Guide to the Dominican Republic.
A little bit of everything.
General Overview.
A brief introduction to the Dominican Republic: nature, people, holidays, sports, national cuisine, the helpful police, and the country’s history. A practical guide for tourists covering visas, customs, what clothes to bring, and other useful information… Enjoy your journey…
Traveling Around the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican coastline stretches for about 1,500 km, with beaches for every taste and many coastal towns. Explore the north, east, and south, their distinctive features and history, as well as the country’s central region… Discover the Dominican Republic’s many diverse and remarkable nature reserves… Visit the Dominican Switzerland, with pine forests, cooler mountain areas, and natural parks. Welcome, and enjoy your journey…
Walking Around Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo is a large and lively coastal metropolis on the Caribbean Sea. It has many parks and plenty of greenery… The city resembles a huge anthill: life is always bustling, and everyone is busy with something… Its neighborhoods have distinctive architecture combining different styles… The capital’s historic Colonial Zone is especially fascinating. This carefully preserved district reflects the sixteenth century and later periods, with old buildings and museums… It is a wonderful place for walking and photography…
All Sorts of Things
A beginner’s guide to gold prospecting. The country’s geology: gold, silver, titanium, and even PLATINUM… Ancient whiskered mermaids of the Dominican Republic. How the Dominican Republic made the Sun its partner… Once upon a time there was Dominican rum… Treasures, pirates, gold, and coins — look for them in the Dominican Republic…
Entertaining Zoology: Dominican Wildlife in the Water and on Land.
Here you will learn that seahorse couples swim with their tails entwined. Whales sing. A large rat-like animal crossing your forest path is actually an agouti, a humped American hare. Discover how the ocean cuttlefish’s aquatic “jet engine” works, and why it needs poisonous ink). Learn about underwater friendships and how sea flowers reproduce. Take a quick look at turtle anatomy and the secrets of turtle reproduction. Find out how to recognize a woodpecker in love, who lives in mangrove forests, and how brown algae reproduce (the Kama Sutra of plants). Learn that an ostrich’s brain is tiny — about the size of its eye — and discover other useful facts
Pages and Personalities of Dominican History.
The history of the Dominican Republic has not been easy. Columbus reached the island of Hispaniola, which brought no benefit to its Indigenous inhabitants… Colonial and influential Santo Domingo was weakened for centuries by Francis Drake’s attack. Spain and France divided the island… The Haitian occupation lasted from 1822 to 1844. The country won its independence in 1844, followed by a series of internal conflicts… U.S. interventions… The Trujillo dictatorship… Today, the country is achieving remarkable growth, supported by political stability, a friendly population, and a sunny climate…
Map of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola. Haiti occupies the smaller western part of the island.
Open the large map of the Dominican Republic >>>
Create Your Own Dominican Garden.
The Dominican climate is wonderfully fertile, with abundant sunshine and warmth throughout the year. Sometimes even sticks driven into the ground as fence posts suddenly begin to sprout and turn green… Plants grown in greenhouses or on windowsills in cooler countries can be found growing naturally here… Learn what and how to plant in a tropical garden, using simple cultivation techniques… Fruit trees… Beautifully flowering and useful ginger. Night-fragrant jasmine (Puta de Noche)… Your own bananas and other everyday wonders… Gardening is meditation and creativity. Join us…
Dominican Culinary Recipes
It is summer all year round in the Dominican Republic, so fresh fruits and vegetables are always available. Stores sell chilled rather than frozen meat and chicken, along with fresh herbs, ginger, strawberries, avocados, onions, garlic, watermelons, and melons… Some fruits, such as mangoes, are more seasonal. Seafood is widely available, and you can even catch it yourself… There is no shortage of ingredients. Here you will find Dominican recipes and cooking techniques.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Irina Shrayber, Ph.D., American Geographical Society
irina.shrayber.sd@gmail.com