DK Travel : Dominican Republic : History & Culture

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Joaquín Balaguer (1906–2002)

A politician who didn’t like losing, won six dubious elections from 1966 to 1994.
Juan Pablo Duarte (1813–1873)

The revered father of the Dominican nation, a patriot who freed his country.
La Churcha, Samaná

This red-roofed NonConformist church is made of prefabricated parts, sent from England by Methodists in 1823 to cater for English-speaking former slaves from North America who settled here under Haitian rule.
La Isabela

The museum at the Parque Nacional Histórico La Isabela highlights the everyday life in a Taino village. Outside are examples of an indigenous bohío or thatched dwelling, and gardens containing staple crops grown by Taino communities.
Las Caritas

The “little faces” chiseled into the coral rock of the cave overlooking Lago Enriquillo have a range of expressions. Some represent Tanios praying. Local legend has it that the renegade Taino leader Enriquillo (see Enriquillo (1498–1535)) hid in this cave while on the run from the Spanish.

Taino cave, Las Caritas
Los Indios de Chacuey

An indigenous (and much smaller) version of Stonehenge, in England, a circle of rocks surrounds a stone slab in the middle of a huge open space. Nearby, religious petroglyphs suggest that this was an important ceremonial center.
María Montez (1912–1951)

Glamorous Barahona-born actress, who made it big in Hollywood in the 1940s.
Monasterio de San Francisco (1508)

The ruins of the New World’s first monastery are also used for concerts.
Museo Prehispánico

This museum holds specimens of delicately carved jewelry and decorated pottery. The powerful spiritual dimension of Taino society is vividly brought to life by the clay zemis , depicting various gods, and by a ceremonial stool, apparently used in rituals by a village chieftain or cacique .
Parque Nacional Los Haitises

Inhospitable mangrove swamps and rocky terrain mean that the Taino sites can only be accessed through an organized boat trip. Caves within the park have extensive drawings, including scenes of hunting, birds, whales, and various faces.