranteurs
Río San Juan
and the Council for the Promotion of Tourism.
The South
Samaná
The East
Dominican Republic
73
Santo Domingo
DOMINICAN FIESTA & CASINO HOTEL (310) Av. Anacaona 101, Los Cacicazgos
Erick Santana 809-562-8222 809-482-8938 www.fiestahotelgroup.com
Rates on Request. EP/AP/FAP. The Greats Events Hotel!
RENAISSANCE JARAGUA HOTEL & CASINO (300) G. Washington 367
Felicia Carbonell 809-221-1481 809-221-8271 www.marriott.com/sdqgw
Rates on Request. EP/AP/FAP.
OCCIDENTAL EL EMBAJADOR (286) Av. Sarasota 65
Reservation Center 809-487-5719 809-487-5814 www.occidentalhotels.com
Rates on Request.
INTERCONTINENTAL V CENTENARIO SANTO DOMINGO (196) G. Washington 218
Amy Innés 809-221-1569 809-682-8276 www.intercontinental.com/santodomingo
Rates on Request. EP/AP/FAP. Do you live an InterContinental Life?
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT SANTO DOMINGO (145) Máximo Gómez 50-A
Carolina Ramírez 809-730-3070 809-687-1007 www.marriott.com/sdqcy
Rates on Request. EP/AP. “Our rooms were made for you”.
HOTEL SANTO DOMINGO (215) Av. Independencia / Abraham Lincoln
Apolinar Calderón 809-221-3672 809-534-5584 www.hotelsantodomingo.com.do
Rates on Request. AP. Un Hotel con las Características de un Resort en el Centro de la Ciudad!
MELIA SANTO DOMINGO HOTEL & CASINO (245) George Washington 365
Sonia Vargas 809-730-6641 809-687-4274 www.solmelia.com
Rates on Request. EP. “Todo es posible”
74
HODELPA CARIBE COLONIAL (54) Isabel la Católica 159
Edward Muñóz 809-688-7799 809-685-8128 www.hodelpa.com
Rates on Request. EP/AP. “Somos Gente de Detalles”.
Torre del Homenaje, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo
Constanza
ALTOCERRO-VILLAS, HOTEL & CAMPING (65) Constanza
Marian Matías 809-530-6192 809-530-6193 www.altocerro.com
Rates on Request. Bienvenidos a la stanza.
Santiago de los Caballeros
HODELPA GRAN ALMIRANTE (155) Av. Estrella Sadhalá
Johanna Cruz 809-825-1993 809-241-2954 www.hodelpa.com
Rates on Request. EP/AP. “Somos Gente de Detalles”.
HODELPA CENTRO PLAZA (85) Calle Mella 54 / El Sol
Grimilda Valdez 809-581-7000 809-582-4566 www.hodelpa.com
Rates on Request. EP/AP. “Somos Gente de Detalles”.
www.dominicanway.com
75
Playa Dorada / Costa Dorada
OCCIDENTAL ALLEGRO PLAYA DORADA (491) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Reservation Center 809-320-6009 809-320-4448 www.occidentalhotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
GRAND PARADISE PLAYA DORADA (425) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Reservation Center 809-320-3663 809-320-4864 www.amhsamarina.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión Total... al estilo Amhsa Marina!
PUERTO PLATA VILLAGE (386) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Jenny Cedano 809-200-6323 809-320-5113 www.puertoplatavillage.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. “Un lugar ideal para la familia”.
OCCIDENTAL CARIBBEAN VILLAGE PLAYA DORADA (336) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Reservation Center 809-320-1111 809-320-1135 www.occidentalhotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
BLUEBAY VILLAS DORADAS (244) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Reservation Center 809-320-3000 809-320-4790 www.bluebayresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
VIVA WYNDHAM PLAYA DORADA (204) Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Rosa Ricardo 809-291-0001 809-291-2122 www.vivaresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión, Relajación, Playa y Servicio Excelente!
GRAND OASIS MARIEN (584) Costa Dorada
Mariluz Santana 809-320-1515 809-320-1414 www.oasishotels.com
All Inclusive Plan. Sueña menos, vive más!
76
Sosúa • Cabarete • Río San Juan
LIFESTYLE TROPICAL BEACH RESORT & SPA (282) Playa Cofresí, Puerto Plata
Yohani Casilla 809-970-7777 809-970-7100 www.lifestylehaciendaresort.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. An Unique Holiday Destination!
CASA MARINA BEACH & REEF (678) El Batey, Sosúa
María Isabel Pita 809-571-3690 809-571-3110 www.amhsamarina.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión Total... al estilo Amhsa Marina!
VIVA WYNDHAM TANGERINE (223) Carretera Sosúa Cabarete
Rosa Ricardo 809-571-0402 809-571-9522 www.vivaresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión, Relajación, Playa y Servicio Excelente!
KITE BEACH HOTEL CORAL COMFORT (41) Carretera Sosúa Cabarete
Carmen Sánchez 809-571-0878 809-571-0278 reservations@coralhospitalitycorp.com
Rates on Request. AP.
Playa Cabarete, Puerto Plata.
www.dominicanway.com
77
Samaná • Las Terrenas
GRAND PARADISE SAMANA (418) Las Galeras, Samaná
Noris Silverio 809-538-0020 809-530-0040 www.amhsamarina.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión Total... al estilo Amhsa Marina!
BAHIA ESTELA BY VIVA (80) Las Terrenas, Samaná
Rosa Ricardo 809-291-0001 809-291-2122 www.vivaresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión, Relajación, Playa y Servicio Excelente!
Cayo Levantado, Samaná.
78
The South
CASA BONITA TROPICAL LODGE (12) Carretera de la Costa, Km 16, Barahona
Elizabeth Rosario 809-540-5908 809-565-7310 www.casabonitadr.com
Rates on Request. AP.
The East
OASIS HAMACA (617) Boca Chica
Indiana Jiménez 809-732-1000 809-412-5037 www.oasishotels.com
All Inclusive Plan. Sueña menos, vive más!
HOTEL HOTETUR DOMINICAN BAY (437) C/Juan Bautista Vicini, Boca Chica
Reservation Center 809-412-2001 809-412-0687 www.hotetur.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
CORAL COSTA CARIBE (425) Juan Dolio
Miguel Velázquez 809-686-2244 809-526-3141 www.coralhotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON LOS MARLINS HOTEL & GOLF RESORT (125) Juan Dolio
David Guerrero 809-688-9999 809-526-1130 www.losmarlins.embassysuites.com
Rates on Request. AP. Una estadía especial en Juan Dolio.
CASA DE CAMPO (300) La Romana
Marino Guerrero 809-523-8698 809-523-8394 www.casadecampo.com.do
Rates on Request - All inclusive Plan/EP/AP/FAP. “The Caribbean’s Most Complete Resort”
www.dominicanway.com
79
OASIS CANOA (532) Bayahibe, La Romana
Jennifer Sánchez 809-682-2662 809-833-0799 www.oasishotels.com
All Inclusive Plan. Sueña menos, vive más!
VIVA WYNDHAM DOMINICUS BEACH (530) Bayahibe, La Romana
Josué García 809-686-5658 809-687-8583 www.vivaresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión, Relajación, Playa y Servicio Excelente!
Altos de Chavón, La Romana.
80
VIVA WYNDHAM DOMINICUS PALACE (330) Bayahibe, La Romana
Josué García 809-686-5658 809-687-8583 www.vivaresorts.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
OCCIDENTAL GRAND FLAMENCO PUNTA CANA (865) Bávaro, Higüey
Reservation Center 809-221-8787 809-221-8790 www.occidentalhotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
NATURA PARK BEACH ECO RESORT & SPA (510) Cabeza de Toro, Higüey
Reservation Center 809-221-2626 809-221-6060 www.blau-hotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Live the Blau Experience!
GRAND OASIS PUNTA CANA (532) Cabeza de Toro, Higüey
Inés Brito 809-686-9898 809-686-9699 www.oasishotels.com
All Inclusive Plan. Sueña menos, vive más!
GRAND OASIS BAVARO (175) Cabeza de Toro, Higüey
Inés Brito 809-686-9898 809-686-9699 www.oasishotels.com
All Inclusive Plan. Sueña menos, vive más!
MELIA CARIBE TROPICAL (1,104) Playa Bávaro, Higüey
Huascar Hernández 809-221-1290 809-730-6772 www.meliacaribetropical.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan.
IFA VILLAS BAVARO BEACH RESORT & SPA (652) Playa Bávaro
David Valenzuela 809-221-8555 809-552-6274 www.ifahotels.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. “Let us delight you”
www.dominicanway.com
81
OCEAN BLUE & SAND BY H10 HOTELS (708) Playa Bávaro, Higüey
Virgilio Acosta 809-476-2326 809-947-0884 www.oceanhotels.net
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Vacation Beyond Expectations!
GRAND PALLADIUM BAVARO RESORT & SPA (636) Playa Bávaro, Higüey
Alberto Jiménez 809-221-8149 809-221-3530 www.fiestahotelgroup.com
Rates on request. All Inclusive Plan. Nuestros Integrantes son la Escencia del Servicio!
GRAND PALLADIUM PALACE RESORT, CASINO & SPA (364) Playa Bávaro, Higüey
Alberto Jiménez 809-221-8149 809-221-0284 www.fiestahotelgroup.com
Rates on request. All Inclusive Plan. Nuestros Integrantes son la Escencia del Servicio!
