After all the theory about the traffic and road conditions in the Dominican Republic, it was finally time again for a road trip in the mountains. I was traveling on a risky route between Constanza and Padre Las Casas. In the middle of the two highest mountain slopes of the Dominican Republic. What an adventure! It was a real challenge, but seeing the beautiful landscapes in the Dominican mountains was just worth it.
Approximate reading time: 8 minutes
In this article, you will find out why you shouldn’t always rely on Google Maps and why you should allow an hour or two additional time buffers during such a trip.
Recommended reads: Traffic in the Dominican Republic
I’ve written a lot in the past few weeks about the traffic and road conditions in the Dominican Republic. Perhaps these four articles will help you to plan your vacations when you are considering a road trip through the Dominican Republic. Have a look, it’s about these following four articles:
How I prepared this trip to the Dominican highlands
It is fun to get into the car and just pound off. Without a detailed planning for your route, you’re pretty much smitten. Especially with all of these trips through the highlands and the wild nature, there are some things to consider and plan before you blast off.
Don’t trust Google Maps blindly
What I was particularly able to learn during this trip is not to rely on Google Maps. At least not when it comes to the estimated travel time. In this case, more than 2.5 hours of driving time should be planned for 62 kilometers. It’s suspiciously slow for so few kilometers. However, it goes up to 1,200 meters above sea level and the route leads through a mountain pass between the highest two mountains in the Dominican Republic.
The route from Constanza to Padre Las Casas took me between Alto de la Bandera and Pico Duarte.
Overall, the trip took almost twice the estimated time. Of course, a few pee breaks and stops for photos included. But even with this half-hour tolerance in the time calculation, Google Maps has quite miscalculated. Because even the best route system cannot know what kind of complicated route conditions and tight hairpin bends can slow down the speed of travel.
Equip yourself in good time with what is necessary
Your provisions and enough water are essential during your journey on this route. You will drive under the hot sun for several hours and push the AC in the car to its limits. Take enough drinks with you and hydrate regularly with water while driving. Don’t underestimate the heat in the Dominican Republic.
The same goes for gasoline. Of course, you shouldn’t drink that (😅) but you should have enough in your tank. The best thing to do is to fill up the gas in Constanza. You will be on the safe side, because there are no more gas stations up in the mountains. And the constant driving in the mountains swallows a lot of fuel.
Advertisements
Consider the estimated driving time and include time buffers
Google Maps has miscalculated the time in a colossal way and 2.5 hours became almost 5 hours. However, Google Maps cannot know, it can only estimate.
Whenever you follow a vague estimate, plan at least an hour more as a time buffer. Something can always happen. A herd of cows can block the road, you might want to take a longer break or stop every few miles for a photo.
And in times of Covid-19 and imposed curfews, there is additional pressure due to a limited time window. You are only allowed to be on the streets up to a certain hour before traffic controls begin. That was very challenging for me, especially in 2020, and limited my travel adventures by car, very much. Especially on the weekends, when the curfew started at 5pm.
However, it is much more important to have reached the desired destination by the time it gets dark. When the sun is low and setting, driving a car is very challenging anyhow. In the mountains, the light conditions deteriorate much earlier and the routes are more difficult to follow.
When it is dark, the utmost caution is required while driving. In the mountains, driving at night can be life-threatening. There are nowhere street lights installed and I would not advise anyone to take the risk to drive in the dark. For this reason, it makes sense to leave the mountains behind you as early as possible and feel the asphalt roads under your wheels again by daylight.
Expect ‘Carretera Constanza – Guayabal’ as a rocky and uncomfortable road
You need a fit car with good working tires for the way from Constanza to Padre Las Casas. Driving the ‘Carretera Constanza – Guayabal’ is challenging. An SUV with all-wheel drive is recommended for such a slope. The road conditions are so bad that it cannot be even called a road.
How are the road conditions in the Dominican Republic?
As soon as you have left Constanza with the car towards the mountains, the asphalt ends. The street begins to become a narrow path. You are literally wandering over hill and dale, sometimes even through flowing streams. In the heavy rainy season, this route is impossible to go by car. You should remind that before starting your journey.
Drive carefully AND slowly. You need to be aware of the possible dangers that could happen behind the cliff
Many places are barely wide enough for a second vehicle. The few trucks, cars, motorbikes or horses on the way have to maneuver so that you can pass safely with your own car. There are an extremely large number of hairpin bends and steep climbs to cope with your set of wheels.
Advertisements
Beautiful landscapes in the Dominican mountains are worth the hassle
The very first thing you see when you leave Constanza, however, is your hair again. On the outskirts of Constanza, the Dominicans cleared the mountain slopes in order to place a wild garbage dump. Because of hot temperatures and the strong sunlight, the garbage ignites and leaves smoke and offensive smell.
