After spending the morning on the beach, relaxing under the shadows of the palms and after having eaten exquisite fresh fish in one of the different restaurants such as, Sporting Club, Bocana, Puerco Rosado, Sueño Caribeño, a refreshing bath awaits you in the splendid blue sea and you can swim to the small island “La matica” or navigate the coast with a pedal boat.
The seabed of many colors and varied, passionate lovers of immersion and diving …
Those who like excursions organize group trips to the Saona and Catalina islands. These trips that normally last all day consist of one-way speedboats and a catamaran return to the rhythm of Latin music, dancing and taking Cuba-libre. The fine white sand beaches and the sea that bathes these islands, rich in sea stars and multicolored fish, will give you unforgettable moments!
Returning to the residential, the afternoon fun begins. Before dinner you can dance on the garden track of Parco del Caribe and for those who do not like dancing, we have the captivating game of dominoes, which always excites everyone: from children to adults.
When dinner time arrives, on the lively Calle Duarte that turns into a pedestrian promenade, you will find different restaurants that distribute tables and chairs on the street to offer their specialties at unbeatable prices, in a very cheerful and charming setting. Strolling down the street you will find numerous bars where you can have a tropical drink and relax to the rhythm of local music
The Dominican Republic with more than five hundred kilometers of beach of many types, some are little frequented and with uncontaminated vegetation, others more equipped and lively but always with the typical tropical charm. The geographical position in the south of the island, the fantastic climate, the little rains throughout the year and the proximity to the capital and to the two main airports (Las Amerícas and La Romana) make Boca Chica a unique and privileged destination.
The beach is surrounded by a natural coral reef and is considered the “largest natural pool in the Caribbean” as well as one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. With its warm, calm and shallow sea of water, its fine white sand and palm trees as a stage, it is a perfect beach for children, for swimming in tranquility or for those who simply want to spend a day relaxing admiring the sea under the sea. tropical sun!
The beach is well equipped: bars and restaurants Sporting Club, Bocana, Puerco Rosado, Sueño Caribeño offer customers chairs and umbrellas. On Sunday when the locals join tourists to spend the holiday, to the rhythm of the music, the atmosphere becomes more cheerful and lively than ever.
Those who prefer a quieter and more solitary day 15 minutes away are the Guayacanes and Juan Dolio beaches.
In Bayahibe, a small fishing village, you can embark to reach the Saona and Catalina islands, national parks and key tourist destinations.
These trips that normally last all day consist of one-way speedboats and a catamaran return to the rhythm of Latin music, dancing and taking Cuba-libre. The fine white sand beaches and the sea that bathes these islands, rich in sea stars and multicolored fish, will give you unforgettable moments!
The Duarte Street a road parallel to the beach, represents the center of Boca Chica’s day and night life.
During the day, the street fills up with tourists strolling through local craft shops to buy wooden statues, colored ceramics, and shirts with the typical drawings of the Dominican Republic. In all corners, there are picture sellers with their characteristic painting style.
The supermarkets are various and you can find everything, and there is an Italian specialty business.
In the afternoon, the street is very pleasant for a quiet walk or to party.
The street is pedestrian and the restaurants and bars set their tables and chairs outside and the tourists stop for a drink, to the rhythm of the local music: bachata, salsa, merengue and regaeton.
At dinner, the restaurants: start offering their specialties. Little Switzerland, with its romantic garden and Italy Italy have been known for a long time and in recent years they have opened new restaurants: Trattoria Romana, Frio Hot, Momo Resto, Batey that offer their quality dishes at a good price. You will find a great choice of pizzerias and a variety of restaurants with local and international food.
Those who want to dine on the beach there are restaurants also open at night: Puerco Rosado, La Terrazza, Nancy, Sueno Caribeno and Bocana, surrounded by the green of palm trees.
Following the walk along Calle Duarte, you reach the Hotel Hamaca, the largest of the hotels that entertains players every night with its elegant and cozy casino.
There are several discos and bars where tourists and locals spend the night dancing or listening to Latin music.
The walk ends with luxury restaurants within the sea: El Pelicano, Neptuno, Boca Marina. All recently renovated, they consist of madeira docks that extend into the sea. These are the most chic and exclusive restaurants equipped to spend a day on the beach as well as a special night under the stars. Dominican high society and celebrities routinely frequent these venues.