GRAND PARADISE BAVARO BEACH RESORT CASINO & SPA (1,105) Bávaro, Arena Gorda
Whanda Núñez 809-221-2121 809-221-2181 www.amhsamarina.com
Rates on Request. All Inclusive Plan. Diversión total... al Estilo Ahmsa Marina!
GRAND PALLADIUM PUNTA CANA BEACH & RESORT (327) El Cortecito, Higüey
Alberto Jiménez 809-221-8149 809-221-0284 www.fiestahotelgroup.com
Rates on request. All Inclusive Plan. Nuestros Integrantes son la Escencia del Servicio!
82
THE ROYAL SUITES TURQUESA BY PALLADIUM (362) El Cortecito, Higüey
Alberto Jiménez 809-221-8149 809-221-0284 www.fiestahotelgroup.com
Rates on request. All Inclusive Plan. Nuestros Integrantes son la Escencia del Servicio!
EDENH REAL ARENA (221) El Cortecito, Playas Bávaro
Adrian Valencia 809-221-4646 809-552-6851 www.edenhrealarena.com
Rates on request. All Inclusive Plann. A new five stars resort concept!
STANZA MARE CORAL COMFORT (108) Los Corales del Cortecito, Punta Cana
Miguel Velázquez 809-686-2244 809-526-3141 www.coralstanzamare.com
Rates on Request. AP.
THE PUNTACANA HOTEL (186) Punta Cana, Higüey
Claudio Tejeda 809-959-2262 809-959-3951 www.puntacana.com
Rates on request. AP. “Live The Dream!
TORTUGA BAY (30) Punta Cana
Claudio Tejeda 809-959-2262 809-959-3591 www.puntacana.com
Rates on request. FAP. “Live The Dream!
SIVORY PUNTA CANA (55) Uvero Alto, Punta Cana
Magdalena López 809-333-0500 809-334-0500 www.sivorypuntacana.com
Rates on request. EP.
•
•
•
•
•
Líneas de asistencia y servicio al turista
Point-to-Point line to the tourism police
Direktleitung zur touristenschutzpolizei
Téléphone de la police du tourisme
Servizio telefonico d’assistenza al turista
809-686-8639 Toll Free Nacional1-809-200-3500 Codeflotas 1-809-754-3000
www.dominicanway.com
83
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
• Santo Domingo: 809-541-8487
• Aeropuerto Las Américas JFPG: 809-549-0362
• La Romana: 809-556-3835
• Casa de Campo: 809-523-3333
• Santiago: 809-575-7900
• Aeropuerto La Unión: 809-586-0233
• Aeropuerto Internacional Cibao: 809-233-8179
hondarentcar@codetel.net.do • www.hondarentcar.com
Cibao Valley
Observe the fascinating view offered
by popular architecture and the intense
colors of the dwellings of the rural
folk. In the traditional bohío (a hut
thatched with palm fronds) but also in
the more contemporary homes, you
can appreciate the creativity of the
Dominican countryside.
While qualified professionals labor hard
to sculpt comfortable spaces to satisfy the
various needs of the urban environment,
the inhabitants of the Dominican
hinterland simply study their surroundings
and build houses that straddle the fence,
between their practical daily needs and
their vital importance of space. Adding
a protective coating to protect it against
inclement weather and insects, the rural
homebuilder or homeowner ultimately
infuses his persona into his home: the
combination of various tones and hues
mirrors the variegated tapestry of the
struggles and joys that are an integral of
the human experience.
Espaillat, La Vega Real, Monseñor
Nouel, Salcedo, Sánchez Ramírez and
Santiago de los Caballeros occupy the
center of the Hispaniola island and in
them also are found great deposits of
iron, gold, nickel, and other minerals.
The Duarte province has San Francisco
de Macorís as its capital, a progressive
city of friendly people and great
commercial activity. Moca, the capital
of the Espaillat province, is a small,
enchanting and clean town, with very
hospitable, kind and friendly people,
celebrated also for the courage of its
people.
La Vega Real and El Santo Cerro
Since you are now touring the
central mountain range (Cordillera
Central Massif), let us tell you that our
mountaínous regions constitute a splendid
natural resource for ecological and
adventure tourism.
The origin of La Vega Real goes back
to 1495 when Christopher Columbus
arrived at Guaricano, dominion of
the cacique Gaurionex. Armed with a
royal edict to establish the third fort on
American ground, Columbus oversaw
the building of Fort La Conception
(The Conception). However, its modest
extension, Villa La Concepción, gained
so much importance for its gold foundry,
that it became a center of much activity.
It may have been here, it is believed,
that sugarcane was produced for the first
time in the New Indies.
This exceptional region is the most
fertile and productive in the country,
our breadbasket. The provinces Duarte,
Five kilometers past La Vega, atop
the Santo Cerro, is the first convent of
the Order of Mercy a historical relic
86
dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Las
Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercies).
Here, for the first time the cross (symbol
of Christianity in the Americas) was
erected. Legend has it that in the midst
of a bloody battle fought between the
native Taínos and the Spaniards, the
Viregen de las Mercedes appeared
when cacique Guarionex tried
unsuccessfully to burn the cross.
It was also here, in 1492, that Christopher
Columbus planted the cross that had
been given to him by Queen Isabel la
Católica when he left Puerto de Palos de
Moguer. Visitors can view a piece of the
cross, preserved as a silent witness to the
ignominious tragedy that was visited upon
the indigenous people of the Americas.
They can also contemplate the beauty of
the Valle de la Vega Real from the very spot
where Admiral Don Christopher Columbus
exclaimed before its magnificence: “This is
the most beautiful land that human eyes have
ever beheld.”
• Where to Go
• How to Get There
• For more information
Take Duarte Highway (#1), about 130 km
from Santo Domingo.
Ruins of La Vega Vieja o Ruins of the
Franciscan Monastery o Santo Cerro (Holy
Hill) o La Plaza de La Catedral (Cathedral
Plaza) o Balnearios of Bayacanes and
Acapulco o During carnival season the
beautiful countryside of La Vega is ideal for
enjoying rural tourism.
• Where to Stay
There are simple accommodations for
travelers, but on a day-trip a stay in
Jarabacoa is recommended.
• Where to Eat
El Zaguán.
Tourism Office 809-242-3231
Mountain Tourism
Visitors who associate mountains with
winter sports should be informed that
these mountains offer a year-round very
mild, cool temperatures; its monotonous
tranquility is broken only occasionally by
the chant of a nightingale, the mesmerizing
notes of crystalline creek cascading down
some falls, or a gentle breeze that gently
caresses the pine trees.
Dominican Republic
87
• Where to Go
Companies offer excursions on all-terrain
vehicles, monster trucks and safari jeeps. You
can tour forests and botanical gardens and
go to Las Pirámides located in the National
Park and Scientific Reserve of Valle Nuevo.
You can even plan to go on a nocturnal hare
hunt. According to experts, this may be the
geographical center of the island; and the
alpine vegetation that surrounds the area,
Constanza
“The Divine is omnipresent, but Constanza is
the abode of the Divine.”
The valley of Constanza, at 1,200
meters above sea level, has the highest
elevation in the country. Not surprisingly,
in the Valle Nuevo temperatures
dropped to 0º in the winter of 1999.
In other areas of the region, however,
temperatures fluctuate all year round
in San José de las Matas, Constanza
and Jarabacoa, between 5ºC - 12ºC.
The climate here lends itself to the
cultivation of any temperate-zone crop.
The region is an important producer of
garlic, potatoes, strawberries, apples,
vegetables and flowers.
• How to Get There
If driving, take the paved highway from
Casabito. Rent a strong vehicle to climb the
hill and make the day trip, as on occasions
the fog affects visibility. On Duarte Highway,
reduce the speed some 100 km after Bonoa.
At Cruce del Abanico, there is a sign to the
right indicating Exit 12, the way to Constanza.
The route consists of about 50 kms of hairpin
curves that snake their way under the watchful
eye of a blue sky, and walls of mountains
among the coldest in the country, has been the
subject of comparative studies with Europe’s
Alps. It is worth enjoying this spectacle that
the Salto de Aguas Blancas offers at 1,680
meters above sea level. Indeed, with yearround temperatures between 10ºC to 12ºC,
the Arroyazo and the Balneario Las Palmas
have become a favorite vacation spot for
Dominicans during la Semana Santa (Holy
Week).
• Where to Stay
There are only a few hotels in Constanza and
its surrounding areas; however, it is possible to
find comfortable accommodations.
• For further information:
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72
• Where to Eat
Los Niveles
• Entertainment
Neblinas Café, Evaldra Disco and Evaldra
Café
• For more information
Tourism Office 809-539-2900
www.constanza.net
Jarabacoa
“ land of eternal spring “
clad in greenery and wild flowers. If you are
traveling by bus, you can take a taxi, motoconcho, or horse to get there.
88
According to legend, “Jarabacoa”, which in
the melodious Taíno tongue means “place
where the water flees, owes its names to the
love story between a beautiful Taíno damsel
and a handsome Spanish gentleman.
The geography of the Jarabacoa Valley,
perched atop the Cordillera Central at
more than 500 meters above sea level,
explains the year-round mild and even
cool climate.
With an average annual temperature
of 22ºC, this part of the country is the
home of eternal spring. Here, the trill of
the nightingale, and the whispers of the
soft zephyr among the pines are a call
respite, reflection, contemplation, and
prayer.
