Dominican Republic Holidays 2012

If you want an action packed vacation head on over to the Dominican Republic. To start out your vacation come visit Santo Domingo the capital of the Dominican Republic. While visiting the capital be sure to check out all of the shopping opportunities that the big city provides.

The museums are also worth checking out if you are interested in the history of the land. Once you are done in Santo Domingo head on over to Bayahide for a nature tour with Seavis Tours or head to Puerto Plata for some zip lining fun with Yasika Adventures or go horseback riding at Rancho Lorilar.

The Capital

Santo Domingo with a metro population of 2,084,852 is the largest city in the Dominican Republic, but it also happens to be the capital city. The city is located at the mouth of the Ozama River, which puts it right on the Caribbean Sea. Being that close to the Caribbean Sea visitors to Santo Domingo have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coastal beaches and everything else that the water has to offer.

If the big city isn’t to your liking head on over to the city of Punta Cana where you can learn how to surf at the Macao Surf Camp, which offers lessons that are taught at your pace. If you would rather tour the city, grab a ride with Mikes Dominican Adventure. No matter where you end up in the Dominican Republic you will always find something new and exciting to try.

Food and Culture

The culture of the Dominican Republic is a mix of African, Taino, and Spaniard. While it might not be noticeable to visitors, the difference in class and education separates the island into three separate groups.

The wealthier citizens of the Dominican Republic are mainly Spaniard, while the lower class are Mulattoes. The biggest difference between the two groups is the amenities that are available to them.

The upper class and middle class have a metropolitan culture, but the poorest people on the island don’t even have the basics that they need to survive.

Like the culture of the Dominican Republic, the local cuisine is made up of the same backgrounds.

Due to the Dominican Republic originally being a Spanish colony many of the Spanish traits are still present, especially in the cuisine. One thing that you will notice with the local cuisine is that all of the food groups are included in each dish.

Sofrito is a mix of local herbs and spices that is used in most dishes to give the food its flavor. Empanadas, chicharron, and chimichurris are some of the more popular dishes that you should try.

Wildlife

The exquisite wildlife of the Dominican Republic offers visitors an added bonus. The best place to go to see what kind of wildlife the Dominican Republic offers is the national parks and other protected areas.

In these locations you will notice mainly birds and reptiles rather than mammals because land mammals are not native to the Dominican Republic. Many of the birds in the area are indigenous to the island, such as the Hispaniolan parrot and woodpecker.

Other birds that you will see will include birds that have migrated down from North America for the winter.

Even though there isn’t much wildlife on land going into the sea offers visitors a glimpse into a completely new world.

The coral reefs are a great place to go diving because of the colorful fish of all different species. In the sea, you can also catch glimpses of humpback whales off the north coast during breeding season.

You can also catch a glimpse of the West Indian manatee in Samana Bay.

Climate

The beautiful weather year round in the Dominican Republic is due to its tropical climate. Temperatures in the Dominican Republic average about 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the beach regions, but can get much higher in the southwestern part of the country because of the desert.

Many people refer to the Dominican Republic weather as an endless summer because there is not much difference in the winter and summer temperatures.

The biggest difference in the temperatures will be at night during the winter months because the temperatures cool way down. The summer season runs from May to October, while the winter season runs from November to April.