ABOUT THE COUNTRY
GEOGRAPHY:
The Dominican Republic is located in the West Indies and occupies two-thirds of the island of Haiti, which it shares with the state of Haiti. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, the Mona Strait in the east, which separates it from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Sea in the south, and Haiti in the west. Its closest neighbors are Cuba to the northwest, Jamaica to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east.
WEATHER AND TIME:
The climate of the West Indies is fairly even. The hot and humid season, spring, begins in May; in the middle of the month, the first periodic refreshing rain falls, every day around noon. After 14 days of rains, tropical summer begins; the heat is mitigated by pleasant sea coastal winds and easterly trade winds that blow throughout the year; however, despite the hot weather, the climate is humid. Cleaner and fresher air in the mountains. In winter, the temperature in the center of the country reaches -5 degrees below zero at night. In the resort areas of the eastern, northern and southern zones, the temperature does not drop below +23C. all year round. The average year-round temperature on the islands is 26-28 C degrees.
The time difference with Kyiv is minus 6 hours in winter and minus 7 hours in summer.
POPULATION:
The Dominican Republic is home to about 8 million people. people. About 50% of the population is under the age of 20, and it is predominantly urban. The Dominican diaspora numbers about 1.5 million. people, two-thirds of whom live in the United States and one-third in Puerto Rico and other islands of the Antilles.
The local population is very welcoming and friendly, with roots in Spanish and African settlers. Keep in mind that the rhythm of life in the Dominican Republic is different from that of Europe. When someone says to you: “Momentido,” it doesn’t mean that someone is going to run to fulfill your request. It is possible that no one is going to do this. It is better to accept this as a national characteristic of the Dominicans and try to live at their pace. The whole life of Dominicans is spent in dancing. It seems that there are no lyrical songs, only dance motifs.
BAVARO AND PUNTA CANA RESORTS:
The most popular vacation spot in the Dominican Republic is the eastern part of the island – the resorts of Bavaro and Punta Cana. This is where the best all-inclusive hotels are concentrated. The eastern part of the island has become very popular due to its coastline. It is hundreds of kilometers long. And thanks to the coral reef that surrounds the eastern part and holds back strong waves from the Atlantic Ocean, the sand on the beach has acquired an amazing color and consistency.
The name Punta Cana comes from the kana palm tree, whose leaves are used to make the famous roofs of Indian huts. Punta Cana is a cape where a huge number of these palm trees grow.
Punta Cana and Bavaro are the most visited tourist area in the Caribbean after Cancun. Punta Cana Airport became the third largest airport after Cancun and Miami. The resort features hotels of the world’s leading hotel chains. The most common are Sol Melia, Paradisus, Barcelo, Princess, and Iberostar. Hotels usually consist of two- or three-story buildings and bungalows scattered among lush tropical vegetation and palm trees. Most of these hotels, whether they are three-star or five-star, operate on an all-inclusive basis.
NIGHTLIFE IN BAVARO AND PUNTA CANA:
It is mostly concentrated in hotels, where you can visit evening shows, disco, casino, but you can also plunge into the nightlife of shows and discos Mangu, Imagine, Luna del Caribe, Areito, Pacha, Sazino Tower, Oro Hard Rock Hotel, or go to the typical Dominican, noisy and crowded parties until the morning, where merengue, bachata and salsa do not stop on Saturdays, or sit in excellent restaurants and bars such as Pulpo Cojo, Captain Cook, Jelly Fish.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Fans of outdoor activities will surely like the Fun-Buggy. These are small sports cars, and tourists drive them themselves.
A catamaran ride will be very unforgettable. You can see all the diversity of coral reef life and watch tropical fish.
A Jeep Safari will give you an unforgettable walk along the roads of the island, see its magnificent landscapes, and observe the daily life of very cheerful and friendly locals.
PUNTA CANA SIGHTS:
The most famous attraction in Punta Cana is the Manati Zoological Park. What and who are there just not here! Hundreds of species of birds, sea turtles, iguanas, crocodiles, sea lions.
Here you can also visit beautiful shows of dolphins, seals, horse and parrot performances.