• How to Get There •
Metro Tours offers transportation from its bus
station in Santo Domingo. If driving, take
Autopista Duarte from the north, past La Vega
Real, the industrial free-zone facilities, and
the ornamental plants put together by the
Salesiano School of Agriculture. You are now
Jarabacoa-bound. After some 24 kms on the
Federico Basilis Highway, the journey is over.
Transportation options in Jarabacoa are: taxi,
moto-concho, or horseback.
• Where to Go
The area is ideal for eco-tourism as well
as adventure tourism. Rancho Baiguate
has routes designed with different options
that allow you to whitewater raft along the
rivers. An excursion for the most adventurous
is canyoning, a rappel down the Jimenoa
Canyon, a drive to the water falls in fourwheel, off-road vehicles (Quad Runners),
tubing along the Jimenoa River, a visit to a
coffee factory, an ascent of Pico Duarte or
paragliding with a pilot instructor (from a hill
200 meters above sea level) to experience
nature’s peace and masterpieces: the
fragrance-filled air, and the sight of fruits and
vegetables that adorn the fertile Jarabacoa
Valley. 809-686-2923.
• Where to Stay
In Jarabacoa you can find accommodations
in the hotels Pinar Dorado, Gran Jimenoa
and Rancho Baiguate, as well as comfortable
cabins in the Dominican Alps, and the River
Resort offer beautiful, well-equipped cabins.
• Where to Eat
El Rancho • Del Parque Galeria
• For more information:
Tourism Office of Jarabacoa
809-574-7287
Dominican Republic
Jimenoa Waterfall, Jarabacoa
89
the same way as our Taíno ancestors offered
them as symbols of peace to their friends
and guests. Our country produces two-thirds
of the premium, hand-rolled cigars sold on
the international market.
• How to Get There
Metro Tours offers transportation from its
bus station in Santo Domingo. If driving,
take Autopista Duarte (#1) from the south
to the north to the Monument of the Heroes
of Restoration, an impressive white marble
structure that welcomes you to the city. Within
Santiago de los Caballeros
Nestled within the Cibao valley, the
fertile land suitable for the cultivation
of nearly everything is the province of
Santiago de los Caballeros, the industrial
center of the country. Its capital, of the
same name, is the second most important
city in the nation and is recognized
internationally for its tobacco industry:
large plantations, a long-standing
tradition of cultivation, harvesting,
processing, marketing, and a relatively
affluent populace whose wealth derives
from this industry.
Tobacco production includes varieties of
blond, burley, wrapper and black.
Santiago is the pride of the Dominican
Republic’s tobacco industry. Its cigars are
offered to the international market in much
Monument of the Heroes of Restoration.
90
the premises, the exceptional murals of the
Montezuma • Camp David Ranch •Rancho
Spanish painter Vela Zanetti are exhibited.
Steak House • Zatarra Café Bar & Grill
• Where to Go •
• What to Buy
Take a tour of the Tobacco Museum and visit
What not to buy! Santiago is a shopper’s
the first cigar factory, La Aurora, established in
paradise. Here you can find it all. Art, crafts,
the country since 1903. • Museum of the City
embroideries and hand-made items, jewelry…
of Santiago, located in a magnificent Victorian
and the best cigars. Simply take a stroll along
palace • Tomás Morel Folk Art Museum •
El Sol Street and la Zona Rosa.
Museum of Yoryi Morel, teacher and costume
designer • The Monument and Cultural Center
• Visit the rum distilleries and the waterfall
park, great for the whole family.
• Where to Stay •
• Hodelpa Centro Plaza • Hodelpa Gran
• Entertainment
• Café Dalí • Cucaramacara • Francis Fol
Café • Discoteca Boomerang
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-582-5885
Almirante Hotel and Casino •Great and
affordable hotel and motel accommodations.
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• Where to Eat •
www.centroleon.org.do
• Capresso Café & Bistri • El Pez Dorado
• Papparazo• Il Pasticcio • Maroma •
Dominican Republic
91
Towards the
Amber Coast
The northern coast of the Dominican
Republic, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean,
is made up of the provinces of Monte
Cristi, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, María
Trinidad Sánchez and Samaná which
have an immense potential for tourism
with all the natural conditions appropriate
for the practice of water sports.
Montecristi
• Where to Go
Máximo Gómez and José Martí Museum,
located in the house where the document
that planned the ideological program for
achieving independence from Cuba, know as
the Manifiesto de Monte Cristi (Monte Cristi
Manifesto).
The delta of the Yaque del Norte River, the
biggest in the world.
The Monte Cristi National Park where you
Monte Cristi, is the coastal province
of the country’s northern zone that
adjoins Haiti. In its arid land grows wild
oregano and buckthorn, whose wood
is still used by the country folks to make
vegetable charcoal used for cooking.
can observe the sleeping dromedary, the
San Fernando de Monte Cristi, the
province’s capital, the cradle of
educators, is a town planned with wide
streets that had their great economic
boom throughout the last century when
the important Grenada Fruit Company
established itself there, with high quality
banana and plantain plantations geared
towards exportation.
Popa • Playa del Morro, with steep bank,
• How to Get There
The splendid Manzanillo Bay, a beautiful
Metro Tours offers transportation from its bus
stations in Santo Domingo, Santiago and
Dajabon. If you are driving, take Autopista
Duarte (#1) from the south going north until the
point where the route practically ends. From
there, in the town’s central park, you will find
the Town Clock, an orginal French relic from
the XIX Century, whose clapper still makes the
bell ring every quarter of an hour, to welcome
visitors.
92
natural rock sculpture that lies in the sea,
known as El Morro, and walk among the
mangroves that conserve diverse species
of the Dominican birds among which the
alcatraz and the pelicans stand out.
Playas Costa Verde • La Granja • Playa
strong tide and deep waters.
Cayos Los Siete Hermanos (The Seven Brother
Keys), seven virgin islands that encircle a
coral area of more than 30 kms, with a
splendid marine fauna, perfect for scuba
diving.
For avid bird-watchers, the keys offer an
impressive spectacle each May, when the
bubíes come from Florida to mate.
corner of the world and guardian of one
nature’s best treasures, appears to have
been created for rest and contemplation. It
is located far westward of the northwestern
coast. With crystalline waters that run over a
mantle of incredibly white sand, Manzanillo
awaits a bold and daring investment than
can transform it into the ultimate vacation spot
without disturbing its spiritual and ecological
balance.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• Where and What to Eat
In any small restaurant or affordable cafeteria
in or around town, one can enjoy the
delicious regional dish Chivo Liniero, (goat
dish) which has an exquisite, peculiar taste
because the goat eats wild oregano daily and
consequently, its meat is seasoned and even
marinated while it is still alive.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-579-2254
Puerto Plata
Between the sea and the mountains,
235 km from Santo Domingo, the “Bride
of the Atlantic” awaits you.
Don Christopher Columbus arrived on
its shores on January 11, 1493 and,
admiring the shining sea, named it
Puerto Plata (Silver Port).
Surrounded by the beauty of a
landscape somewhat indolently carved
out of nature’s whim, emerges the
majestic Loma Isabel de Torres at whose
foot Don Bartolomé Colón founded the
city in 1496.
To the north are the waters of the
Atlantic, its waves lapping over the
beautiful beach of golden sand with
a soothing murmur. To the west lies a
small peninsula where the Castillo de
San Felipe has stood since 1540; and
to the east is Long Beach, a beautiful
beach with a great extension of golden
sand.
A pine fossil resin from the miocene
age, endowed the region with amber
mines, the national gem that entraps
millenary fossils. Since within the
province lies one of the world’s largest
amber deposits, this coast is known as
the Costa de Ambar (Amber Coast).
Puerto Plata’s historical importance
derives from its primacy as the venue of
the principal events that took place in
the first decade following the discovery
of the Americas.
Dominican Republic
93
La Isabela was the seat of the first
European government in the Americas.
It was here that the first court of law
adjudicated disputes and where,
according to historical records, Father
Bernardo Boil celebrated the first mass in
the New World on January 6, 1494.
Its placid coasts of exuberant vegetation
welcomed on December 5, l492, the
maiden landing of the Santa Maria,
the ship that was carrying the brilliant
navigator and his companions on
December 5, 1492. It was also from
here that a fort called “Christmas” was
built.
Finding Fort Christmas destroyed during
his second voyage, Columbus explored
the area to the west of the original
construction site and chose an open
inlet where the founded the first city in
the New World to be baptized with the
name of La Isabela, in honor of Spain’s
Queen, Isabel la Católica.
94
Puerto Plata has also made immense
contributions to the literary and political
cultures of the Dominican Republic.
Among the city’s illustrious sons are:
Gregorio Luperón, “standard-bearer of
the Restoration,” and Emilio Prud’Homme,
poet, educator, and composer of the
Dominican national anthem and other
tunes.
El Porvenir, a newspaper that was
first edited in Puerto Plata in 1873, is
the pioneer of the national print and
publishing industry.
Puerto Plata produces and exports
coffee, cocoa and tobacco and
is among the ten provinces in the
country with the largest cattle ranches.
It produces liquor, dairy and pasta
products, leathers and furs. A portion of
its population is drawn into the fishing
industry. Sugarcane, first brought to these
parts by Columbus in 1493, is cultivated
and remained one of the regions most
important crops until 1990.
Today, Puerto Plata lives for tourism and
from tourism. Its tourist zone includes a
stretch of golden sand beaches estimated
at around 300,000 sq. meters. Eleven
kilometers of beach, reaching from
Cofresí to Sosúa are being developed
into a tourist complex that can satisfy the
needs of the most demanding traveler.
