The Dominican Republic shares the Island Hipaniola with the Republic of Haiti. With an extension of 48.400 km square it is the second nation in territorial extension of the Caribbean. Thanks to its climate and to its endless kilometers of beach, the Dominican Republic has become a first class tourist destiny connected to the main cities of the world.
Its population it’s estimated in around 7,600,000 habitants, a mixture of different influences, mostly urban, with about 2,000,000 of residents living in the capital, Santo Domingo. The geography is diverse and includes the Lake Enriquillo, which is 144 meters under ocean level; it is the lowest point of the Caribbean, and the Pico Duarte Mountain, the most elevated of the Caribbean, with 3,175 meters of altitude. The Valley of the Cilbao is the most important agricultural zone of the country.
SAMANÁ
Is a peninsula, located in the Northeast part of the island, to 245 km. of Santo Domingo, is a rich zone in marble. It has the greatest amount of square mts.of the coco palm tree in the world. Innumerable and majestic landscapes can be enjoyed throughout their highways, and wonderful mountain views bathed by gorgeous white sand beaches. The bay of Samana is well-known internationally because each year there is a gather of more than 3,000 Hump whales in a beautiful ritual of mating and, where the visitors can approach them just a few meters away and they can also be photographed. Its main center is Santa Barbara, an old town of fishermen, with a vast port and an international airport. Its more famous vicinity area is “Las Terrenas”, a gorgeous place of kilometric beaches and virgin landscapes.
On the road surrounded by beautiful palm trees, you will arrive to Puerto Plata at the peninsula of Samana, one of the most beautiful places that the Dominican Republic has to offer. The almost virgin beaches allow an absolute abandonment in the middle of a vegetation of totally strange wild flowers for the foreigners, and letting the birds called mirlos sing you to sleep by their song similar to the birds called chinchulines. The small population of fishermen of Santa Barbara of Samana, founded on 1756, has become a net tourist village, but without losing its original roots. There are great hotels and pleasant restaurants in the area.
CLIMATE: The climate that reigns in the coastal zone is warm, as it is usually in the tropic. In the central region, the temperatures are fresher. The temperature throughout the year is of 25 C equivalent to 77 F.
CURRENCY: The Dominican monetary unit is the Dominican Peso.
SHOPPING: The practice of the bargaining is accepted so much in the markets as is in the small sores, except in the department stores that have a fixed price. The most interesting articles are the typical crafts, ceramics, the typical paintings Naïf, the coffee, the tobacco and the rum. The credit cards of international circulation (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) are accepted in most of the commercial centers and restaurants of the country.
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