RESORTS IN LA ROMANA AND BAYAIBI:
The second most popular resorts in the Dominican Republic are located 140 kilometers from Santo Domingo (the capital of the Dominican Republic) and 100 kilometers from Punta Cana. While in Bavaro vacationers splash around in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea dominates here. The southern coast of the Dominican Republic is not as long as the eastern coast. It has a rocky shore and many coral reefs. But among this there are small sandy areas where resort hotels are located in the La Romana and Bayahibe areas.
To the east of La Romana lies one of the most picturesque agricultural areas of the island: sugar cane valleys and citrus orchards.
Here, above the deep gorges by the Chavon River, there is the artists’ village Altos de Chavon, built in the style of a medieval Italian town, and a unique amphitheater.
Bayaibe Beach is the hallmark of the resort, which is characterized by picturesque shores with fine soft sand. Vacation with children, a measured beach vacation, calm serenity of a secluded holiday – these are all the advantages of La Romana.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTS:
On any Saturday, you should definitely visit the city’s landmark, the local colorful market.
Boaters can rent a boat and get to the nearby island of Saona. Or visit the Eastern National Park, a nature reserve that contains numerous species of endangered plants and animals (more than 112 species of birds, sea turtles, pelicans, dolphins, flying fish, and mammals). The park will amaze you with thickets of climbing plants that descend to the sea, grottoes and caves where, according to chroniclers, Christopher Columbus’ sailors found shelter during his second voyage. The nature of this area is diverse, unique and surprising. You can also visit the Brugal distillery and see the miracle of sugar cane turning into the famous Caribbean rum.
The region’s hotels are perfect for a relaxing vacation for couples and for lovers of diving, golf, spearfishing, horseback riding and tennis.
KITCHEN:
Many people think that Latin American cuisine or Caribbean cuisine is no different from country to country. However, the ways of cooking in the Dominican Republic are truly unique. Dominican cuisine is easy to prepare and very healthy, as only natural ingredients are used.
Its main feature is the widespread use of legumes, bananas and other vegetables (including exotic ones) in an original combination with meat products and fish. For frying, only a certain type of banana is used – “platano” – green and quite hard, they are not eaten raw. The most traditional dishes are: “la bandera” – rice, meat, beans, vegetables and green fried bananas; “san cocho” – cooked in broth from different types of meat with tropical vegetables; “mangu” – mashed green bananas, mostly served for breakfast and as a side dish; “piñonate” – a dessert made from milk and coconuts and sweet bananas cooked in syrup.
Fish and seafood, despite their abundance and variety, are almost absent from traditional Dominican cuisine, but recently they have been appearing in more and more places on café and restaurant menus. The most popular are fish fried on a spit or grill, fish fried with coconut flakes, fish in pescado con coco, various seafood mariscos, crabs in cangrejo guisado sauce, etc.
Rice and red beans in various combinations, cassava, mashed forest bananas with mango onions, and various salads are used as garnishes.
And, of course, the most widespread are various tropical fruits – bananas, coconuts, pineapples, guava, mangoes, pashmina, green lemon and other exotic fruits. They are consumed in the form of juices and fruit cocktails.
They make good coffee everywhere, especially the Santo Domingo variety.
Rum is the national alcoholic beverage of the Dominican Republic, which is indispensable for any celebration anywhere in the country. Rum is widely popular among the local population of the Dominican Republic, along with the local beer brands Presidente and Bohemia. Rum of different quality and bottling can be purchased at any store and tent. Among the 15 varieties of rum produced in the country, the leading positions are occupied by Barcelo, Brugal, and Bermuda. Dark rum (with a classic golden hue) and light rum (white, often with lemon added to give the drink a refined flavor) are produced. Rum is drunk neat or added to cocktails. For example, “Piña Colada” (3 types of rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice and ice), “Daikiri” (rum, lemon juice, ice chips) and, of course, the famous and most common “Free Cube” (rum with Coca-Cola and ice).
FEATURES OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
The island of Española ranks first among the Antilles in terms of biodiversity and third in terms of the density of species per unit area.
The island has the greatest geomorphological diversity (reliefs), represented by three mountain chains, five mountain ranges, three karst regions, four coastal valleys, four plains, as well as fifteen highland plains and one tectonic lowland, or pit.
The island has the largest number of climatic natural zones, varying in elevation relative to sea level, which ranges from 45 meters below sea level, at Lake Enricio, to 3,175 meters above sea level, at Duarte Peak.
MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, LAKES:
The highest point of the Antilles is located here – Duarte Peak, 3,175 meters above sea level.
The island is home to the deepest tectonic lowland in the Antilles, the Oia de Henriquio, 45 meters below sea level.
This region is home to the largest waterfall in the Caribbean, Aguas Blancas de Constanza, with two 83-meter-high cascades, which is also the waterfall located at the highest elevation above sea level, about 1800 meters.
The Dominican Republic recorded the lowest temperatures in all the Antilles: 0-8 degrees Celsius in the Duarte Peak area and in the Bao Highlands.
It is the only island among the Antilles that has experienced glaciation, traces of which have been found in the highlands of Bao and Macutico, located in the Central Cordillera.
The highest plateau of the Antilles, Bayeux Nuevo, located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, is also located here.
The highland plain of Bao, the highest in all the Antilles, is located at 1800 meters above sea level.
It is also home to the largest salt lake in the Antilles (Lake Enricio), with a surface area of 240-260 km2.
HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS:
Almost every day in the sunny Dominican Republic there are festivals of some kind and the streets are filled with festive, carnival-like processions. Any traveler will find a festive event to their liking, including dance festivals, religious festivals, and secular carnivals.
Carnival is a public holiday
Every year at the end of February, the Carnival holiday takes place. It starts in Santo Domingo and is one of the most exciting events in the Dominican Republic. Usually, a festival with the beautiful name “Cabaret Alegria” is held in parallel with the Carnival. It takes place in the bustling city of Alegria, where dancing is as natural as breathing. On the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, similar carnivals take place every Sunday in all major or well-known cities of the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo, Monte Cristi, Santiago, San Pedro de Macoris, Samaná and La Vega.
The traditions of this holiday go back to the 15th century, when the first Carnival was celebrated in 1510 by the first colonizers on this island. Gradually, the carnival traditions of Europe became closely intertwined with the folklore of the local population – the Indians and the teachings of African slaves who were actively brought to the region on plantations. It is interesting that in every city in the Dominican Republic, certain colors are worn on this holiday, signifying a particular region. However, almost everything is used as materials for carnival costumes: bright, varied fabrics, fresh flowers and fruits, gifts of the sea and nature.
Merenge Festival
This event is held annually in an international framework and gathers a huge number of fans of incendiary dances from around the world. Every last week of July, the Malecon promenade in Santo Domingo hosts numerous performances by dancers and local Dominican music groups. This festival of movement and music attracts up to 300 thousand people. visitors every year.
The festival opens with a bright, noisy procession. Guests of the city can visit the numerous souvenir fairs or enjoy the free street shows that are held en masse at this time. If the desire to dance is strong even at other times of the year, you can always find a Dominican town that hosts a dance or some other noisy holiday. For example, in October you can dance merengue in the popular Puerto Plata.
Other significant annual holidays in the Dominican Republic
Immediately after the long Carnival celebration, which takes up most of February, visitors and locals alike celebrate the popular historical event Fiesto Patria. This holiday falls in March. In June, it’s time for the cultural festival held in Puerto Plata.
At the end of summer, in August, the Foundation Day of the beautiful and mysterious Santo Domingo is celebrated. Vacationers in the Dominican Republic in the fall can visit the Puerto Plata Festival, held in October.
It is also worth noting the large number of religious holidays. Events in honor of the patron saints are held in all cities and villages of the Dominican Republic. It is recommended to visit the June festival in Sosua and the July festival held in Santiago. Carnivals are held throughout Holy Week in the country, and to visit them you need to go to Cabral, Barahona, Cotui and other cities and towns in the Dominican Republic.
The following dates have been officially approved:
– January 1 – Dominican Republic celebrates the New Year;
– On January 6, Catholic Baptism, known as Epiphany Day, comes;
– January 21 is the Day of Honoring the Patron Saint of the Dominican Republic, Our Lady Altagracia;
– January 26 is the national patriotic holiday – Juan Pablo Duarte’s birthday;
– February 27 – The Dominican Republic celebrates Independence Day with pomp, often at the peak of the carnival traffic;
– May 1 – International Workers’ Day was also celebrated in the Dominican Republic;
– August 16 is a memorable date – the Day of the Revival of the Republic;
– September 24 is the feast of another local saint, Our Lady of Mercedes;
– November 6 is a public holiday – Constitution Day;
– December 25 is Catholic Christmas.