Ships and cruise liners arrive weekly
at the tourist port in the bay of Puerto
Plata. By air, there are scheduled direct
flights from overseas, and you can get
a connecting flight to Puerto Plata from
most major cities in the world. The
major cities are service by reputable
international carriers. Consult the Airline
Directory on page 27.
Dominican Republic
95
• How to Get There
Metro Tours offers transportation from its bus
station. If you are driving, take the Autopista
Duarte (#1) from the south northward to Villa
Bisonó, take Exit #5 to the right—You are
on your way to Puerto Plata. Route #5 is the
ocean-view route between Puerto Plata and
Samaná. See a map of getting around, on
page 67.
• Where to Go
La Isabela National Park: the first European
settlement in the New World, location of
Christopher Columbus’ ashes, venue of the
first mass ever celebrated in the New World,
by coconut groves. Hotels offering very
good service operate in this beautiful
place. See the Hotel Directory in page
72.
Costámbar
Located to the west of the city,
Costámbar is an open beach protected
by coral reefs and an exuberant
vegetation of almond trees that shields it
from the sun. Hotels offering very good
service operate here. Consult the Hotel
Directory on page 72.
and a cemetery. The Park also houses a Taíno
museum, regional crafts and gift shop, and
the temple of the Americas, inaugurated on
January 6, 1994, to commemorate the fivehundredth anniversary of the first mass o Paso
de los Hidalgos, milepost of the first land route
used by the conquistadors.
Take the urban route that forms part of the
historic zone, where diverse architectural
styles can be appreciated, among which
the romantic Victorian style prevails; Fort of
San Felipe and the Fort Museum (along the
Malecon) are of historical importance and
testify to the areas colonial past.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• Where to Eat
Café Tropical • Hemingway’s Café • Porto
Fino
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-586-3676
Cofresí
Cofresí is a small inlet of crystalline
waters offering a splendid panoramic
view of almost the entire zone, with a
beach of less than one kilometer covered
96
Long Beach
Puerto Plata’s urban beach also is
sheltered by almond trees and coconut
groves; it is accessible to all patrons of
the city’s hotels and guest houses.
Playa Dorada
Playa Dorada, with its extensive sunny
eco-tourism, guided adventure tourism
beach of fine, golden sand, has at
like River Rafting, Jeep Safari, Monster
present more than 4600 rooms designed
Truck, Parapente, Out Back Safari, such
for the absolute enjoyment of the traveler.
as guided routes at the Siete Chorreras,
Salto del Limón, scuba-diving, deep-sea
It offers meeting and convention facilities,
fishing, to a fishing town for eating fish
a commercial plaza, casinos, and a
daily, to see the humpback whales that
selection of bars, cafeterias, clubs,
come in the winter to give birth on the
and small, comfortable and cozy
Banco de la Plata, or simply to ride,
restaurants capable of satisfying the most
walk, or run.
demanding palate.
Other beautiful beaches located along
The benign climate of the region allows
the Amber Coast are: Cabarete, Boca
year-round sporting activities. Playa
de Cangrejos, Caño Grande, Bergantín,
Dorada has excellent tennis courts,
Playa de Copello, and Playa Mariposa.
a professional, 18-hole golf course,
designed by the English architect, Robert
Before leaving Puerto Plata it is
Trent Jones; it has all areas for practicing
advisable to take a tour of La Isabela
almost all aquatic sports and activities,
Archaeological Park, the first European
98
settlement in the New World. You can
get there by taking the Imbert-Luperón
highway. Taking a tour through the urban
area that forms the historical zone of
Puerto Plata, you can admire the zone’s
combination of diverse architectural
styles, where the romantic Victorian
style prevails. The Fort of San Felipe,
along with the Fort Museum, are other
points of historic interest that testify to the
colonial past they are located along the
Malecón.
The Amber Coast has not only beautiful,
sunny beaches but also treasured
precious jewels from the tertiary age.
It has natural deposits of the best
Dominican amber, which can be
purchased, made into jewelry of different
shapes and forms, and carved by Puerto
Plata-based foreign and native artisans.
Don’t miss a visit to the Amber Museum.
If you like heights, a cable car takes you
to the summit of Loma Isabel de Torres,
some 800 meters/2620 feet above sea
level to enjoy the panoramic view.
Take advantage of your visit to eat
shellfish and the fabulous crab claws,
cooked native-style, served in most hotels
and restaurants. Italian ice creams and
ginger cookies are also a delight to the
palate.
Dominican Republic
99
obtained from these archeological
explorations.
• Where to stay:
Consult the hotel directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office in Puerto Plata
809-586-3676
Sosúa
Sosúa is a beautiful area, located some
16 km from Puerto Plata, where natives
live in harmony with a sizeable colony of
European immigrants who came to these
shores as a consequence of the massive
exodus generated by the turmoil of World
War II.
The immigrant group, made up mostly
of German and Austrian Jews, settled in
Sosúa as a result of the commitment made
by the Dominican Republic at the World
Conference for European Refugees,
held in France in 1938, to contribute to
alleviating the distressing consequences
The Silver Bank
Porfirio Rubirosa, renowned Dominican
playboy of the international jet set who
died in a car accident in Paris, once
hired French divers to recover the sunken
treasures of the shipwrecked Spanish
galleons in the Banco de la Plata (Silver
Bank); but the galleons were not found,
and Rubirosa failed in this adventure.
Other expeditions have had better luck,
and some museums display pieces
100
of the Holocaust that Adolph Hitler had
unleashed against all Jews.
Under the auspices of the United
Jewish Appeal, the Dominican Republic
Settlement Association (DORSA) was
established to initiate an experimental
agricultural community project.
Unlike other immigrants who came to
Puerto Plata at the turn of the century
as marine workers, this refugee group
was made up of professionals, skilled
craftsmen, and corporate executives.
view that is lost over the mantle of
Because of the level of their intellectual
golden sand from which emerges a
acumen, they have exerted a positive
lush vegetation of almond and coconut
influence on the region’s socio-economic
groves.
development. The majority were
single men who very soon becoming
permanent residents and settlers in
Dominican homes.
Medical doctors, engineers, industrial
chemists, artists, decorators and
agronomists, among others, dedicated
themselves to agroindustrial ventures and
animal husbandry. They later founded
industrial dairy and cattle production
cooperatives, with an initial contribution
of RD$10 from each member. Today,
this cooperative is a powerful enterprise
that makes the famous Sosúa sausages,
• Where to Stay:
Consult the Hotel Directory page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office
809-571-3433
Cabarete Beach
Playa Cabarete is a favorite summer
resort for locals as well as tourists,
especially the younger visitors who
come to enjoy its strong surf, the
beautiful range of blue tones reflected in
its clear waters, and the informal tourist
cheeses and butter.
characteristics it offers.
The demand for service has gradually
Given its special features, winds from
created a harmonious infrastructure that
is not often found in small communities.
What was once a small village of
refugees in the 1940s, is now a
thriving, self-sufficient, hospitable
community that has opened its arms to
international tourism.
In Sosúa you can enjoy modern
comforts within the calm and peace
of a fishing village. Discover the rich
Jewish heritage; visit the museum and
the first synagogue established in the
country.
15 to 25 knots coming from the Atlantic
and the safety that the wind direction
represents for the competitors (blowing
as they do, from inside-out) Cabarete is
considered one of the world’s best for
windsurfing.
Every year time ago during Cabarete
race week, the city of Cabarete
hosts the world cup for professional
windsurfing and, starting ago, the world
cup for professional kiteboarding. This
activity has generated a lot of tourist
services.
For more information about these
Sosúa beach, nestled in an open bay,
competitions, please contact:
offers swimmers a splendid panoramic
809-571-0882.
Dominican Republic
101
You can enjoy good food in small
restaurants scattered around town, and
there are hotels which offer very good
service.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page
72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-571-0962
Maria Trinidad Sánchez
A few kilometers farther are the municipality
When you get to Rio San Juan, a town
of Cabrera, Laguna Grande beach, and
in the Maria Trinidad Sanchez province,
Diamante beach.
you may take a refreshing break and
stay overnight at excellent hotels.
Nearby is a charming spot you should not
miss: Laguna Gri-Gri, where a yolero (owner
of medium-sized rowing boat) will guide
you between mangroves, through a canal of
crystalline mineral water to find coral banks,
la Playita, la Cueva de las Golondrinas,
El Caletón, and Puerto Escondido beach
(Hidden Port), an enchanted haven along
our shoreline almost paradise!
Along the same coastal road that borders
the Bahía Escosesa (Scottish Bay) are
located Punta Preciosa, and farther on,
Cabo Francés Viejo. In this coast marine
terraces of great height emerge where
the ocean floor practically disappears,
you have also reached the highest point
from which you can contemplate the
Atlantic Ocean and meditate on the
crimson glow of a beautiful sunset.
102
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-589-2831
Nagua
The next stop is the town of Nagua,
located over a low-lying coastal strip that
gives it a distinctive appearance-- the
receding ocean tide has left an ample
stretch reminiscent of an urban beach.
Here the traveler can rest and feel the
warmth of townsfolk. Nagua is the
capital of the province of María Trinidad
Sánchez.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-584-3862
Here in this port city, you can enjoy
fresh seafood; the bay is a famous
breeding ground for fish and shellfish.
