DK Travel : Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country of surprising contrasts and extraordinary variety. From the chilly peak of the Caribbean’s highest mountain to some of the region’s most delightful beaches, the country boasts lush valleys, spectacular waterfalls, and sun-baked deserts. The past and present also blend in a fascinating mix of colonial buildings and modern hotels, sleepy rural villages and lively tourist resorts. The people, too, reflect a kaleidoscope of influences — Spanish, African, indigenous — creating a culture that emphasizes both creativity and fun in the fields of music, sport, and art.

Ibises

The gregarious ibises, white with a trademark red bill and face, roost and feed in large flocks. They prefer mudflats and shallow lagoons, where they love to feed on crabs and small fish.
Iglesia de la Altagracia (1922)

This Victorian church is famous for its miracle cures.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (1555)

The church has a distinctive mahogany pulpit.
Iglesia del Carmen (1590)

Duarte’s secret Trinitaria organization met here to plot the fight for independence.
Iglesia Parroquial, San Cristóbal

The massive mustard-colored parish church, with an imposing tree-lined plaza in front, was built in 1946 at huge public cost by the dictator Trujillo to honor his hometown.
Iglesia Regina Angelorum (1537)

This forbidding structure’s most impressive feature is its rich Baroque altar.
Iglesia San Lázaro (1650)

This church-hospital specialized in caring for lepers.
Iglesia San Pedro Apóstol, San Pedro de Macorís

This landmark church, with its tall turreted bell-tower features a Romanesque doorway, Gothic-style gargoyles, and an imitation rose window. Built in 1911, it has long-standing associations with the English-speaking cocolos.
Iglesia Santa Clara (1552)

The first Franciscan nunnery in the Americas.
Independence Day

The Carnival period reaches an ear-splitting climax in Santo Domingo with a parade of costumes and bands along the Malecón. This also marks the anniversary of the country’s independence from Haitian occupation.