But after you have left this unpleasant part behind you, you will be rewarded. You can expect pure nature and beautiful mountain landscapes.
On this route you are between the highest mountain slopes in the entire Caribbean. If you ignore the dusty gravel roads, you are surrounded by a blooming fauna that you could never have imagined to be so green. In many places in the Dominican Republic, the tropical fauna has been deforested to plant agricultural monocultures such as avocado trees. Within this area you can still see the Caribbean in its full bloom. This is roughly how it looked all over the island before the natural landscapes were exploited:
Beautiful landscapes in the Dominican Republic
The special thing about this trip was being over 3,300 feet above sea level. Completely absurd to believe that these lush and green landscapes are actually belonging to the Caribbean. And yet this natural characteristic is also part of the geographic diverse Dominican Republic.
These mountains are so high and the clouds hang so low that you can almost smell them. And if a huge cloud tries to make it over the mountains as well, the entire valley suddenly darkens.
If you are in the Dominican mountains, you can almost touch the sky and smell the clouds.
Advertisements
Nevertheless, I was happy when I was able to leave this challenging route in the mountains behind me. As beautiful as the view in the pictures was, I could hardly really enjoy it.
It was too dangerous to let your eyes wander for a few moments and look lost in thoughts into the mountainous area. Not paying attention for a moment can be dangerous on such a (off-)road. Therefore, it is better to have a lot of small breaks in order to be able to take photos and enjoy the landscape instead of doing it while driving.
Lush green landscapes and pastures define the Dominican hills near Guayabal
Speaking of dangerous: Pretty much towards the end of the journey through the mountainous landscapes, after more or less 75% of the section, the brakes failed when going downhill. I could only let the car roll out and maneuver with the handbrake until the car came to a standstill at some point. Quite a challenge!
At some point the cart overheated and the brakes no longer worked downhill. The best solution: open the bonnet and let it cool down before continuing your drive.
At some point the brakes ran hot and stopped working. This usually happens on trips that go downhill for a long period of time. Frequent braking will eventually make the iron glow. In that case, you should try to stop the car immediately, secure it with the handbrake and let it cool down for a few minutes before continuing.
So you can certainly imagine that I was relatively happy when I arrived. Everything went well and I made it safely to my destination. 5 hours of intensive car drive with maximum concentration with failing brakes driving downhill may not be the right hobby for everyone. I thought it was great!
Did you like this article?
Subscribe to my blog and never miss an update!
I can promise you, that many other articles are currently under construction and just wait for you to be read.
Come back regularly and check out many more interesting stories about the
Every adventurous and curious individual tourist will sooner or later come to a crucial issue when planning a vacation: Should I go on a round trip in a rental car? Driving around an unknown country on your own for several days or weeks? Is the whole preparation, organization and implementation really worth it or far too complicated and error-prone for relaxing vacations? With a series of articles I would like to help all interested travelers from my own experience with my knowledge.
The first article is about one of the most crucial topics. In all of our imaginations, we would expect the road conditions in a developing country like the Dominican Republic are challenging to drive.
Advertisements
Is it safe to drive in the Dominican Republic?
We would probably all assume that the road conditions in the Dominican Republic are in bad condition and dangerous to drive. A road trip on the streets of the Caribbean dream island is far too risky and wanders over hill and dale. Fortunately, these assumptions are only true in exceptional cases.
The road conditions in the Dominican Republic are relatively good for a Latin American developing country. In recent years, many new highways have been added to the national transport network. Even if this is more interesting for travel planning, it not only shortens distances but also saves fuel costs. As a consequence, you can get to your desired destination across the island much faster, cheaper and safer.
Of course, there are also dangerous moments when you are driving a car in the Dominican Republic. However, this risk is usually less due to the nature of the road itself. Rather, the Dominican people are the ones to blame for a lot of traffic accidents. But that should not be the topic of this article and rather be addressed in another article.
How are the road conditions like in the Dominican cities?
Driving in the cities is relatively chaotic and disorganized. This is especially true for large metropolitan areas such as Santo Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata. Not only the street alignments in these cities lead very often to confusion, but also motorway accesses and an unbalanced ratio of traffic signs create confusion for all traffic participants. Just the typical Dominican and Latin American daily chaos.
Apart from the often questionable behavior of Dominicans in traffic …
If you are traveling in the big Dominican cities, then you have to expect all possible scenarios as a driver when the traffic lights are red.
