Monday, August 1, 2011

Dominican Republic Tourist Attractions, Tourist Attractions Dominican Republic, Tourst Places in Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic Popular Tourist Places, Dominican Republic Popular Tourist Attractions


Dominican Republic Tourist Attractions
Below you'll find some fun and exciting Dominican Republic Tourist Attractions. With our Dominican Republic tourist guide you can find tourist information and fun things to do on vacation while browsing the Dominican Republic tourist sites by category or location. Use the side links to find more Dominican Republic Tourist Attractions, vacation information, hotels, hot travel deals, and restaurants for your Dominican Republic travel.

Catalina Island Dominican Republic Tours

Catalina Island Dominican Republic Tours

Catalina Island is a small land mass of 6 square miles off the shores of the Dominican Republic, formed by coral stone and surrounded by one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea. It is classified as a national monument with a protected environment and little development, making it a popular spot for diving, fishing and snorkeling. You can arrange tours to Catalina Island with private companies, often through the mainland resorts and hotels.

Location

The Dominican Republic occupies about two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti on the western side. Catalina Island lies 1.5 miles from the southeastern shore of the mainland, in the Caribbean Sea, near the slightly larger islands of La Altagracia and La Romana. There are several well-known caves and reefs in the area, as well as famous shipwrecks. You can view the wreck of 17th-century pirate Captain William Kidd at less than 20 feet below the surface.

Island Tours

Spend a day on a private beach owned by Island Tours, which provides fully staffed and catered day trips to Catalina Island. Full-day cruises run regularly, or visitors can arrange custom charters to fit their own time frame. Sailings depart from Casa de Campo, La Romana, Bayahibe or Rio Cumaysa on either a trimaran or sailboat, depending on the number of people. Upon arrival, spend the afternoon fishing, snorkeling, lounging on the beach or exploring the island. A white tablecloth lunch buffet and drink service serves fresh favorites like fish, pasta, tropical fruit, rum and local beers.

Colonial Tour and Travel

For a Catalina Island tour that also includes other popular spots in the Dominican Republic, the Colonial Tour and Travel company will pick up guests in air-conditioned buses from hotels in Punta Cana-Bavaro, Bayahibe-La Romana, Boca Chiica, Juan Dolio and Santo Domingo. The tour stops in Altos de Chavon, an artist village that replicates a medieval Mediterranean city, and then boards guests onto speedboats in the River Chavon for a visit to Las Minitas Beach in Casa de Campo. The next stop is Catalina Island, where drinks are served before snorkeling in dive spots known for an abundance of tropical fish, coral and underwater rocks, sandbars and reef. A lunch buffet is served on the island, featuring giant lobster, barbecue meats, tropical fruit and local Dominican desserts. Tour guides explain the history, geography and environmental importance of the island.

Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises is a major Italian cruise liner that stops in Catalina Island as a port of call for passengers on larger Caribbean Island vacations. If you are onboard a Costa vessel that stops in Catalina Island, a variety of day tours are available for exploring the island. Some excursions combine trips to shore destinations in the Dominican Republic, but others focus primarily on Catalina itself. A catamaran offers guests a chance to cruise the waters around the island, sipping rum or dancing the merengue to island music. The catamaran also stops for snorkeling or swimming in the coves and lagoons before returning to the main vessel. Land expeditions are also available on Catalina, which has a tropical forest in the middle of the island.
La Romana, Dominican Republic for Tourists

La Romana, Dominican Republic for Tourists 

La Romana is a Caribbean beach vacation that is well-known to Europeans but relatively obscure to many Americans. Visitors to this beach resort in the Dominican Republic will discover that it has many of the same charms as other Caribbean island destinations, plus some special draws of its own. In addition to its beaches and scuba diving, La Romana is next door to both a noted fantasy village and an internationally-renowned national park.

Location

La Romana is on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, about 20 miles east of the city of San Pedro de Macoris and 15 miles northwest of the National Park of the East. Santo Domingo, the largest city and capital of the Dominican Republic, is 120 miles east.

Getting There

Flying into La Romana International Airport (LRM) is the only way of reaching La Romana directly. Santo Domingo is the country's transportation hub and has its largest airport and a sea ferry connection to Puerto Rico. Buses from Haiti also stop in Santo Domingo. Travelers to La Romana who arrive in Santo Domingo must rent a car, hire a taxi or take a mini-bus to complete their journey.

Attractions

The main draw of La Romana are the area's white sand beaches and warm, clear Caribbean waters. In addition to fun on the beach, those conditions also make the area an ideal location for snorkeling and scuba diving, with much of the underwater activity centered on neighboring Bayahibe. Altos de Chavon, a fantasy version of a 16th-century southern European village, also is located in the area. In addition to the replica village, Altos de Chavon has a replica Roman amphitheater with concert performances and an archaeological museum. Frommer's described Altos de Chavon as "the country's leading attraction." The National Park of the East, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with dense forests, hiking paths and caves with Taino tribal wall drawings, is another day trip option from La Romana.

Entry and Exit

A visa is not required to enter the Dominican Republic, but visitors are required to purchase a tourist card. This card must be presented upon departure from the country; failure to do so incurs a fine.

Health

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) considers almost all areas of the Dominican Republic to be a malarial hot spot, including resort areas like La Romana. A combination of antimalarial drugs and the vigilant use of insect repellents are recommended. In addition, the CDC recommends its battery of routine vaccinations (such as poliovirus), hepatitis A and B shots, and the shot for typhoid. Travelers to La Romana planning to spend a lot of time in the neighboring national park also might consider a rabies vaccination, especially if they intend to explore the caves there, since some are bat habitats


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