Take advantage of the opportunity to eat
freshly caught shrimp and the small fish
at Manita’s fried-food stand.
This is the fork in the road, the moment
to decide which way to go. Whether to
go north, passing through the mountain
Samaná
range along a panoramic road leading
to Las Terrenas and El Portillo; to follow
Samaná province, with the peninsula
Highway No. 5, which leads to Santa
and bay bearing its name, its many
Barbara de Samana; or to take a boat
lakes and seascapes, constitute, without
circuit to visit the charms offered by the
taking anything away from the other
bay and the peninsula from the amazing
regions, our country’s most extraordinary
transatlantic port operating in its coasts.
geographical coastal relief, and the
most exotic asset of the Dominican tourist
If, on the other hand, you decide to
industry.
follow the road to Samaná there is no to
worry. The road is level and, shortly after
A tour along this ecological corridor,
passing the new port of Sánchez, you
carefully designed with care by the
will come to Airport Arroyo Barril, which
Supreme Creator, is truly a spiritual
serves private planes and domestic
journey. Guided boat tours are available
flights. Those who do not wish to lose
from the ports of Sánchez, Sabana
much time and enjoy air travel should
de la Mar, Samaná, Miches, Laguna
know that the flight to Samaná from Las
Redonda, Laguna del Limón.
Américas, La Romana or Punta Cana is
The first point of contact with the
between 30 to 45 minutes.
peninsula of Samaná, as one enters
it from the west, is the vibrant city of
Sánchez, along the railroad network
whose construction was overseen by Mr,
Baird, a Scotsman. Indeed, for years,
rail service had linked the cities of La
Vega and San Francisco de Macorís
with the bay area of Samaná.
Hunchback Whale.
104
Continuing on the coastal highway (#5)
that winds between millions of coconut
trees, one arrives at Santa Bárbara de
Samaná (located 245 km northeast of
Santo Domingo) the province’s capital. A
beautiful community that has served the
tourist industry remarkably, it preserves
from its past only its name and “La
Churcha,” an old building brought
from England to house the freed North
American congregation who became
the nucleus of the Wesleyan Methodist
Church; today it is the Dominican
Evangelical Church, and its the romantic
Victorian architecture has lured many a
photographer to its portals.
The old fishing village, sprinkled with
salt and sun, located on the shore of the
bay bearing the same name, became an
attractive tourist city of beautiful avenues,
functional buildings, comfortable hotels
and restaurants where it is possible to
taste international cuisine, the famous
gingerbread, yaniqueques (Johnny cakes)
and the fabulous pescado con coco (fish
in coconut sauce) made from the English
grandmother’s old recipe.
The shallow marine floor of Samaná (the
greatest depth of the bay is barely 45
meters) represents a danger for oceangoing vessels with a deep draft; but, on
the other hand, conditions are favorable
for a large-scale fishing industry.
The soil of the area belongs to the
cretaceous period and most of the
Dominican Republic
105
the governor of the island, Francisco
Rubio Peñaranda.
Samaná celebrates its patronal feast
on December 4th. For more than half a
century Doña Vetilia Peña has initiated
the festivities in her home, with the
bambulá, a ritualdance that can only
be seen and danced in the Samaná
peninsula is layered with white, pink,
peninsula during its patronal festivities
green and gray marble, quarried to
and on October 24th, the feast day of
supply the industries that process it in
San Rafael.
Santo Domingo. In addition, coconut,
fish and shellfish abound.
The Chivo Florete, a dance of
During the pre-Hispanic period, the
considered inappropriate by some, is
territory belonged to the chieftainship
a dance typical of Samaná, as well as
of Maguá under the domain of the
the olí-olí, it forms a part of the carnival’s
Ciguayo, Guarionex. From excavations
comparsas (costumed groups dressed
carried out, interesting archeological
alike at carnival time) in which only men
pieces have been preserved as pointers
participate.
to the history of that period.
suggestive, erotic movements that are
In the city you will find different business
Christopher Columbus arrived in Samana
centers and hotels designed for tourists
on January 12, 1493. The following
which offer comfortable accomodation.
day the first battle in the New World
See Hotel Directory, page 72.
took place between the Taínos of
Ciguayo and the Spaniards. According
to a journal entry in the admiral’s own
handwriting, “[he had] never seen so
many arrows fly over a ship.” Before
leaving for Castilla on January 16th of
the same year, he dubbed the bay the
Golfo de las Flechas (Gulf of Arrows).
Santa Bárbara de Samaná was founded
in 1756 by the Spanish brigadier and
106
For those hungry for an exotic treat,
Samaná is famous for its fabulous typical
regional cuisine. A preferred dish is
Pescado con Coco (fish in coconut
sauce), a culinary delight.
• Where to Stay
Casa Marina Bay Beach Winner of
the NECKERMANN REISEN 2003
Award
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-538-2332
El Portillo and Las Terrenas
If time permits, it is worthwhile to visit El
Portillo and Las Terrenas. From Samaná
you can make the trip along the road to
El Limón, which you enter approximately
2 km after exiting Samaná. This road
is completely paved this road is gentler
that the one that crosses the sierra and
to those who enjoy ecological tourism,
it offers an observation area from where
one can view El Salto del Limón, a
beautiful waterfall of more than 30
meters of free fall that lies at the mouth
of the Limón River. In this spot along the
beautiful beach that bears its name,
road you will find practical guides that
and within an environment favored by
will take you on horseback and offer all
its tropical palm trees and an amazing
the amenities.
turquoise sea, El Portillo Beach Club
When you arrive at the northern part of
the peninsula by air, land, or sea, you
are welcomed by the pioneers of the
& Spa undoubtedly turns out to be an
excellent investment for quietness and
health.
area, currently representing El Portillo
Continuing westward you will encounter
Beach Club & Spa, a residential and
Las Terrenas, an extensive and beautiful
very exclusive Real Estate project, thought
beach, of soft bank, crystalline waters
for high level tourists who enjoy comfort
and golden sand, where gradually
and well-being. Located in front of the
the natives and the foreign community
Dominican Republic
107
who, knowing this coast has some of
the country’s best beaches spend their
leisure hours in the lucid contemplation of
the most beautiful, divine-crafted scenery
road conditions notwithstanding.
• How to get there:
that discovered the place, continue to
develop a tourist industry that today
counts 3000 rooms in very good hotels,
modest inns, and owner-managed
restaurants that serve exquisite plates
from the French cuisine and fresh
seafood.
This beautiful area exploited by tourism
over the last few years is characterized
by a Real Estate development boom,
By land, from Santo Domingo, you
may take the Duarte Highway, and
drive for approximately four hours
along a delighting landscape and
passing through the urban centers
of Piedra Blanca, Cotui, Pimentel,
Castillo, Villa Rivas, Nagua, and
Cruce de Rincon de Molinillos. If you
wish to arrive faster, you may take
the Santo Domingo–Cruce Rincon de
Molinillos Highway, and get there in
aimed at providing visitors with health
less than two hours.
and security, and respecting its magical
This new highway –designed for fast
environment. That is why entrepreneurs
and safe traveling– offers a journey
have been so successful there, currently
where nature prevails, disclosing all
developing one of the most ambitious
its splendor, and tolls must be paid at
luxury and beauty projects, Balcones del
three stations.
Atlantico, which is also an excellent Real
Estate investment. Leaving Las Terrenas
heading still westbound you reach the
beautiful beach El Cozón, located
opposite Cayo Ballena (Whale Key).
At first sight this area looks deserted,
but gradually you discover the summer
homes of natives and overseas visitors
108
By air, you can choose Presidente
Juan Bosh International Airport, or
the domestic airports, El Portillo and
Arroyo Barril. For more information,
check the airport directory, on page
38. Where to Stay Consult pages 72.
• For more Information:
Tourism Office 809-240-6363
Towards the
Southern Region
Should time permit, a visit to the south
would be worthwhile. Although it is
possible to make the trip from Santo
Domingo (200Km. #2) in three hours,
it will be much more enjoyable to take
at least four days, especially if you are
driving. The panoramic view from the
coastal highway is breath-taking.
The following are short descriptions on
the four provinces that welcome you on
your journey through the region where the
first quest for freedom was uttered under
American skies. See page 69, Getting
Around in the City.
San Cristóbal
Located 28 km west of Santo Domingo,
it is one of the region’s most visited
cities by those who wish to learn
more about the events related to the
dictatorship of Trujillo who ruled the
country with an iron hand from August
16, 1930 to May 30, 1961.
It is believed that the city’s name
was taken from the nearby San
Cristóbal Fortress that Admiral Don
Christopher (Cristóbal) Columbus
had built on the Haina river’s bank.
In 1934 it was raised to the status
of a province, and in 1939 by Act.
93, it was given the title of “Ciudad
Benemérita,” (Meritorious City, a title
that disappeared when the regime was
overthrown) taking into consideration
that the first legal constitution of the
Dominican Republic had been signed
there and that it was the birthplace of
the “benefactor of the country,” father
of the new country, Generalissimo
Doctor Rafael Leonidas Trujillo
Molina. The title of the civil guard city
disappeared with the assassination of
the tyrant.
We suggest an itinerary that include a
visit to the Church of San Cristóbal, the
Palacio del Cerro, La Casa de Caoba,
the Cuevas de El Pomier or de Borbón,
a national treasure where there are
hundreds of cave paintings created by
the Indians that populated the island,
el Balneario La Toma and the Cuevas
de Santa María (Santa Maria Caves),
where patronal festivals are celebrated
with baile de palo and atabales
(drum festivals), pointers to the African
influence in Dominican folklore.