… the Dominican cities are hardly worth a serious visit either. The older the districts, the narrower, more winding and more complicated the scenarios that occur in daily Dominican traffic. You should only do this to yourself if you really want to invest a lot of patience and time in your holidays. Otherwise, you will lose valuable vacation time on street corners like this one in the historic Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo:
Just one of the examples of the daily traffic chaos in Santo Domingo
Advertisements
But if we are honest, these cities should only be visited briefly for the cultural and historical highlights or avoided completely for your road trip in the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican cities, as in almost all major Latin American cities, you’d find yourself quickly in hopeless traffic chaos …
Rush hour traffic at 6pm in Santo Domingo (filmed from the rooftops of Agora Mall)
… and you wouldn’t be able to see the really beautiful and authentic landscapes of the country either. And they are worth visiting!
What are the road conditions like in the Dominican countryside?
However, the further you get distant from big cities and touristy areas around Punta Cana and Samaná, the more challenging the road conditions become. But this can be also observed in several other examples worldwide. It probably happens in every country that the road conditions outside the metropolitan areas deteriorate and become a challenge for the driver.
That’s how the way to Salto Yanigua looks like. And the surface got much worse.
The only ‘traffic sign’ that leads to Salto Yanigua. And you barely can see it from the street
The difficult texture of the road
But at least, this Jeep served well during the ride
This is the real Dominican Hinterland. Road conditions are terribly bad and only passable with a motorbike or an SUV.
The only road connection between Constanza and Padre las Casas in the Dominican mountains.
Rocky and unpaved streets lead between the farmlands
Driving in the countryside is relaxing and problem-free due to less traffic, you should focus more on other things. Potholes are increasing, the nocturnal street lighting is virtually non-existent and some animal encounters can happen at any time. Be aware of these numerous occasions.
“Warning – Iguanas crossing”
Now the traffic sign suddenly makes sense!
A good example that you should take care of all road users in the Dominican Republic
In addition to these exotic creatures, there are also enough examples of farm animals that can also cross your path while driving. Or even go with you in the same direction. Sounds strange, but it has happened to me often enough myself.
It is not uncommon to come across a bunch of cows on a roadway. This video was recorded on the streets of Pedernales on the way to Eco del Mar.
Wild critters can affect road conditions even in the most remote places.
Overall, it can be said that the road conditions in the Dominican Republic are relatively good. Almost all major road networks are sealed and paved and stable enough. It is anywhere possible to stop and take short breaks, shoot some photos, visit small sights or try many local specialties and exotic fruits of street vendors along the roadside.
Or simply step on the pace on a deserted street:
Advertisements
Even if the road signs are missing on the surface in the most remote areas, they are hardly needed for normal driving. The streets are wide enough to accommodate multiple lanes. The fact that a bit was saved on the street painting is not a direct disadvantage for the driver.
I’ve always had a lot of fun exploring the country by car. As often as I have the opportunity, I travel through the Dominican Republic to the most remote corners to discover new and exciting travel destinations and the Caribbean nature. Until today, there has not been an accident in which I was involved. And I’ve already driven several thousand kilometers in the Dominican Republic. However, that does not mean that the road conditions in the Dominican Republic are consistently good and that the car can be steered completely safely.
The further you move away from the big cities and road networks, the higher the chance of actually going off-road. In bad weather conditions, THAT is a real challenge for a normal driver and should be enjoyed with caution. But even here, even in the most remote mountain villages, nothing happened to me on muddy stone paths. For example, here on the way back from Playa Bergantin in Puerto Plata:
Playa Bergantin in Puerto Plata. Where the paths are not paved, it can be exhausting to drive.
Suddenly, the rain was coming down in sheets. The roads were unpaved and the deep potholes on this path were quickly filled with water. In addition to the restricted view, it was also difficult to follow the path and not to lose the vehicle because of aquaplaning.
Heavy rains in the Dominican Republic are seasonal and not uncommon. Nevertheless, they can cause certain damage to the roads here and there and make the journey difficult. This must be taken into account when planning your trip.
Doing round trips in the Dominican Republic on your own is therefore very recommendable from my point of view and a nice adventure. Discovering the Caribbean with your own eyes from a completely different perspective is just the thing for adventurers, nature lovers and all other curious travelers who do not want to spend their time in the all-inclusive resorts of Punta Cana.
¿Te gustó mi artículo?
¡Suscríbete a mi blog y no te pierdas ninguna actualización!
Puedo prometerle que muchos otros artículos están actualmente en construcción y solo esperan a que los lea.
Vuelve con regularidad y echa un vistazo a muchas más historias interesantes sobre la
The year 2020 was a year of changes in all of our habits. During times of pandemic restrictions of Covid-19 and many ecologic challenges, our perception of traveling changed over the years, too. And it was almost surprising for me to see and read how the joy of traveling altered in a very peculiar way to be a more negative hobby. Not only happened these changes over the last years very rapid, but they were also at the same time drastically in their approach and public perception. Quo Vadis, traveling in 2021?
