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.

Brisas del Yaque, Jarabacoa

This place is excellent value for money. The rooms are small but the furnishings are in good condition. Rooms have a small balcony, a TV, and air conditioning. There is no restaurant but the hotel is within walking distance of all the bars, cafés, and restaurants.
Bromeliad

A large grouping of eye-catching plants, of which the pineapple is a member, and increasingly popular as exotic indoor ornamentals. Here, they grow wild, either in the ground or sprouting from a tree, shrub, or even from a telegraph post.
Brujería

The Dominican term for magic, black or white, which most people believe in.
Butterflies

Almost 300 species of butterfly have been identified, but it is thought there are many more, especially in the remote mountain terrain of the Sierra de Baoruco. The arid southwest is home to hundreds of colorful species, including some rare swallowtails and monarchs, attracting growing numbers of lepidopterists.
c. 50 0 BC: Taino Culture

The Taino people arrive on the island they call Quisqueya after a centuries-long canoe-borne migration up the Caribbean archipelago from the Orinoco Delta in South America. A peaceful village-based society of fishermen and farmers, they worship gods of nature and the afterlife.
Cabana Elke, Bayahibe

Studio apartments in a small hotel just behind the all-inclusive Wyndham Dominicus Beach Resort (see Wyndham Dominicus Palace/Beach, Bayahibe), where you can buy a day pass to use the facilities. They also have a restaurant and a bar.
Cabarete

The first French Canadian windsurfers arrived in 1984, creating a surfing paradise around the long strip known as Playa Cabarete and a couple of nearby beaches. As a result, a modern tourist town has grown up between beach and lagoon, catering not only to the surfing fraternity but also to a growing range of independent travelers. Surfing, both windsurfing and increasingly kitesurfing, are Cabarete’s main raison d’être , but there are many other activities on offer.
Cabarete

The best-known and sometimes busiest beach for all sorts of surfing.
Cabarete Blú

This beachside bistro offers elegant dining and good food, including both meat and seafood.
Cabo Rojo

A desolate expanse of gray sand and rocky bluffs, this empty beach (see Playa Cabo Rojo) shows the scars of bauxite extraction. But it’s a wildlife paradise for pelicans and other seabirds.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal and a beer for one including tax and service.
- under $10
- $10–$20
- $20–$30
- $30–$40
- over $40
Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under $30
- $30–$50
- $50–$100
- $100–$150
- over $150