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Dominican Republic Holidays
From the rainforests and mountains in the west to the beaches and diving in the east, the Dominican Republic has loads to offer for your next holiday. The capital, Santo Domingo is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must see for history buffs or anyone with an appreciation of architecture. It's not just for culture lovers though, Dominican Republic holidays offer you the chance to see humpback whales swimming just offshore and a visit to one of the world’s top windsurfing spots on the northern coast.
30 °C
The Dominican Republic has very stable annual temperatures between 20°C and 30°C with little changes between the months.
9 hours
Punta Cana International Airport: Close to Punta Cana and Bavaro resorts.
Bavaro, Punta Cana
TripAdvisor Traveller rating
Based on 5223 reviews
What is included?
From
£797
Bayahibe, Punta Cana
TripAdvisor Traveller rating
Based on 3929 reviews
What is included?
From
£800
If you like activity holidays, the Dominican Republic is perfect. With a tropical climate and cool winds, the weather here is great and the geography will excite any adventure lover. Go deep into the jungle to see exotic animals like spider monkeys, abseil into limestone caves, swim in waterfalls and tear around the landscape in a dune buggy.
If you like activity holidays, the Dominican Republic is perfect. With a tropical climate and cool winds, the weather here is great and the geography will excite any adventure lover. Go deep into the jungle to see exotic animals like spider monkeys, abseil into limestone caves, swim in waterfalls and tear around the landscape in a dune buggy.
No trip to this tropical island is complete without spending some one-on- one time with the beaches. Beach holidays in the Dominican Republic are second to none with beautiful palm tree beaches and clear seas. If its beach relaxation you’re after, holiday deals to Bayahibe or Bavaro and Punta Cana will be your ticket to paradise.
Water sports lovers: On the north coast east of Puerto Plata is Cabarete, one of the world’s greatest windsurfing spots. Take a short course or simply get an ice cream on the beach and watch the pros. If you prefer to be under the water, the whole east and north coasts from Bayahibe to Puerto Plata are fantastic for snorkelling and SCUBA diving. Grab a mask and jump in.
Culture and history buffs: Dating back to the late 1400s, Santo Domingo was the first European city in the New World. With a fortress, cathedral and winding streets, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is great if you love exploring the local history.
Beach goers and sunbathers: The eastern tip of the Dominican Republic is home to great beaches with miles of white sand and beach bars. This beautiful region has luxurious All Inclusive resorts, great restaurants and palm tree beaches.
Currency: Dominican Peso.
Language: Spanish.
Population: 8,900,000. Santo Domingo has the largest population of any Caribbean city.
Landscape: With mountains, rainforests and hot beaches, the Dominican Republic has a varied landscape.
Time Zone: The Dominican Republic is 4 hours behind the UK (GMT).
Flight time: Around 9 hours from London Heathrow.
Fly to: Punta Cana and La Romana airports are both close to the eastern resorts of Bavaro and Bayahibe. Or fly straight to Santo Domingo for city exploring.
Temperature: The Dominican Republic has average temperatures between 20°C and 30°C all year round.
Best time to visit: November to April is considered the dry season and rainfall during this time is much lower than the summer. With a diverse landscape however, the south eastern region of the island tends to see much less rainfall year round than inland, and the mountains can see freezing temperatures. Whatever the weather though, the majority of the Dominican Republic is generally sunny.
By hire car: Cars can be easily hired from airports, booked in advance or arranged through hotels.
By taxi: Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced.
By bus: Long distance buses are more like coaches and can be booked ahead of time if you want to explore further.
By boat: Some of the charm of this country is its abundance of whales and dolphins. From the east coast, boat and catamaran tours are easily arranged to see these extraordinary creatures in the wild.
For party lovers: A countrywide festival culminating on the Dominican Independence Day, Carnival takes place throughout the entire month of February. With military displays, street food, dancing, music and parades, Carnival is a fun time to visit.
For dancers: To really get into the spirit of this country, experience the merengue in the last week of July/first week of August. Specific to the Dominican Republic, this style of music and dance is celebrated at the Santo Domingo Merengue Festival each year and you can enjoy artisan fairs and food too.
For music and festival fans: The Jazz Festival takes place every November in the beach towns of Cabarete, Sosúa and Puerto Plata, filling the area with music. This is a real must visit for jazz lovers, and takes place by the beaches and many All Inclusive hotels of the area.