Individual traveling was a joy when I made my first trips in Latin America
I remember times in which a traveler was regarded as someone who tried to realize him- or herself – Hoping to shape character and personality during all the jeopardies abroad. Travelers were more or less humble aspirants who are trying to learn from the world. A vibrant mix of an adventurer, daredevil, and carefree person who makes the best of things.
First, traveling before it is too late in life for that. Later, starting a traditional life in society as it was assumed before. With a family, job, and all the other obligations, traveling won’t be possible anymore.
First travel experiences in Latin America in 2014
Very often, I heard how people envied me for my travels. But more in a positive way. That they subconsciously would like to do the same that I do and accompany me.
How individual traveling became a collective problem for society
Advertisements
For a couple of years, however, traveling was more and more considered as an unwanted cost factor for the collective. The questions arose if traveling was an essential thing in life and if it wouldn’t be better limiting it to a minimum.
A strong antipathy against travelers was formed from left and green activists who succeeded in moving this mood into the attention of the middle of society. Instead of looking for solutions on how to continue a travelers’ lifestyle and make it maybe for everyone more eco and more green, travelers got stigmatized as a group of sinners with a burden of guilt.
Traditional Paraguay
The previous positive envy turned into a suspicious resentment with a strong aversion against anyone who breaks out of society to go an own way. All these emissions for the joy of traveling? Shame corner for you travelers, how dare you?
Traveling in 2020 developed as a luxury good and daring exploits
But then the unwanted year 2020 came and changed everything. Covid-19. Coronavirus. A global pandemic, closed borders, minimized air traffic. Traveling was made literally impossible. Cancelations worldwide, millions of people lost their jobs, and financial losses were recorded everywhere.
And the longer Covid-19 remained a spooky thread for everyone, more environmental benefits happened. Luckily, these loud squallers in society got muted along this process as well. But were they at the end correct?
Relaxing at Paraíso Caño Hondo
Suddenly, going on vacation was considered exceptional and extraordinary. Something precious that not everyone can do. And to be honest: Anyone who stumbles thoughtlessly through the world in these highly infectious times has to be daring and unteachable.
Maybe that’s always the case. When a product or service got unreachable, unattainable, or too expensive, we regard it as something almost luxurious. Scarcity creates exclusivity as my old professor from Economics tried to explain to us. Oddly, it is funny to remember that this happens for a former cheap and available thing as traveling and not for delicacies from an endangered species.
Let’s reconsider the art and relevance of traveling
What I didn’t understand was if the people from this community were now happy and satisfied with what they demanded before? In a way, they got with the global stillstand what they wanted. For my part, I feel quite limited in my movability and don’t like this feeling at all. No, I simply hate how it is. How can it be considered a better lifestyle to neither be allowed nor able to move freely?
As a result, there is no rational reason for an auto-aggressive society to scourge and limit itself in such a way that circumstances should be equally unfortunate for everyone. So why brand the individual traveler as heretical and portray them as a scapegoat so that our collective understanding of travel is soothed and no one can / may travel anymore?
Playa Los Patos
In these moments of change, we all scrutinize the question of the significance and the importance of tourism. Not only because of its emissions and what it does good or bad for the collective life. Overregulating our travel activities can’t be the result of a better collective daily life. Making traveling more eco and more green can be the solution. But only if a cooperative society agrees on perceiving traveling as an optional necessity and not as an obligatory burden for society.
Advertisements
Please more transparency and less pointless travel fees
If I want to travel, I should be allowed. More than happy to go, I am anyhow. But without any restrictions and the feeling of guilt that left and green activists try to persuade society. I will never feel guilty about traveling. There is a big gap between guilt and responsibility.
I am pretty sure that the modern traveler is already aware of the consequences of his/her actions. No need to cast stones from the ones without sin. They are already feeling responsible for their travel actions.
The majestic waterfall ‘Foz do Iguaçu’ in Brazil
Instead of paying some airport fees or redundant taxes that vanish in a budget of an airport operator or a governmental body and will never be seen again, I would rather know what happens with my obligatory financial contribution when booking a ticket.
These additional and artificial costs are usually calculated arbitrarily, and neither appear they to be transparent for the traveler. Nobody knows what happens to the money. Can’t we just reuse this money 100% to counteract our vile travel burdens and do something really good instead?
It would be much nicer if these taxes and fees were put into ecological projects instead. Ideally, in those projects that would counteract the emissions caused by a flight. Be it to plant new trees and reforest forests or save other natural projects. There are already many airlines that ask their passengers to pay a voluntary fee during the booking process.
Bringing color to the old graves in Otuzco
Above all, this financial expenditure must reach its actual goal as quickly as possible. Without cost-generating organizations and additional items that hold the money back and prolong the process. It is a well-known problem that more intermediate stations filter the actual donation amount, and in the end, only a small part is used for the desired purpose.
But if the airport, the airline, or the governmental body were to implement these fees and taxes transparently and immediately, then not only the individual conscience of the traveler would be reassured. These nagging activists also have one less reason to demonize the travelers for their lifestyle.
Advertisements
And how will we finally travel in 2021?
Many travelers lost their jobs and a lot of money. Less money means to focus on what is essential and what is avoidable. A vacation abroad should be maybe skipped and procrastinated for another year until things get back to normal. Domestic vacations are also nice. The demand for national and international flights will be in 2021 and the next years lower than in 2019.
As a consequence, there will be less air traffic. Many airlines worldwide went bankrupt as a result of missing revenues during the travel bans. Flight connections will no longer be too closely linked. Maybe you have to step over one more time than before. All of this makes traveling by plane with longer waiting times a little more uncomfortable, but not impossible.
A very lazy and sluggish animal next to the sloth.
And what to do with all the empty capacities in hotels around the world? There’ll be a lot of discounts and low prices to obtain. The hotel industry will try everything to attract old and new customers.
Thus… How will we travel in 2021?
Not much different than we did before. There won’t be any green airplanes with zero emissions. Or new approaches to rescue the image of traveling. If we all still want to go on vacation after the global pandemic, we will do that. But less frequently and maybe not to the most distant travel destinations. If the fear of Covid-19 won’t be allayed – or the pandemic continues to exist in popular tourism destinations – the travel year 2021 will be a gloomy and silent one.
Only those ambitious travelers with an adventurous heart will continue their trips as never anything happened. And I hope, that both the consciousness of the traveler and their criticizers will be balanced. Only with a cooperative approach, traveling can regain a fair and unbiased perception from society. Individual travelers aren’t sinners or bad people because they are traveling. Especially not during times of Covid-19 when they try to keep hotel owners, travel suppliers, and other stakeholders with their expenditures alive.
Are you looking for some real inspiration for your next big travel adventure? A tropical paradise in a coconut shell? Never considered traveling to the most beautiful and diverse destination of the Caribbean? Maybe the Dominican Republic? I would love to inspire with 10 insider facts of the Dominican Republic for individual travelers.
If you answer at least one of these questions with a “Yes”, you are eligible to become an individual traveler in the Dominican Republic. As you can imagine, I wouldn’t write this article, if I couldn’t present some reasons to emphasize, that the biggest country in the Caribbean has at the same time plenty of opportunities and hidden gems to visit as an individual tourist.
During Canyoning – An offroad excursion at “Cola de Pato”
The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean. Yet it has much more to offer than the usual and expectable things. Naming a few…
Big holiday resorts
All-Inclusive-vacations in Punta Cana
Palms along endless beaches
These are standardized imaginations. Probably these are the imaginations most people expect when it comes to this country.
The Dominican Republic is a paradise for individual tourism
What most people don’t know is the versatility of the Dominican Republic. And that it can satisfy the needs of every ambitious traveler type.
Well, let’s say almost every travel type. Winter sports might be a little difficult to realize because of warm and sunny conditions for all year round. For this reason, the climate of the Dominican Republic is also known as an “endless summer.”
But an endless summer in the Caribbean is probably what you already expected. Rather let us focus on some thrilling and unique features of the Dominican Republic which inspire you to travel instantly.
Did you know, that the Dominican Republic…
was discovered during Columbus first expedition?
is also home of the oldest (capital) city of the entire American continent?
has the highest mountain (10,164 feet – 3.098 m) of the Caribbean?
These are only a few of the triggering facts to create curiosity. Yet, the Dominican Republic has much more to offer.
Read in this article 10 characteristics about the Dominican Republic that might surprise you to create wanderlust and see it with your own eyes.
Advertisements
1
Columbus landed here in 1492
Christopher Columbus landed during his first voyage first on the Bahamas and later on Hispaniola Island on December 5, 1492. In 1493, the colony of La Isabela was built on the northeast coast on Columbus’ second trip. Even though the Republic itself was founded as a sovereign state much later, Columbus landed on today’s Dominican territory.
Columbus’ Landing in the Dominican Republic
La Isabela was depopulated by 1500 due to a hurricane. Furthermore, the discovery of gold one year earlier in 1499 in the interior of the country made people flee to follow the gold rush. But the footsteps of Christopher Columbus are still present. And even 525 years later, the site of La Isabela can be visited. There are still some relics of the very first European settlement in the Americas.
On the first glance the ruins of Isabella might appear a little disappointing to the visitor. Before 1986, almost no one was taking care of that place. Unfortunately, a lot of construction material was cleared up by bulldozers in 1952 because of presidential order of the dictator Trujillo. Only the foundation grounds and the reconstructed House of Christopher Columbus are nowadays visible at the excavations of La Isabela.
