Dominican Republic: more than just Punta Cana

The Caribbean Dominican Republic is the second largest country in the Caribbean Sea. In Polish my mother tongue, it is the neighbouring country Haiti that gave name to the island but in English and Spanish it still preserves it’s original name of Hispaniola.

The first European on the Dominican land was Christopher Columbus, who reached its shores in December 1492 and called it Hispaniola. Columbus, captivated by the island’s beauty, chose it as his headquarters – it was here, in the  that the Navidad fort was built and it was here that the famous sailor left some of the crew on his way back to Spain. Some time ago, I was also able to see the exceptional beauty of this corner – I spent my vacation here.

More than beautiful beaches

Most of us associate the Dominican Republic primarily with one destination, which is Punta Cana. Indeed, it is a very attractive tourist area, full of luxurious hotels and amazing beaches, so I perfectly understand its holiday popularity. But the Dominican Republic has so much more to offer.

Santo Domingo

The capital of the state is also the oldest European settlement in this region of the globe. Its Zona Colonial – as the name suggests – remembers the times of European colonization. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it has an amazing climate and is steeped in history. Anyway, the entire capital is a very interesting place, completely different from what we know from the cities of our continent. You can feel the Caribbean vibes at every step.

Amazing nature

The Dominican Republic is famous for its amazing nature, so it should not be surprising that the number of national parks here is really impressive – there are as many as 16 of them. You can see numerous specimens of the Caribbean fauna in them. I really wanted to see the palmchat (which in Spanish is called La Cigua), i.e. the bird that is the national symbol of the Dominican Republic, and I did. This small passerine bird lives only on this island, especially on the Dominican side.

On the coast of the Dominican Republic you can also meet humpback whales – these huge sea mammals come here during the mating season and you can hear their famous singing.

The beaches, of course 🙂

Dominican Republic is famous for the most beautiful beaches in the world. Turquoise water, fair sand, palm trees, pleasant temperature and sun – can you dream about anything more while relaxing on vacation? I myself had the opportunity to see that there is no exaggeration in the words of those who are delighted with this country. The most famous tourist destination is Punta Cana – I am particularly fond of the local Playa Bavaro, which simply “knocked me off my feet”. But all of Dominican Republic is full of amazing beaches.

How to get there?

The good news is that there are non-stop flights from Poland to the Dominican Republic. Once there, you can take advantage of a very wide hotel offer. However, if you want to spend special moments away from the tourist crowds and in the best locations, you should think about a tailor-made offer. My company Crystal House can organise it for you as part of the concierge service, so feel free to write to me or call me and we will do the rest 🙂