DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
“The most beautiful land eyes have ever seen…” – Christopher Columbus
Beyond the sun-kissed beaches and laid-back vacation lifestyle, the Dominican Republic offers a rich and vibrant history connecting Europe with the New World.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus guided his flagship, the Santa Maria, to the North Coast of La Isla Española, a paradise that would come to be known as the Dominican Republic.
By 1496, his brother, Bartolomeo Columbus, founded Santo Domingo – the first official city of the New World and now the capital of this enchanted Caribbean country.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990, the capital city’s historic Zona Colonial offers 100 square blocks of historic Spanish-Colonial sites and architecture dating back five centuries. In many ways, the Dominican Republic offers a landscape of contrasts.
Alpine mountains and white-water river rapids. Lush rainforests teeming with wild orchids and bougainvillea. Miles of pristine beaches studded with coconut palms. And the warm, welcoming smiles of the multi-cultural people who call this beautiful country home. It’s no wonder visitors return to the Domincan Republic year after year after year.
PUNTA CANA
If the Dominican Republic is know for it beautiful beaches, clear ocean waters and sunny blue skies, then Punta Cana is the culmination of all that is perfect about the island. Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bavaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia,the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic.
The area is best known for its long stretches of white sandy beaches and turquoise Caribbean waters. This popular destination is bordered to the north by the village and beach of Cabaza de Toro and the Bavaro and El Cortecito beaches famous for their pristine beauty. Because of its beauty, Punta Cana-Bavaro has attracted a group of mega-resorts which provide an eclectic variety of architecture and interior design inspired by Spanish, Mexican and native Dominican cultures.
Areas bordering Punta Cana include Cap Cana to the south and the original tiny fishing-village of Cabo San Rafael. A 330 foot high cliff is located more to the south, near of Boca de Yuma town, a fishing village dated from the 16th century. Nearby, you can find the Ponce de Leon’s Fortress, in San Rafael del Yuma town.