At second appearance, you can find with a little bit more patience and an informative tour guide a lot of interesting information about the place. Very impressive are the excavations of La Isabela and the items the people from back then were using. They can be seen in the museum. Even recollections from the old Taino people could be found during the excavations. This first European colony was on a very developed state-of-the-art back then, Spanish style.
La Isabela is perfect for a half day trip. And for everyone who would like to follow Columbus’ path seeing the oldest buildings of the first European settlers. Travelers who love to see historical facts with their own eyes will love the colony of La Isabela.
Columbus’ house in La Isabela
Columus’ Landing in La Isabela
Monument and flag of the Dominican Republic in La Isabela
Cemetery in La Isabela (Dominican Republic)
⏳ How much time should I spend here? Not more than 2 – 3 hours
📅 Recommended visit: All year season (Better in the morning hours before it starts to get hot – There is no shade)
💰 Costs: Affordable
Admission per person 200 Pesos <-> 3.50 – 4 USD.
Spanish speaking local tour guide not more than 500 Pesos <-> 8 – 9 USD)
✅ Suitable for: History lovers, archaeologists
Advertisements
2
Santo Domingo is the first capital city on the American continent
The colony of Santo Domingo became the first permanent European settlement in the Americas. Consecutive upon that, Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the new world. Also at the same time, it is the first capital city, the first place of a Catholic cathedral out of Europe, and has the first university and hospital in Latin America. You can breathe in centuries-old history in the Dominican Republic.
Die koloniale Altstadt von Santo Domingo
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Santo Domingo is the oldest city on the American continent.
Some of the original buildings have been restored and can be visited in the charming Colonial City of Santo Domingo. For this reason, a visit to the Dominican Republic should always include a few days Santo Domingo and the Colonial Zone with its picturesque and dainty flair which is worth to discover. Additionally, it attracts yearly thousands of visitors for its festivals. Check out the festival schedule – Maybe you can join the local Carnival, Barbarella and Merengue festivals.
Don’t worry too much about not being safe in the Colonial Zone. This neighborhood is one of the most protected areas in Santo Domingo. Next to that, this part of the city is one of the cleanest – Although it might not seem as it is from the perspective of a visitor from a first world country. But compared to many other neighborhoods, the Colonial Zone is in a quite good and clean condition.
To round up your experience in the oldest city of the American continent, I would like to recommend you to visit two more places which are easy to reach from the Colonial Zone. You’ll need a vehicle though, but would be able to get to the destinations in less than 20 minutes driving time.
Columbus Lighthouse (‘Faro El Colon’) – A mausoleum monument, that contains the remains of Christoph Columbus.
The three Eyes (‘Parque Los Tres Ojos’) – An open-air limestone cave with three lagoons. Check also this dedicated article.
Columbus’ Lighthouse
Parque Los Tres Ojos
Santo Domingo is perfect to start your vacation as an individual traveler in the Dominican Republic. Urban lifestyle and city travelers will love the metropolitan part of the country.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? Not more than 2 nights
📅 Recommended visit: All year season
💰Costs: Affordable
Discovering the Colonial Zone is of course free. But with a local tour guide much more informative and worth it. Should be available between 25 – 35 USD.
Admission for Columbus’ Lighthouse is 200 Pesos <-> 3.50 – 4 USD
Entrance for “The three eyes” is 250 Pesos <-> 4.50 – 5 USD
✅ Suitable for: Urban travelers, history lovers
Advertisements
3
The highest peak of the Caribbean
Contrary to sandy and pristine beaches, the Dominican Republic has the highest mountain of all Caribbean islands. ‘Pico Duarte’ is 10,164 feet (3.098 m) high and was named in appreciation of Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the Dominican Republics’ founding fathers.
The mountainous area offers challenging ascents for hikers. Its peak welcomes yearly approximately 3,000 climbers who like to experience its incredible beauty. That’s less than 10 people every day! As a result of this a real insider tip for everyone who likes to discover nature and be all alone on top of a mountain. And who can claim to have made it to the highest point of a geographic area? If you consider visiting the Dominican Republic, you hopefully have now an additional motivation to hike to Pico Duarte and be on top of the Caribbean!
There are several routes with varying difficulty levels from Jarabacoa that lead to Pico Duarte. Depending on your physical condition, you know which routes and which difficult level are best for you. Only experienced ascensionists should consider to do it alone without a tour guide. It’s recommended to climb up the mountain accompanied by pack animals and tour guides with a good knowledge of the area.
Another little recommendation to maximize your individual experience would be to visit it off the high season. You know now, that approximately 3,000 travelers approach Pico Duarte yearly. But almost the half does it only in January and during the Easter holidays! Try to avoid these peak times and reach the peak of the mountain for the rest of the year.
