Europeans' contact with the country and their first permanent settlement of the Americas began in 1492 with Christopher Colombus's discovery of Española, called “Quisqueya” by the native Tainos. His enthusiasm for its extraordinary natural beauty led him to call it a “Miracle from the hand of God”. The Taino inhabitants of the island were a robust and peaceful people, yet in the 13 years following the first settlement of arrival of the Spaniards an estimated 600,000 of them died from violence and disease. The following five hundred years saw a series of struggles between colonial powers, leading to the eventual independence of the Dominican Republic in 1844.

The Dominican Republic is a land of white sand beaches and majestic natural landscapes abounding with coconut palms and hospitable people. The country has a surface area of 48,734 km2 and 7,408,000 inhabitants. It covers three quarters of Española island, which it shares with its neighbor Haiti in the heart of the Caribbean.

Government: A system of stable, representative democracy has flourished since the latter half of the 20th century. The Dominican Republic today elects its President and a bicameral Congress. The nation is divided into 32 provinces and one National District.

Language, Religion and Climate: Spanish is the official language, although English, French and other languages are spoken by many. The Catholic church is the confession of the great majority of Dominicans, although the country is welcoming of those who practice other religions and they do so freely. Tropical, with temperatures varying between 22 and 30 degrees Celsius (72 - 86 degrees Fahrenheit). Sunny skies are found year-round.

Visa and Immigration Issues: Each individual in his or her own country should verify what visa or other travel measures must be taken before visiting the Dominican Republic. We recommend that you consult with a Consulate of the Dominican Republic in your country.

Currency: The Dominican currency is the peso. Foreign currency should be exchanged for pesos. Airports and hotels have Exchange banks. All major credit cards and travellers checks are accepted in most businesses. The U.S. dollar and the Euro are also accepted directly by the majority of hotels.

Beaches: Dominican beaches are world-renowned; a United Nations report in 1968 described them: “of all the beaches in the world very few have such transparent waters and white sands; it seems a fantasy”. The country is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Music and Popular Culture: The Merengue is the national music and dance of the Dominican Republic. According to experts it originated in the Cibao Valley (in the Northern region of the country), but others insist it was born in "La Línea" (along the Haitian border). The music is omnipresent throughout the country, and its contagious, joyful rhythm has crossed borders and met with thunderous success, especially in Latin America.

Punta Cana and Bavaro

Punta Cana is the name of a place located east of the Dominican Republic, in the province of La Altagracia, and where many resorts are located. Its has a total area of approximately 420,000 m2. The Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), receives international flights from around the world, and with the entry 2,000,000 tourists per year.

Punta Cana area begins north whit the Playa de Arena Gorda, and the famous Playa Bavaro, Macao and Playa El Cortecito. Around the end of Playa Cortecito you find the beaches Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Deceit, Punta Cana and Juanillo.

he coastline of white sand beach stretches 50 km. Part of it is the longest beach of Bavaro, regarded by the government of the Dominican Republic as a national treasure because its rich flora and fauna and the natural beauty that can be seen there. Bavaro is a borough located in Punta Cana and is the most visited tourist spot for tourists and locals, for its large number of 5 star resort hotels. Throughout the area there are dozens of comfortable hotels.

We have installed numerous tourist attractions, for example Bavaro Manati Park, a water park with manatees, dolphins and other kinds of animals. Bavaro area maintains exclusivity and elegance, that’s why it receives the title its classified as best Caribbean beach as one of the top tourist attractions in the world.