BEACH RECREATION:
First of all, the Dominican Republic is hundreds of kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches washed by the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. Tourists mainly come here to relax at local resorts. The Dominican Republic is home to the world-famous Punta Cana resort. It stretches for 40 km along the east coast of the country, which is called the Costa de Cocos, which means “Coconut Coast” in Spanish. Punta Cana is a series of resort complexes with fashionable hotels, shopping centers, restaurants, nightclubs, and white sand beaches. It consists of 5 long beaches: Bavaro, Cabeza de Torro, El Cortecito, Punta Arena Gorda and Macau. Bávaro Beach is the most developed in terms of tourism, with most of the hotels in Punta Cana located here. Cabeza de Torro and Punta Arena Gorda beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag and are considered one of the best in the region. El Cortecito Beach is famous for its seafood restaurants and windsurfing and kitesurfing schools. Hotel complexes in Punta Cana are entire small towns with their own infrastructure and operate on an all-inclusive basis. The hotel grounds are so large that tourists have to use special trams or take golf carts to get around. Punta Cana is the best place to play golf in the country. Many hotels have their own golf courses.
SURFING:
The northern coast is more suitable for surfing. From December to March, waves here can reach a height of 4 meters. Surfing is available at Playa Encuentro in Cabarete, Playa Grande in the east of the country, and Playa Coson, located near the resort of Las Terrenas on the northern shore of the Samana Peninsula. Also suitable for surfing is the Playa Caribe beach, located on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, east of the capital Santo Domingo.
FISHING:
The best areas for fishing in the Dominican Republic are the resort of Boca Chica, where every year in April the local water club organizes international fishing competitions (in the coastal waters there are wahoo, sailfish, barracuda); and Punta Cana, which will interest fans of deep-sea fishing (here are found marlin, wahoo, tuna, red snapper).
PARAGLIDING:
Paragliding is very popular in the Dominican Republic. There are many launching pads here. On the southern coast, the southeast breeze from the sea, which blows throughout the day, makes it possible to soar on a paraglider. The most popular place for paragliding in the Dominican Republic is Matua. It is popular because it is located not far from the country’s capital, Santo Domingo. Other places on the southern coast include El Manaclar near the town of Banja, the town of Azua and the nearby La Playita launch pad, and the town of La Job near the town of Barahona.
The central part of the country, occupied by mountain ranges, is also suitable for paragliding. The most favorable conditions for paragliding are found in wide mountain valleys, where “thermal” flows dominate during the day, resulting from the heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. In this region, Galvan near Lake Enricillo, Las Aguitas near the city of San Juan and Alito del Guayabo, La Manaclita and La Antena, located near the city of La Vega, are popular launch sites.
The North Coast is less popular among paragliding fans. This part of the country’s coast is at the mercy of the northeast trade winds, whose speeds are quite high and often not suitable for soaring. Still, there are several launching pads here: Mount Loma Isabel de Torres near the resort town of Puerto Plata and Miches, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Samana.
EXCURSIONS:
The excursion program in the Dominican Republic is extremely diverse. The most popular excursions include whale watching, which takes place in Samana Bay and along the northern and eastern coasts of the country from mid-January to mid-March; visits to coffee plantations, tobacco and rum factories; and participation in the most spectacular February carnival in La Vega; tours of the “Colonial City” of Santo Domingo, many of whose buildings were built during the lifetime of Christopher Columbus and are the first European buildings in the New World; underwater dives, during which you can swim with nurse sharks and stingrays; sightseeing boat trips along the country’s coast; helicopter tours and jeep safaris.
HUMBLE WHALES:
The largest number of humpback whales that arrive annually to the Antilles coast to breed are recorded off the northern coast, near the coral shoals of La Plata and La Navidad and in the Gulf of Samana. Every year from January to March, more than 3,000 whales gather here. This magnificent performance attracts about 20,000 tourists to Samana annually.