Pico Duarte is the ideal assignment for mountaineers, adventurers and everyone who seeks for an individual challenge.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? You should expect 4 days for the standard route. Starting ideally from Jarabacoa in the mountains.
📅 Recommended visit: NOT during January and Easter. Evade the peak times and go in low season
Conversely to everything that was written before about the highest peak of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic possesses the exact geographic opposite.
Located in the southwestern region of the country, Lake Enriquillo is the largest lake and the lowest elevation in the whole Caribbean. It covers an area of 145 square miles and the lake level is approximately 140 feet below sea level. Although it can appear seasonable as hypersaline, Enriquillo Lake offers habitat conditions to the largest population of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in the Caribbean.
Lago Enriquillo in the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic
Very unusual as well as the flooding trend: Since 2004 the lake has grown by almost 130% due to increased rainfall and reduced evaporation caused by milder temperatures. This, on the other hand, helps some endangered species who are living in the lake to keep their habitat protected.
Have you ever seen wild flamingos in their natural habitat? At Lake Enriquillo, you’ll have the chance to! You’re a bird watching expert and need some elaborated challenges? As a hint, you should remain patient and wait for the reason number 8 for individual tourism in the Dominican Republic.
If you’re not interested in birds at all, you can also find an endemic iguana species at Lago Enriquillo. The Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) has its habitat there and welcomes you with its majestic appearance. Insiders’ tip: Bring some fresh fruits and feed them, they love cherries!
Lake Enriquillo is a very suitable destination for wildlife watching and nature exploration. And everyone who wants to see pink flamingos needs to see Lago Enriquillo.
Now to a very magic characteristic of the Dominican Republic that became over the last years more and more a viral trend. Close to Barahona in the southwestern part of the country, a tiny town called Polo can be found. Here you have one of the few opportunities in the world to trick scientific laws and challenge gravity at the Magnetic Pole (El Polo Magnético).
If you are going to stop your car in neutral gear in the downhill section, your car will roll up! You don’t believe it? Please drive to Polo and check out the gravity hill. Your car rolling up is caused by an optical illusion due to the condition of the road and the landscape itself. Still, a nice and unique experience. Don’t forget to take enough convincing photos or even illusory videos as a memory. Most importantly: No entrance fees are charged and you can discover it for free! For this purpose, it might be a good idea to include the magnetic pole into your road trip.
Apart from that, there is not much to see and do in Polo. But you can use this stop in your road trip as a nice stopover to continue to the unknown southwest of the country.
The Polo Magnético is ideal for everyone who wants a self-drive tour across the Dominican Republic. And for those who want to trick laws of nature.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? 30 minutes
📅 Recommended time: All year season
💰Costs: Free of charge
✅ Suitable for: Nerds, You-Tubers
Advertisements
6
You will be able to play presidential Golf at ‘Teeth of a dog’
Did you know, that even former US-presidents are coming to the island to play golf? Furthermore, the Dominican Republic ranks with more than 30 beautiful golf courses among the best golf destinations in Latin America. Swing and no miss in the Dominican Republic! Most were designed by famous designers like Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent, Bobby Jones, Nick Faldo and Peter Dye.
The ‘Teeth of the Dog’ course is the most prestigious Golf course in the Dominican Republic. Feel welcome to spend unforgettable golf holidays in the Caribbean. Nine of the Dominican golf courses are mentioned amongst the “Top 50” in the listing of the magazine Golfweek. Many sports champions, enthusiasts and celebrities from around the world came to the Dominican Republic to play Golf. To emphasize some of them: Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush came to play at the Dominican designer golf courses.
Teeth of the Dog golf course is for everyone who would like to bring his or her own pair of clubs. And for those who prefer having a luxury holiday in a Caribbean destination.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? Depends on your budget
📅 Recommended visit: All year season
💰Costs: Expensive
✅ Suitable for: Golfers
Advertisements
7
Merengue has its cultural origin in the Dominican Republic
Sugar, coffee, and tobacco are the most important economic export products of the Dominican Republic. But it’s the typical Merengue music and dances who made the country internationally popular and famous in cultural aspects.
Fast-paced rhythmic music from hand-made instruments in combination with close and graceful dancing moves – nowhere else can the Dominican lifestyle be better observed as during the evenings when the Merengue music is played. The good thing is, that you will find it everywhere in the whole country. Merengue is not only the music and not only the dance, it is a cultural Dominican expression!
In July and August there are several Merengue festivals in Santo Domingo that wait to be discovered from you. They take place around the Malecón and the music beats keep pumping all night. A very special insiders’ tip is the visit of the restaurant ‘El Conuco’. It is one of the most typical Dominican restaurants of the city with traditional decoration, staff in folkloric clothing and typical Dominican dishes. I haven’t seen before anyone dancing as wild but controlled as these two people ON a bottle of rum. Yes, ON a bottle, not with a bottle!