Also, its coasts have the beautiful
beaches of Najayo, Nigua, and
Palenque, with their crystalline waters
that are ideal for the enjoyment of
underwater fishing, and Loma de
Resolí, where the climate is pleasantly
cool year-round.
The carabiné, typical dance of the
Southern region, variant of the Canary
iza, reigns over San Cristóbal’s
patronal festivities, celebrated from June
6-10, dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Dominican Republic
109
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-528-1844
Peravia
The capital of the province, Baní,
city of poets, was named in honor
of the cacique Baní, a subordinate
of Caonabo, said to have a clear
intelligence. In Juan de Castellanos’
words, “...Bani was a wise man...
Captain General of Caonabo’s land.”
In Taíno, Baní means “abundance of
water.”
This hardworking community that under the
chieftainship of Maguána is located 66 km
from Santo Domingo on route #2. See map
of Getting Around in the City on page 69.
Born here on November 18, 1836, was
Generalissimo Máximo Gómez, liberator of
Cuba, and the most admired and venerated
Dominican in the land of José Martí, because
he made Cuban independence his cause.
You can visit the place where
Generalissimo Máximo Gómez lived,
the municipal museum, the Iglesia
de Nuestra Señora de Regla, Los
Almendros, an inviting white sand
beach with a residential complex
designed to offer tourist services and,
Palmar de Ocoa, a beautiful summer
resort, located in the bay of the
same name, where each year fishing
tournaments are held.
In Puerto Hermoso (Beautiful Port) are
the salt deposits that according to
experts have the capacity to “fill the
Caribbean region with salt.”
The Bahía de Calderas, located
before crossing the province’s limits, is
home to the Dominican Navy’s most
important naval base. Its strategic
geographical position and the
surrounding sand dunes offer natural
protection.
Don’t leave Peravia without trying,
among other things, the delicious goat
Las Dunas, Baní.
110
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office ( 809-380-2094
Azua de Compostela
Azua, a land burned by the strong rays of
our blazing tropical sun but also washed by
the outpouring of its melodious crystalline
waters of the Caribbean, is located 121
km west of Santo Domingo. See page 69,
Leaving the City.
Azua de Compostela was founded in 1504
by Diego Velázquez, Conquistador of Cuba.
On December 7, 1508, King Ferdinand of
Spain granted Azua his coat of arms, and
in 1845 it was raised to the status of a
province.
Salinas, Baní.
milk candy produced in the Húngaro
factory in the municipality of Paya, the
only one of its kind in the country; the
famous quails that are served in the
rural dining room located on the side
of the highway and the famous mango
banilejo (mango from Baní), a variety of
the Rosa mango that when harvested in
the Peravia Valley, acquires a peculiar,
exquisite taste worth trying.
It was razed to the ground on three
occasions by invading armies: Juan
Jacobo Dessalines, who declared Haiti
independence on January 1, 1804,
ordered his men to set it ablaze when he
invaded Dominican territory in 1805. In
1844, after the Haitian leader Charles
Herald was defeated at the Battle of
19 de Marzo, he set the city aflame as
he passed through Azua. Yet again in
1849, the Haitian president, Faustino
Soulouque, left the city smoldering as he
retreated from his defeats at the battles of
El Número and Las Carreras.
Its patronal festivities are from June 15
to 24, festivities in honor of San Juan,
and November 21, the feast of Nuestra
Señora de Regla.
If you are going to continue the trip, you
must make a stop to stretch your legs and
to drink “una fría” (the country’s famous
Presidente beer frosted at its best). You
Dominican Republic
111
can visit the Archeological Museum, an
interesting display of cave art and then
refresh yourself in the beautiful Playa
Blanca.
Azua natives are deservedly well-known
for being courageous noblemen and
having contributed many writers to
Dominican literature. In Pueblo Viejo,
near Azua, are found the ruins of the
colonial city.
Another attraction for native and foreign
visitors enjoying adventure tourism is
El Número, the place where the battle
bearing the same name took place. It is
exciting to travel the winding stretch of
highway where at every turn of the road
dangerous cliffs await. However, the
fabulous panoramic view from here of
Corbanito’s tourist area on the east coast
of the beautiful and placid Ocoa Bay,
compensates for the road, and serves as
a spiritual sedative during the journey.
Corbanito is an area that comprises
around 9 km of extraordinarily beautiful
beaches due to the topographical
characteristics of the surroundings,
created by rock formations of the
southern massif emerging from the calm
sea. Corbanito is an open cove of
some three kilometers of gray sand and
turquoise-blue waters, with shallow areas
for swimming and protecting reefs.
Here we find Palmar de Ocoa, an open
beach of gray sand and deep waters,
with an exotic panorama and rich
marine fauna making it an excellent spot
for sportfishing.
112
Playa Chiquita, as its name indicates, is
an open cove barely 1500 meters long
with gray sand and crystalline waters, a
medium-depth swimming area that is absent
of waves, that make it a secluded, beautiful
spot preferred by swimmers.
Next we come to Monte Río, the beautiful
beach where Hernán Cortés, who
practiced in Azua as a clerk, usually spent
his leisure hours; and he left from here,
together with Diego Velázquez, to the land
of the Eagle and the Serpent to ascend to
the throne and wear the imperial crown of
Moctezuma.
Azua’s patronal feast is on September
8th in honor of Nuestra Señora de los
Remedios.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Browse directory of Offices of Tourism, page
17.
Barahona
Leaving Azua, we notice a marked contrast
as we enter Barahona’s humid land whose
neutral-type coasts are tied together like a
string of pearls by beautiful beaches that
the waves kiss and abandon in the massif
of the Sierra de Bahoruco.
Barahona, where the cacica Anacaona
ruled and where the living legend of the
untamable Enriquillo survives as a symbol
of Indian rebellion against white man’s
injustice, is located 204 km west of Santo
Domingo. See p.69, Leaving the City.
This was founded in 1802 by the French
General Toussaint Louverture and set up as
province in 1907.
The Barahona peninsula, which
belonged to the chieftainship of Jaragua,
has emersion and immersion coasts
where the marine terrace stretches
with the shallow waters that result in
wonderful breeding places for fish and
crustaceans.
The beaches of Barahona, La Saladilla,
San Rafael, Los Patos, Paraíso and other
very beautiful sunny beaches surrounding
the peninsula are characterized by a
peaceful solitude, making Barahona
an exclusive, unique place for the
communion of the human spirit with the
Supreme Being.
Here you observe and are captivated by
the presence of God’s hand.
This paradisiacal coast was the location
chosen by the Dominican designer Oscar de
la Renta for the tropical-setting photographs
that travel the world in the most famous
international fashion magazines. This
coast also served as the setting for the
adventures of the past century’s bold
pirate, Cofresí, a legendary figure
amongst the dwellers of the southern
coast of the Dominican Republic.
Local lore has it that south of the
port, in Punta Iglesia, there are
earthen jugs buried with Cofresi’s
treasures. Also, on beaches
adjacent to the town of Juán
Esteban, a chest full of precious
stones, jewels and other objects of
great value was found.
The legend recounts that Cofresi’s
treasures have not been recovered
because it was the pirate’s custom to
also bury, together with the treasure,
whoever helped in the task.
Thus the belief that in order to unearth
the treasures, a companion must be
left where the treasure was found.
On more than one occasion groups
Dominican Republic
113
of adventurers have formed to unearth
a treasure that “Cofresí has revealed to
someone in a dream.” These groups dissolve
as soon as they draw lots to see who will be
buried in place of the treasure.
Another tourist attraction in Barahona
is the Hoya del Lago Enriquillo (Basin
of Lake Enriquillo) from whose waters
(around 30m below sea level) emerges
Cabritos Island, the national park
where the world’s greatest reserve of
the American crocodile lives in a wild
state alongside important populations of
flamingoes and two species of iguanas.
Another place of national historical
interest is the archeological zone of Las
Caritas, a reserve of the pre-Hispanic
art which shows cave paintings created
by the Indians that populated the island,
among which is found evidence that our
wide smile has existed for more than
500 years. This park is endowed with
an eco-tourism infrastructure.
In Barahona there are deposits of rock salt
and gypsum located in the northern side
of the Sierra del Bahoruco; while in the
southern side there are deep layers of red
soil, rich in aluminum, from where bauxite is
extracted. Travertine marble and onyx are
also produced here.
The first Antillean cargo and passenger
transportation company was established
in Barahona on July 2, 1927, to offer
services between St. Croix, St. Thomas,
San Juan, Santo Domingo, Port-au-Prince
and Santiago, Cuba.
Barahona’s patronal festivities are
celebrated during the first week of
October, dedicated to Our Lady of the
Rosary. The carabiné, typical dance
of the southern region, is carried out in
Barahona with the accordion, balsié,
güira, (a metal percussion instrument),
and pandero (large tambourine).
Natives of Barahona are the immortal
artists: María Montés, the first
Dominican actress in Hollywood films,
among which is “A thousand and One
Nights”; and the folklorist Casandra
Damirón, ambassador-at-large of our
vernacular music, who with her art
placed the Dominican Republic’s name
on top, many times making those who
had the opportunity of applauding her
interpretations rise from their seats.
• Where to Stay
Consult Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Browse directory of Offices of Tourism,
page 17.