REAL ESTATE:
When discussing this topic, it is worth starting with the fact that on January 9, 1998, a decree of the President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez Reyna, came into force in the country, abolishing all restrictions on foreigners’ ownership of real estate in the country. The government is interested in attracting foreign capital and therefore maintains a very loyal tax regime for businessmen. The tax that must be paid when buying real estate is 3% of the appraised value of the property, which is usually lower than the real value.
Since the government began to pursue an active policy of attracting foreign investment, prices on the island have been rising rapidly, especially for coastal land. While prices for quality housing in the resort area rose by 30-40% in 2005, the coastline in popular areas more than doubled in value in the first half of 2006 alone. Both secondary real estate and housing purchased during the construction phase are rising in price, which is resold at a higher price after the facility is completed.
The coasts are also home to several elite projects with their own infrastructure and several golf courses. The cost of villas ranges from 600 thousand dollars and has no upper limit.
Due to the year-round holiday season, investments in real estate in the Dominican Republic pay off through rent on average three to four times faster than in European resorts. You can rent almost anything to tourists: an apartment, a house or a villa. For example, renting an apartment worth $150-250 thousand will cost an average of $100-130 per day or about $700-800 per month when renting for a year. Net rental income averages about 1% per month.
Registering real estate in the Dominican Republic is not a complicated matter. The most important document to have with you is your passport.
The first thing to do if you are serious about buying a villa or apartment in this tropical paradise is to open an account with a local bank. To do this, you will need a recommendation from a person or company that already has an account with this bank. Once you have found a suitable property, you need to write a letter of intent to the seller. Of course, this is done with the help of an agent (realtor) and a lawyer. As a rule, a security deposit is paid to confirm the intentions. The amount of the deposit may vary depending on the value of the object, usually it does not exceed 10% of the
the value of the object.
Then the seller and the buyer sign the “Purchase and Sale Agreement” in the office with a notary who certifies their signatures. The agreement must contain a formal description of the subject matter of the transaction, the price, payment terms, and all other terms and conditions of the transaction. According to Dominican law, the buyer must pay taxes on the transfer of ownership at the office of the Ministry of Taxes and Fees. In some cases, the seller must pay the Tax on luxury housing and land plots without buildings.
After paying the taxes, the seller must submit the following documents to the State Register of Rights: the original Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Certificate of Ownership, the original certificate of payment of taxes and fees, copies of the buyer’s and seller’s identity cards and, if necessary, a document authorizing the State Register to cancel the mortgage on the property.
The State Register checks all the transferred documents and completes the purchase process: the transferred ownership certificate is canceled and a new one is issued in the name of the buyer. The process of issuing a certificate depends on the workload of the State Register at the moment and usually takes about a month. After that, the buyer can receive a new Certificate of Ownership.
WHERE IS BETTER?
The cost of facilities varies depending on the neighborhood. For example, prices in the north are lower than in the east (Punta Cana). But it is the east of the country that many Hollywood stars and celebrities choose as their second home.
Punta Cana is home to the largest strip of snow-white pristine beaches, where both dizzying projects and more affordable properties are being built, and one of the important factors is that this place is a world resort, where thousands of tourists from different countries of Europe, North America, and Latin America arrive every day. The number of hotels is increasing every year, which naturally affects the return on investment in this area of the island. Punta Cana is a golf mecca in the Caribbean. World golf tournaments are held here. World golf stars are simply in love with this place.
An important factor in the significance of this place is the presence of the Punta Cana International Airport, which receives many airlines from around the world, including Ukraine. In this area, you can buy real estate for every taste and budget.
Come and appreciate this place properly! On our part, we will provide support and familiarization with the objects that will be really interesting for you!
What is a vacation in the Dominican Republic?
*Vacation in the Dominican Republic means blue, warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, mesmerizing landscapes.
* Vacation in the Dominican Republic is a vacation in a country where your dreams will come true.
*Vacation in the Dominican Republic is an extremely comfortable vacation.
*Vacation in the Dominican Republic is a super-modern hotel service that meets any financial capabilities of tourists and businessmen.
*Vacationing in the Dominican Republic is an opportunity to combine relaxation with shopping.
*Vacations in the Dominican Republic include yachting, rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, skiing and other water sports.
*Vacation in the Dominican Republic is a pleasure to enjoy the courtesy and hospitality of the staff.