‘Festival de Merengue’ is for cultural explorers, active dancers and such who want to move their hips to Caribbean music.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? One day
📅 Recommended visit: Takes place usually late July – early August
💰Costs: Free of charge
✅ Suitable for: Cultural interested people, dancers
Advertisements
8
Most bird species of the Caribbean have their habitat in the Dominican Republic
You remember the little hint I gave the bird watching experts in chapter 4? Now your time has come to discover why!
Bird watchers have been considered lately with a decent interest from travel destinations. Hence, the Dominican Republic is a pure paradise for bird watchers. Especially Los Haitises National Park, Sierra de Bahoruco and Cordillera Septentrional offer stunning opportunities to observe the winging Dominican wildlife. Amongst tropical trees and many other animals, some threatened, endangered and even endemic species can be seen. Under those circumstances, the Dominican Republic is a pure paradise for ornithologists.
Bird watching in the Dominican Republic
Flamingos at Laguna Oviedo
The diversity of bird species in the Dominican Republic is a consequence of Hispaniola’s complex geologic history with various microclimatic zones. In the Caribbean, the island is geographically the most diverse and enables the habitat conditions. As a result, it offers a habitat for 320 birds whereof 32 are endemic bird species.
And the Dominican birds are worth to glass. You should observe them with your own eyes – or your own field glasses. The unknown southwest offers many opportunities for bird watchers and such who want to become it.
📅 Recommended visit: All year season
💰Costs: Expensive
✅ Suitable for: Nature lovers, bird watchers
Advertisements
9
Neither 99% of the local population nor Trip Advisor know the highest waterfall of the Caribbean
Whenever it comes to really secret insider tips, the following Dominican destination shouldn’t be missed in any anecdotes. Totally disregarded by all guide books and excursions in the country, there is one of these secret insider tips. A waterfall with a single-drop of 390 feet (119 m) can be found in the middle of a green area.
We’re talking about the waterfall ‘Salto de La Jalda’. Truly a travel destination, which is unknown to most of the locals and not even listed on Trip Advisor. A trip to this secret waterfall will take you about 4.5 hours by foot or 2.5 hours on horseback. Don’t forget to pack your swimsuit before you go. Chilled water will refresh your mind once you arrive there.
As it can be still considered as an absolute hidden gem, you shouldn’t hesitate too long to go there. See it with your own eyes, before standardized package tour operators will bring thousands of tourists here. Furthermore, this stunning beauty is beside its long hike easy to reach. In detail, it’s just 1.5 hours distance away from Punta Cana and 2 hours from Santo Domingo. For this reason, it would be the ideal destination for an adventurous day trip.
The top-secret waterfall Salto de La Jalda is perfect for explorers, nature lovers and adventurous travel pioneers.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? 1 full day
📅 Recommended visit: All year season
💰 Costs: Moderate
✅ Suitable for: Nature lovers, hikers
Advertisements
10
Giant humpback whales are born in the Dominican Republic
Especially nature lovers who want to enjoy the diversity of animals will get one’s money’s worth in the Dominican Republic. Each year, approximately 2,000 – 3,000 giant humpback whales arrive in the bay of the peninsula Samaná.
They are migrating seasonally from the Northern Atlantic to the milder Dominican waters for calving and breeding. Their newborns don’t have enough fat reserves to be able to survive the cold winter waters in the northern waters, that’s why they come here to the Dominican Republic. In late March, they are returning to North America, Greenland, and Iceland to their feeding sites to prepare for the next season.
Whale watching in the Dominican Republic
In a wider sense, giant humpback whales are native Dominicans who live abroad for the summer and come back home for winter. Of course, they visit their homeland (or better: “homewater”) every year. How cool is that?
The Samaná Peninsula is ideal for whale watchers, animal lovers and everyone who wants to see whales with their own eyes.
⏳ How much time should I spend here? 1 full day
📅 Recommended visit: From January till mid of March
💰 Costs: Moderate
✅ Suitable for: Nature lovers, hikers
Advertisements
Did you like these 10 thrilling and unique features about the Dominican Republic? Do you feel inspired to plan your next dream holidays there?
As described before, the Dominican Republic has many interesting characteristics that every individual traveler would cherish. If you need more recommendations for your Caribbean dream holiday and some more insiders’ tips, be forearmed for other articles on this blog. You’ll read about some destinations that are hard to find and possibly not even communicated elsewhere in the internet.
If you were happy reading this article, I would be very happy if you are happy to subscribe to my blog to never miss an update. Let’s both be happy together!
Did you like this article?
Subscribe to my blog and never miss an update!
I can promise you, that many other articles are currently under construction and just wait for you to be read.
Come back regularly and check out many more interesting stories about the