114
Towards the Land
of The Sunrise
Situated in the vast Hicayagua plain,
ruled by the cacique Cayacoa, is
divided into five provinces that form the
eastern region: San Pedro de Macorís,
Hato Mayor, El Seibo, La Romana and
La Altagracia. Its inhabitants work mainly
in the sugar-cane industry, cattle trade,
industrial park zones, and tourism.
Leaving Santo Domingo and going
towards the Land of the Sunrise, there
are marked routes that will prevent
confusion: a) Along John F. Kennedy
Avenue, take the Centenario V express,
make a left on Yolanda Guzmán, which
runs towards the south and you will find
the exit to Puente Duarte that you will
take to Avenue of the Americas; b) The
route 27 de Febrero will take you directly
to Avenue of the Americas; c) Taking El
Malecón towards the Avenida del Puerto
that carries you to the provisional bridge,
or to Puente Mella, upon leaving the
bridge, turn to the right. The Sugar Cane
Monument indicates that you should take
la Avenida España on the premises of
Parque Mirador del Este.
Here you can visit the National
Aquarium and El Faro a Colón, the most
outstanding monument built in this century
to honor the memory of the Discoverer
of America, Christopher Columbus.
There lie the mortal remains of the
Great Admiral and there is a permanent
exhibition from nearly all of the American
countries.
Twenty-one avenues, one for every
American nation, set out from the
Faro a Colón and converge in the
Autopista de Las Américas, a scenic
highway facing the Caribbean
that leads you to the Las Américas
International Airport of JFPG and
connects with the eastern highway
that ends in La Romana.
Upon taking the Avenue of the
Americas, you can visit Los Tres
Ojos, an enormous open-air cave
and lagoons with transparent water
located about 50 feet down. Here
you have the opportunity to take a
boat ride and refresh yourself in the
humid, tropical climate.
The eastern plain presents calcareous
phenomena in its relief pattern
that give rise to the formation of
caverns, some of which have been
conditioned, constituting an attraction
for natives and visitors. Perhaps the
best known by tourists are: the Mesón
de la Cava and the Guácara Taína,
located in Santo Domingo’s Mirador
del Sur park in Santo Domingo, filled
with exotic restaurants and night
clubs, the Caves of Santa Ana, Los
Tres Ojos y, the Fun-Fun Cavern. Here
you can experience an adventure that
surpasses all limits, descending with
a rope along a drop of more than
20 meters. To consult and reserve an
excursion consult page 128.
Dominican Republic
115
La Caleta
Entering from the Las Américas
International Airport JFPG , making a
right turn, you find La Caleta Park and
Museum that exhibit an indigenous
cemetery in its original location, and
a sample of pre-Hispanic ceramic
figures. There is no admission charge.
The most beautiful sunsets can be seen
from this small fishermen’s port. Many
artists set up their easels here trying to
capture on their canvas the rich colors
offered by the crepuscular skies.
From here to Punta Cana and Bávaro,
located on the eastern tip of the
island, you find the most beautiful
white sand and crystalline water
beaches. According to a study of
this region carried out by UNESCO
experts, these beaches “should be
included among the best in the
world.”
The natural resources, the agreable
climate, the few rainy days, and the
Dominican’s innate hospitality have
sustained tourist growth that make the
eastern region a privileged destination
for vacationers in the Caribbean. At
present there are more than 13,200
hotel rooms designed to operate under
the EP, MAP, FAP or the all-inclusive
regimen, in the interest of offering an
unbeatable quality-price ratio.
There are three international airports
located in the region: Las Américas JFPG
in Santo Domingo, Punta Aguila in La
116
Romana, and Punta Cana in Higüey, all with
daily scheduled direct flights from the world’s
major cities.
Boca Chica
Your next stop is Boca Chica, only five
minutes from the Las Américas International
Airport JFPG, and the ideal place for
resting, sunbathing, swimming, and walking
along one of the east coast’s most beautiful
beaches. Shallow waters and incredibly fine
white sand make it a favorite spot of capital
city’s residents.
Near the town, that is gradually organizing
itself to receive tourism, you can find
magnificent hotel rooms in the vacation
complex Oasis Hamaca Beach Hotel and
Casino, and other smaller ones such as Villas
Sans Soucy, which offer very good service.
There are also good restaurants with
specialties in German, Canadian, French,
Italian, Creole, and international cuisine,
offering you the personal attention of their
owners, most of whom are foreigners who
have made this area their home.
In small, popular establishments owned
by Dominican locals, you can buy:
chicharrón(fried pork skin), fried fish, and
yaniqueques (Johnny cakes), products of
Dominican freiduría (frying establishments)
that for many have a peculiarly exquisite
taste.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72.
• Where to eat:
Bocamarina,El Pelícano, Neptuno’s Club
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-523-5106
Dolio, Guayacanes and Villas del
Mar
These are the other very beautiful, small
beaches found on the route.
Playa Caribe is a cove with an abrupt
bank and violent surf, sheltered by
coconut groves; it is a favorite spot for
young people.
Juan Dolio, Guayacanes and Villas del
Mar are a delight for those searching for
smooth surf and quiet waters.
In the environment of these beaches,
surrounded by coconut groves and a lush
tropical landscape are fabulous vacation
resorts, designed so that the visitor
can enjoy to the utmost an all-inclusive
vacation. There are also small hotels
and very good restaurants. The weather
is almost excellent all year round. It is a
preferred destination for Canadians and
Europeans.
This tourist area is 30 minutes from the
international airport of the Americas, and
some 45 minutes from Santo Domingo’s
monuments district.
• Where to Stay
Consult Hotel Directory in page 72.
Dominican Republic
117
San Pedro de Macorís
The city was founded in the early 19th
century by German, Arab, Spanish,
French and Italian immigrants as well
as the community’s native settlers, and
raised to the status of province on June
23, 1882.
When several decades ago our sugar
was sold at the incredible price of
twenty-two cents a pound in the US
preferential market, this produced in the
“sultanate of the east” (as the city was
then known) an economic boom known
as the “dance of the millions”, which
converted San Pedro de Macorís into
a prosperous and stately city, filled with
palatial homes and princely mansions
denoting the cultural refinement of its first
immigrants and of the townspeople.
Together, they created a beautiful city
of neoclassic and Victorian style, with a
mixture of local-style architecture done
by the hands of qualified laborers that
arrived from the neighboring British isles,
attracted by the bonanza produced by
the sugar mills.
These humble workers from the
Windward and Leeward Islands, known
as cocolos, not only brought easily
identifiable architectonic
styles (recognizable when
touring the city); but, also
brought their Bible, perhaps
as their only baggage, and
the rudimentary instruments
with which they produce
the magnetic sounds of the
cainanés.
Also theirs is the momise
dance, known by the
townspeople as the guloya,
a name extended to the
118
dancers. It derives from the English
drama “Mummers,” which is preserved
with slight modifications and three
differentiated music themes: the wild
dance, with which they roam through
the streets; the dance of Father Winter,
representing the battle of the Giant with
St. George, and the dance of El Codril,
formed by a group of dancers divided
into two lines, dancing arm in arm.
drums all composure is lost. The crowd
surrounds them and moves, marking with
their feet and whole body each tone of
the dominant rhythm’s beat.
Just like their African ancestors who
worshipped their gods in ritual
ceremonies at dusk, the guloyas, after a
hard day’s work, surrender with passion
to the impulse of their erotic and sensual
dances.
As they pass, everyone rushes to the
street to enjoy the spectacle. A shower
of coins rain into the street and a bottle
or so of liquor passes from hand to hand
until its contents are emptied. This is how
the guloyas and the people of Macorís
celebrate their festivities and their
patronal feast. Don’t miss it if your visit
coincides with the 29th of June, the feast
of St. Peter and St. Paul. Undoubtedly,
the people of San Pedro de Macorís will
offer you the most hearty welcome.
During their patronal festivities and
carnivals, the guloyas parade with their
costumes and ornaments full of all kinds
of beads. At the rolling of their rustic
In San Pedro de Macorís is the Universidad
Central del Este (UCE) (Central University
of the East). Since its foundation, UCE has
transformed the city’s lifestyle. From the
Dominican Republic
119
La Romana
activity it generates, drives the demand for
services that the private sector supplies with
the innate hospitality of the Macorisanos.
Baseball season sends the city buzzing
with activity from October to February,
when the lights of the Tetelo Vargas
Stadium are turned on. Its home team is
the Estrellas Orientales.
Opposite the Macorís or Higuamo River
stands the neoclassic-style Church of St.
Paul the Apostle, whose tower (the city
symbol in photographs and post cards)
is visible from any part of the city and
serves as a guide for visitors. Several
bus terminals operate here with fixed,
scheduled routes to Santo Domingo, La
Romana and other eastern provinces.
Located in a beautiful zone settled by
Juan de Esquivel in 1502, La Romana
became a province on January 1, 1945.
It is a clearly flourishing region, and
home of the Central Romana, a privatelyowned sugar-cane mill.
Crossing the Dulce River you find Casa
de Campo, the Caribbean’s most
complete tourist complex and regarded
as one of the world’s ten best.
It has its own airport and those who
wish to vacation at this resort can fly
directly by private planes or by the
different commercial airlines.You can also
arrive at Santo Domingo’s Las Americas
international airport via the routes served
by major European and US airlines.
• Where to Stay
Consult the Hotel Directory in page 72
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-579-2254
A few minutes from Casa de Campo
is Altos de Chavón, an artists’ village
dedicated to cultural exchange and
enrichment.