During your vacations you can not miss a visit to the historic capital Santo Domingo, which is only 30 minutes away by car and offers entertainment for all tastes: a walk in the colonial area, a dinner in one of the several restaurants, a night of dance in the famous venues on Venezuela street and the casinos of the luxurious hotels on the city’s boardwalk.
It is a charming and suggestive city that combines modernity with Latin charm and the past meets the future. Christopher Columbus arrived here in 1492 and the first center inhabited by Europeans on the new continent was born. The city dating from the 16th century is an extraordinary urban landscape full of palaces, medieval fortresses and historical monuments.
The Plaza de España with the Casa de Colón and the old Cathedral form the heart of the “Zona Colonial”.
Shops, nightclubs, theaters and much more just a few minutes from the “Zona Colonial”, there are modern buildings and shopping centers, with an incredible variety of shops and activities of all kinds. As in all major cities, there is a wide variety of restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, bars and clubs where you can spend unforgettable moments on vacation.
The famous and beautiful promenade “Malecon”, full of palm trees and modern buildings, is a favorite destination for a quiet, pleasant and relaxing walk. It houses the largest and most popular hotels in the Dominican Republic.
There is no lack of cinemas and theaters. The history and artistic vitality is tangible especially within its theaters, concert halls and in its cultural galleries. Expert guides can accompany you around the city both day and night, but it is also advisable to do it yourself, taking into account the excellent public transport service, taxis and the great courtesy and availability of Dominicans for any information and suggestion.
In pre-colonial age, the island of Quisqueya (mother of all lands) and later renamed Hispaniola, was inhabited by a population called “Taino”, which in the Aboriginal language had the meaning of “good” “noble”. On December 5, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the island, which returned to a Spanish colony and the first nucleus inhabited by Europeans in the new world was born.
The Spanish domination led a regime of exploitation of the natural wealth and slavery of the population, which caused a collapse of their physical conditions and hope in the future. The Tainos were killed en masse, as the only escape from slavery and evil treatments.
With the introduction of the intensive elaboration of sugar cane, the outline of the black slaves of the various tribes of Africa began, the Taino being practically extinct.
In 1600, the majority of the population moved in the neighborhood of Santo Domingo, the capital, to escape the continuing threat of pirates. This created a general impoverishment of the economy and allowed pirates to occupy the eastern part of the Dominican Republic and organize their impact on ships going to and from Europe.
In the late 1800s, in the western part of the island, a slave rebellion marked the independence of Haiti, the French colony, and the mother country …. Napoleon sent a military expedition to the reconquest, but it failed and declared definitive independence and the abolition of slavery.
The Dominican Republic, after a short independence, in 1822 was invaded and dominated by Haiti itself, until 1844 when a people’s movement led by Juan Pablo Duarte reported independence. The newborn state, was placed under the protection of the United States, France and England, but facing the risk of invasion by the United States, in 1860 he signed a treaty of remission to Spain. The treaty sparked a revolt, concluded with new independence.
Beginning in the 1863s, the presidents were democratically elected, until when the United States to defend economic interests on the island, in 1930 supported the dictator Trujillo, who ruled hard and massacred most of the Haitians, returning the lands to Dominicans.
On the death of the dictator, assassinated in 1961 by a conspiracy, his partner Joaquín Balaguer tried to remain in government, but Juan Bosch Gavino, founder of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), won the elections.
His policies were not accepted by the United States, which participated militarily and in 1965 they elected Joaquín Balaguer, who ruled until 1978 and then from 1984 to 1996. In the interval, the Dominican Revolutionary Party returned. Political instability created disastrous economic consequences and stopped the development of the country.
DEMOGRAPHY
The population of the Dominican Republic has approximately 9 million inhabitants. Most of them live in Santo Domingo, the capital and in other cities, while only a third live in the interior and dedicate themselves to various agricultural crops: sugar cane, coffee and more. The inhabitants are mostly mulattoes, born thanks to the union of the Europeans with the Africans.
The culture has Hispanic influences and also American and African. The official religion is Catholicism, but there is a strong presence of the Evangelical Church.
