Punta Cana - Bavaro

Punta Cana is an area in the eastern-most part of the Dominican Republic. It has been estimated to cover approximately 420,000 m² with about 100,000 people. It is part of the recently created Punta Cana-Bavaro-Veron-Macao municipal district. The area experiences tropical climate with average annual temperatures reaching up to 26^oC. The locals of this area speak mainly Spanish but English is also spoken by some of the people especially at areas like resorts, restaurants, bars and discos.

Since the1970’s, Punta Cana has been known to be a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean region. There are quite a number of tourist destinations in this area. The Bavaro beach is very beautiful. Its sands are heavenly and warm and just being there leaves you with a great feeling of harmony. The waters at the coast are clear and sheltered by a reef and thus you will have fun swimming or getting involved in any water sport. Along the beach, there are people who sell excursions or you can just register for many of them at whatever resort you stay. 

Another attraction is the Espada Golf Course. According to worldwide golfweek rankings, this golf course has been categorized as one of the worlds finest in the Caribbean and Mexico. This golf course offers you the opportunity to play on eight holes along and over the sea. While playing, the golfers are able to enjoy a great view of the Caribbean Sea. This exposes the golfer to an extraordinary contrast view between the sea and the emerald fairways and the greens of the course.

Other major attractions are the resorts which are composed of diverse architecture and interior design that has been majorly inspired by the Spanish and other native speakers that are part of the Dominican culture. Your stay will not be complete if you leave Punta Cana without seeing the Bavaro runners. Through this you will get to experience the real people and their lifestyles through a highly popular safari excursion practice that is carried in the area. You will have a chance to visit typical Dominican homes in the process, some authentic sugarcane plantations and enjoy horseback riding along the way on the beach.

If you love animals, then you will have to make sure that you visit the Manati Park on your tour to Punta Cana. Some of the animals that you will come across in the park include exotic fish, parrots and horses. And if you know how to swim you may have the privilege of swimming with real dolphins! There are ocean adventures too that you may not want to miss which include activities like driving a high performance boat, an excursion adventure that involves yoga, massage and so forth. You may also book up a trip on a double floor catamaran which is taken towards a secretive and special beach area that has nurse sharks and stingrays which are meant for a secure interaction program.

There are a lots of other tourist attractions that you will actually find at Punta Cana. It is an awesome place for going on a vacation. You may not find another place like it in the Caribbean.

Samana – Another Exotic Tourist Destination in the Dominican Republic

Samana was found on the coast of Samana Bay, which is an area in the northeastern of the Dominican Republic. It is the capital city of the Samana province. It occupies about 49 percent of the province with a total of about 51,501 people: 26,317 men and 25,184 women as of the recent statistics taken. It has an average annual rainfall of about 2,349.8 mm, while its mean annual temperature has been predicted to go up to 26.5^oC. It covers a considerably small plain area which is near the coast but a large part of it is found in the hills which encircle that plain.

This city is well known as a tourist destination. People who love the beauty of nature and just want to have adventure visit it to have a look at the green mountains, the long beaches, the lively small towns that are in that city and not forgetting the turquoise waters. For the people who need a place for their honeymoons it will actually be an excellent choice to pick. It has various small but very exotic hotels which will keep you mesmerized by its surroundings. 

During your stay there you can do fun activities such as scuba diving, visit Los Haitises National Park, El Limon waterfall, whale watching (only part of the year), horseback riding, four wheel adventures and many other things. Many of the beaches on this area of the island have not seen any developments so many of these virgin beaches are still among some of the best preserved ones in the country.

There are many other attractions in this city apart from some that have already been mentioned. There are beaches on both the north side and the south side of the city. The beach on the north is known for its fun waves which can be quite rough sometimes. To access it one has to use the road or alternatively use a boat. The beach on the south on the other hand is comprised of a protruding coral reef which is known to shield the Samana bay from the Atlantic waves. It has got very beautiful sand beaches which are surrounded by beautiful coconut trees. 

Another attraction is the El Limon waterfall, which covers up to about 300 meters above the sea level.  The fun thing about this waterfall is that you are able to swim in it and enjoy its crystal clear waters. It has a drop of about 40 meters long.

More attractions include exploring caves. These caves played a major role during the battle between the Indian settlers and the European conquerors. Los Haitises National Park is also an attraction site worth checking out. It is popular for having one of the most vital rainforests and mangrove reserves in the entire region of the Caribbean, which encompasses keys and caves.

Samana city is just an awesome place to visit. The area is very exuberant with a lot of natural tourist attraction spots and therefore making it a good choice for a place to spend your vacation. One important fact to know as a tourist regarding this place is that credit cards are somewhat not easily accepted. You may therefore be obliged to carry cash when touring or you can alternatively use travel checks or ATM cards to process your purchase transactions.

Dominican Republic Mountains

Constanza and Jarabacoa

If you feel like discovering a different part of the island and enjoy a different experience around beautiful mountains, I suggest checking out Constanza and Jarabacoa. These two beautiful towns offer some of the best mountain scenery of the Dominican Republic. Located towards the center of the island, you will get to enjoy spring weather all year round. I can almost feel the clean and cool breeze you feel in the morning as I'm describing this area. It's great to see the heavy fog accumulation on the outskirts of the mountain below you. It's like looking at the clouds from above, just mesmerizing.

Both towns rely mainly on agriculture. Some of the most common crops are coffee, strawberries, apples, peaches, garlic, potatoes, and different types of peppers. I was in awe the first time I saw these never-ending strawberry fields on the side of the mountains. You will also notice many different kinds of roses and tropical flower species making this part of the mountains a very desirable area.

The locals are among the friendliest people I have ever met. They treat any stranger as if they were part of their family. These towns may not have the nightlife you would normally find in other towns/cities but they certainly manage how to have fun when the long day at work is over.

You will find some of the largest rivers in the country here. The Yaque del Norte and Jimenoa river merge in the Confluencia. The confluencia is a beautiful camping spot if you ever want to camp out in the woods. This is also a great spot if you are into river rafting. It’s a great experience so don’t miss out on that. They will give you a quick briefing on how to follow the guide’s commands to handle yourself and the boat as it rushes through some adrenaline jumps and turns.

You can stay at some of the local resorts where you can sign up for river rafting, mountain excursions to waterfalls (i.e. Salto de Jimenoa), horse back riding and golfing. The Salto de Jimenoa is just impressive if you visit it after the month of May when they get a lot more rain from tropical storms. To get there, you will have to cross a series of hanging bridges like the ones you saw in Indiana Jones, the movie.

Constanza is very similar to Jarabacoa but I believe it gets slightly colder at times here. It has a record low of 30.2 F back in 1958. Its average temperature ranges between 41 °F (5 °C) and 68 °F (20 °C) and it is located 4000 ft above the sea level. The nearby location of Valle Nuevo freezes from time to time and you may notice snow falling around its highest peaks. However, the snow rarely accumulates. Constanza offers a good starting point to get to the Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean.