Welcome to Dominican Republic, my 142nd Visit and 135th Run UN Country out of a UN total of 193. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
This was the only afternoon landing on an island. We arrived at 1pm and off the ship by 2pm. Earlier that morning we spent considerable time online trying to find a hire car since no one replied from my initial enquiries way back in September 2025. My hope waned since internet was not strong enough to call hire car companies on my phone so I tried my luck at asking the ship’s Guest Services to call – and they did !!! That saved us. We finally found a car rental that had availability (most did not) and willing to bring the car to our Port, 12km from the main town of Puerto Plata. What a relief – it was the only car hire I had not planned in advance out of 23 !!! This was our “second save” of avoiding no hire car.
Second cruise. First off the ship !!! My title was back. Off at 2pm and a brisk walk for almost a kilometre took us to our white Hyundai Propane Vehicle !!! Two young local guys who could barely speak English (Spanish is very dominant here) had contracts ready to sign so it was the quickest and cheapest getaway to date. Our first stop was 16km away at a straight section of the main northern coast highway some 6km out of Puerto Plata, the main city 12km from Amber Cove which is the purpose-built cruise port for huge ships. It is here I ran and Bundy walked. It was 3pm when we set out and the hottest, most humid run to date. I was glad when it was all over. From here we visited Mary at the car rental office because her English was the best we could find – I spoke to her on WhatsApp. She introduced us to her dad Antonio and the interview with Bundy was passable. Next stop was Long Beach only 5min away. The coastline here has warm water but is full of garbage. The city also was in very poor condition. Garbage everywhere especially visible during our run/walk. The city of Puerto Plata was not as bad as St Johns of Antigua but a close second. The island itself is very lush and rugged, full of thick forest, but not as lush as Saint Lucia or Dominica. As a result, we placed Dominican Republic as second last just in front of bottom-placed Antigua. After Long Beach it was a quick visit to nearby Fortaleza de San Felipe, which is in good condition and in an excellent location. Puerto Plata, like most Latin American cities had tons of motorbikes – most without helmets. They pop up everywhere and hard to see. Popped into car rental office again to get a ride back to the port in time to board at 6pm, 2.5hrs before last call and set sail. Timing was good as the sun was just setting as we embarked. Went straight to shower and straight to a well-earned wine-olives-cheese-salmon – yes you read right !!! The now so-called “Cruising Culture Club” now features smoked salmon in its repertoire !!! All thanks to Holland America Line. Bundy now has to compete with 1,900 Chinese to get it at breakfast but he loves a challenge and never comes back empty-handed. Another delicious dinner of pepper beef and broccoli stir-fry followed by a leaning tower of Pisa Chocolate Soft Serve !!! Once again Selina lulled us to sleep for what was a challenging but successful day given we woke up with no car and went to bed with a complete Golfco footage package in just 4hrs which you will see for yourself below…
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN A NUTSHELL:
The Dominican Republic is an upper-middle-income country and the largest economy in the Caribbean region, known for sustained economic growth driven by tourism, manufacturing, and mining.
• Capital and Largest City: Santo Domingo.
• Area: 48,671 km².
• Population (2025 11.53 million.
• Life Expectancy (2024): 73.9 years.
• Official Language: Spanish.
• Ethnic Groups (2022): 71.72% Mixed, 18.70% White, 7.45% Black, with other smaller groups.
• GDP (2025): $USD135.545 billion.
• GDP per Capita (2025): $USD12,452.
• Real GDP Growth (2024): 5.0%.
• Currency: Dominican peso (DOP).
• Key Industries: Tourism, manufacturing (medical devices, electrical equipment), gold and ferronickel mining, and agriculture.
• Unemployment Rate (2024): 5.5%.
• Poverty Rate (2021): 23.9% of Population.
• Government Type: Unitary presidential republic.
• Literacy Rate (2022): 98.5%.
• Health Expenditure (2021): 4.9% of GDP.
• Climate: Moderate, relatively mild tropical climate, ameliorated by trade winds.
BRIEF HISTORY OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
The history of the Dominican Republic is a dynamic narrative marked by indigenous roots, colonial rule, struggles for independence, and a modern transition to democracy.
• Pre-1492: The island of Hispaniola was inhabited by the Taíno people.
• 1492: Christopher Columbus arrived on the island and claimed it for Spain, naming it "La Isla Española" (Hispaniola).
• 1496: Bartholomew Columbus, Christopher's brother, founded Santo Domingo, the first permanent European settlement and the capital of Spain's New World colonies, still a continuously inhabited city today.
• Early 1500s: The indigenous population was decimated by disease, starvation, and forced to work in gold mines, leading Spain to import enslaved Africans to work on new sugar plantations.
• 1697: Under the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded the western third of the island (which became Haiti) to France, keeping the eastern part (Santo Domingo).
• 1821: Dominican leaders declared independence from Spain, but the newly independent state was invaded and annexed by Haiti just a few months later.
• 1822-1844: The entire island was under Haitian rule, a period of military occupation that fuelled strong antagonism between the two sides.
• 27 February1844: The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Haiti.
• 1861-1865: Facing internal instability and external threats, President Pedro Santana returned the country to Spanish colonial rule; a nationalistic War of Restoration ensued, permanently restoring independence by 1865.
• Late 19th Century/Early 20th Century: The nation experienced decades of political turmoil, numerous coups, high foreign debt, and a succession of military strongmen (caudillos).
• 1916-1924: The United States occupied the Dominican Republic to restore order and manage its customs debt, leaving behind a modern military that would influence future politics.
• 1930-1961: General Rafael Trujillo established a brutal and repressive dictatorship that lasted over 30 years until his assassination.
• 1962: Juan Bosch was elected in the first free elections in nearly four decades but was deposed by a military coup a year later.
• 1965: A civil war erupted over efforts to restore Bosch, leading to a second U.S. military intervention.
• 1966-1996: Joaquín Balaguer, a former Trujillo ally, ruled for much of the next three decades, maintaining stability with a tight grip on power.
• Late 20th Century-Present: The Dominican Republic transitioned to a stable, multi-party democracy, experiencing significant economic growth through a diversified economy (tourism, manufacturing, and services).
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
1. Santo Domingo, founded in 1496, is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established city in the Caribbean.
2. The Dominican flag is the only one in the world to feature the Holy Bible in its coat of arms, which is open to John 8:32, which reads, "And the truth shall make you free".
3. Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the entire Caribbean region, at over 3,000 meters. Lake Enriquillo, the lowest point in the Caribbean at 40 meters below sea level.
4. Birthplace of Merengue and Bachata music.
5. Baseball is the most popular sport, and the Dominican Republic has produced a huge number of Major League Baseball players, including stars like David Ortiz and Albert Pujols.
6. The island's fertile valleys and diverse climate zones allow it to grow a wide variety of crops, including sugar, coffee, and the world's leading supply of organic cocoa.
7. Only place in the world where the rare, blue semi-precious stone known as Larimar is found.
8. From January to March each year, thousands of humpback whales migrate from the North Atlantic to the warm waters of Samaná Bay to mate and give birth.
9. Known for the unique alcoholic drink Mama Juana, made by mixing rum, red wine, and honey with a blend of local tree bark and herbs. It is often considered an aphrodisiac.
10. The location of a "magnetic" hill: in the town of Polo, there is a gravity hill that creates an optical illusion where a car in neutral gear appears to roll uphill.
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