Dominican Republic (Caribbean)

There are two sides to the Dominican Republic, just like there are two sides of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola on which the Republic is situated. The Dominican Republic shares the island with neighbouring Haiti. Inside the confines of the many resort hotels along the beautiful coastline, tourists languish in luxury, sipping cocktails under the palm trees and bathing in beautiful blue lagoons. The other face of the Dominican Republic can be found along the country roads, among the sugar cane, coffee and cocoa bean fields, where smiling people labour in the sun and men play dominoes outside tumble-down shacks. For the local people (there are 8.5 million people on this well-populated half of Hispaniola island) tourism is an important source of income, and the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the resorts and explore the Spanish Colonial legacy in this country 'where America began' are welcome.

The capital, Santo Domingo, was the first Spanish settlement in the Americas. Christopher Columbus initiated the first European 'New World' settlement here in 1496. His legacy is preserved in the bricks and mortar of the historic old section of Santo Domingo, which has been turned into an entertaining and interesting Colonial 'theme park'. The other tourist spots in the Dominican Republic are the north coast region around Puerta Plata, and the east coast at Punta Cana. These mostly consist of stretches of pristine tropical beach, which have been bought and developed into all-inclusive resorts. However, those who take the trouble to explore a little behind the scenes will find plenty of unspoilt tropical paradise off the beaten track in the Dominican Republic, and locals ready and willing to offer warm hospitality.

The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean with a distinctly Latin twist. The country, the first in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans, has the same weather and physical beauty as other islands, but the people speak Spanish, and the island's music is merengue.

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