In the heart of Altos de Chavón you
can visit: a school of design affiliated
with Parsons School in New York;
St. Stanislaus Church; the Regional
Archeological Museum with its ample
collection of pre-Hispanic art; and small,
old-style shops offering locally-made
jewels, ceramics, and crafts.
The village also contains an
amphitheater, with capacity for and
audience of 5,000 in the natural
Altos de Chavón Amphitheatre.
120
Another regional attraction is Los Haitises
National Park, a forest reserve of impressive
beauty, located in a zone where the
capricious hills and valleys lose their
continuity as they plunge into Samaná
Bay.
If you wish to take a tour or coordinate
an excursion to Los Haitises, call
the Office of Protected Areas and
Biodiversity,
St. Estanislao Church.
809-472-4204.
• How to Get There
landform offered by the terrain’s
Take the east-bound expressway
depression. It is the town’s performing
from Las Américas and follow it to la
center, and the international stage for
Avenida de Circunvalación, and to
superstars of the caliber of Frank Sinatra
the industrial free-zone where you will
and Julio Iglesias.
find the Cumayasa highway that goes
to La Romana, located 35 km from
Towards the eastern area there is a
beach called Bayahibe, where you can
find the Oasis Canoa, a resort with 532
rooms. Along the same road, on one of
the most beautiful beaches in the region
is Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach,
offering a secluded spot for spiritual rest,
far from city noises, with informal cabins,
constructed with primitive-style thatched
roofs of natural fibers resembling Taíno
bohío.
A little farther along, for those who like
observing wild life, is the boundary of
the East National Park, which includes
the Saona and Catalina islands, an area
reserved as a sanctuary for Dominican
flora and fauna in the interest of
protecting endangered species.
122
San Pedro de Macorís.
• Where to Stay
Consult Hotel Directory in page 72.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-550-6922
Golf Course Directory
Catalonia Golf and Beach Resorts
809-412-0000
809-412-0001
www.hoteles-catalonia.com
differtentwill@hotmail.com
La Estancia Golf Resort
809-689-7027
809-556-5411
www.legr.com
info@legr.com / er@legr.com
Golf course
Location
Holes
Las Aromas Santiago Golf Club
Santiago
18
Punta Cana
18
Santo Domingo
9
Barceló Golf de Bávaro
Campo de Golf Bella Vista Bonao
Catalonia Cabeza de Toro Golf Club
Bávaro
9
Catalonia Caribe Golf Club
Beavaro
18
La Romana
18
Bávaro
18
Juan Dolio
18
Dye Fore
El Cocotal Golf y Country Club
Guavaberry Golf y Country Club
Isabel Villas Golf Club
Santo Domingo
9
Jarabacoa Golf Club
Santiago
18
La Cana Golf Course
Punta Cana
18
La Estancia Golf Resort
La Romana
18
La Romana Country Club
La Romana
18
Metro Country Club Los Marlin Golf Course
Juan Dolio
18
Santo Domingo
18
Playa Dorada Golf Club
Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
18
Playa Grande
Playa Grande, Río San juan
18
Punta Blanca Golf Club
Bávaro
18
Punta Espada Golf Club
Punta Cana
18
Santo Domingo Country Club-Campo Senior
Santo Domingo
18
Santo Domingo Country Club-Campo Los Robles
Santo Domingo
9
Teeth of the Dog
La Romana
18
The Links Course
La Romana
18
Bávaro
18
National Golf Course Las Lagunas
White Sandds Golf Course
Higüey,
Holy Land of America
Higüey, America’s Holy Land. It was
From Boca de Yuma Bay, Juan Ponce
founded in 1494 by Jamaica’ s
de León sailed, in 1508, for the
conqueror, Juan de Esquivel and settled
conquest of Puerto Rico, and in 1513,
from 1502 to 1508 by the Captain of the
for that of Florida.
Conquest, Juan Ponce de León. Higüey
is the Mecca of the largest pilgrimages
The National Eastern Park, located
of Our Lady of Altagracia’s followers
along the road from Bayahibe to
where, every year on the 21st of January,
Boca de Yuma, is a natural and
thousands of pilgrims arrive at the Basilica
scientific reserve, a forest of protected
de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
ecosystems, mangrove swamps and
seeking health or spiritual wellbeing.
beautiful beaches where important
species of marine fauna survive,
Twenty-four kilometers from Higüey is San
such as dolphins and manatees. This
Rafael del Yuma where you may visit the
sanctuary park harbors several species
castle that was built from 1505 to 1506,
of migratory and native endemic birds,
by the man in quest of the fountain of
among which the White-crowned
youth.
pigeon prevails and nests there.
124
Toward the southern coast, we can find
our largest adjacent island, La Saona,
with a surface of 110 square kilometers.
It is currently inhabited by approximately
450 people, who live in the town of
Mano Juan and the community of Punta
Cautano. They mainly make their livings
out of fishing and hunting pigeons and
wild boars. Between the areas of firm
land and its emersion and submersion
coasts, there are lowlands that turned out
to be wonderful breeding areas for fish
and shrimps.
It is important to point out that La Saona
enjoys the lowest mortality gross rate in
the Dominican Republic.
Some other unique places located in
the province of Higüey are the beautiful
beaches of Macao, Bavaro, Punta Cana
and Cap Cana, acknowledged to be
among the best in the world, according
to a report issued by the UNESCO:
“Out of all the tourist beaches throughout
the world, there are few that enjoy such
crystalline water and thin sand. It is so
white that it is hard to believe it’s real. It
can certainly be said that this area must
be included among the best ones in the
world”.
Within the healthy environment favored by
nature in this part of the island, visitors will
find all the comforts granted by exclusive
services, designed to make tourists enjoy
these beautiful beaches with white sand
and clear turquoise waters, sheltered by
exotic palm trees and coconut palm trees.
Dominican Republic
125
Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia.
In the area between La Romana and
ironmonger’s, supermarkets, shopping
Punta Cana we can find the country’s
malls, department stores, and thematic
best hotels and holiday complexes,
parks like the Animal Adventure Park,
almost all of them acknowledged as
where visitors can enjoy a collection
world-class destinations. Those that stand
of lions, parrots, monkeys, squirrels,
out are Casa de Campo, Punta Cana
iguanas, sharks, rays, and Bengal tigers
Beach Resort, Tortuga Bay, EdenH,
trained by a team of expert vets and
Pueblo Bavaro, and Cap Cana. There
biologists. For more information, go to:
are different transportation options to
www.animalpark.com.do.
reach this area, either by air, by land
or by sea, as it has two international
For the delight of shoppers, you can
airports currently working, in addition to
visit the distinguished Palma Real
national roads and a cruise port.
Shopping Village, the main shopping
destination in the Dominican Republic’s
The area of Bavaro-Punta Cana has
eastern coast. There, you can find a
more than 26,000 hotel rooms, golf
diversified offer of renowned prestigious
courses of international firms such as
brands and designers who set the
Jack Nicklaus and Pete B. Dye, world-
standards of international fashion, as
class marinas, and high quality alternate
well as beverages, cigars, and Lariman
services like laundry, restaurants,
and Ambar jewelry of refined national
126
metal work. To read the stores directory,
that many internationally prestigious
go to: www.palmarealshoppingvillage.
stores and jewelry shops are located
com
there, namely Conchita Llach, Sculpture,
Morphy and Nye, Paló, Arcadio Diaz,
The Marina of Punta Cana Resort &
Sun & Wood, Habitanea, and Sea
Club is located at the resort’s southern
Whisper. And when it comes to eating
end, and it includes two docks with 43
a delicious meal, you can choose
mooring sites for boats up to 70 feet
these internationally famous restaurants:
long, and an eight feet deep protection
Acquamare, Marrana, Vaporreto,
channel sheltered by a breakwater. Its
Armacord, and Mitre Cap Cana.
GPS is: N-18-30-059 W-68-22-031.
Over these last few years, PUNTA
CANA RESORT & CLUB has sponsored
ESPN’s Billfishing Xtreme Tournament. In
its surroundings, the Marina Residential
Area is being developed, where
residences and condos are currently
being built.
Cap Cana’s Marina is another delight
for distinguished shoppers, considering
• Where to sleep:
Check the hotels directory, on page
72.
• Where to eat:
In the town of Cortecito, you can
eat at El Pulpo Cojo and El Patio de
Tiara.
• For more information:
Tourism Office 809-554-2672
Dominican Republic
127
The #1 adventure tour
• Walks on horseback • Walks through tropical rainforests •
Rappelling down 20 metres into the interior • 1.5 Km., Stalactites,
stalagmites and underground rivers
809-553-2812 www.cuevafunfun.com
Excursions
Next, some routes through some interesting places in the eastern region;
they are selected for the convenience of the tourist.
• Tour of the Eastern Region
• La Cueva de Las Maravillas
• Cuevas Fun Fun
• Boating along the Chavón river
• Catalina Island day trip
• Catalina Island Millenium Cruise
• Saona Island
• Altos de Chavón and Saona Island by the
Chavón River
• Santo Domingo
• Caribeña Party
• Sea Dream
• Manatí Park
128
Casa de Campo
809-523-3333
809-523-8000
www.casadecampo.cc
Grupo Desde el Medio
809-472-4422
www.desdeelmedio.com.do
Cueva Fun Fun
809-553-2812
809-553-2953
cuevafunfun@hotmail.com
www.cuevafunfun.com
