Dominican Republic Essentials

Official Name: Dominican Republic

Location/Geography: The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the entire Caribbean. Taking up about 18,712 square miles, the island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. On the island itself, terrain varies greatly from region to region, including mountainous areas, vast sugar cane fields and lush tropical rain forests.

Climate: The island enjoys warm tropical weather year round. Depending on the location, an average day may see full sun or a sun/cloud mix. The average year-round temperatures are 80° to 86° F (27° to 30° C). The cooler season is November through April while the temperature is at its warmest from May through October.

Government: The Dominicans won their independence from Haiti in 1844. While undergoing some dramatic changes since then, including an 8-year U.S. occupation, the Dominican Republic is now a Representative Democracy.

Capital City: Santo Domingo

Population: The island is home to just about 9 million inhabitants. Approximately 3 million of those reside in the capital city of Santo Domingo. 16 percent of the population is of European origin, 11 percent is of African origin and the remaining 73 percent is of mixed ethnicities.

Official Language: Spanish. Most hotel and tourist destination employees speak some English. In less visited areas, some helpful Spanish phrases would be good to know.

Time Zone: The local time zone is Eastern Caribbean Time (GMT -0400). In the winter this is one hour ahead of Eastern Time. The DR does not observe daylight savings time.

Electricity: Electricity on the island operates at 110 Volts/60 Hertz, the same as in the United States. Converters, therefore, are not needed but surge protectors are highly recommended due to the occasional voltage irregularity.

Telephone: The international access code is 809, followed by a seven-digit number. Many cellular phones from the U.S. work here but higher charges may apply.

Drinking Age: 18 years old

Driving: Most Americans over the age of 25 can rent a car with a valid U.S. driver's license. Major car rental places are located in all of the major tourist areas and airports. Estimated driving times from Santo Domingo: to Puerto Plata, 3 hours; to La Romana/Bayahibe, 1.5 to 2 hours; to Punta Cana, 3.5 hours.

Currency: The Dominican peso is the official currency of the Dominican Republic. Most tourist venues will accept the U.S. dollar. Major credit cards and travelers cheques are also often accepted in major tourist areas and often offer the best exchange rate. ATMs can be found. As with most travel destinations, visitors are discouraged from carrying large amounts of cash at any one time.

Tipping: Tipping is widely practiced throughout the DR. While restaurants automatically add a 10 percent tip to the bill it's customary to give a bit extra – up to 10 percent additional. Tips are also given to taxi drivers, hotel maids (even at all-inclusive hotels) and porters.

Entry Requirements/Tourist Card: Before entering the country at ports or airports, visitors are required to fill out embarkation/disembarkation forms. These must be filled out before entering the immigration line where a passport or a birth certificate with photo ID (such as a valid driver's license) must be presented. Prior to entering the immigration line visitors are required to purchase a Tourist Card. It is essential that visitors have $10 US dollars for each member of their party with which to pay for this. No coins or other currency, including Dominican pesos, can be used. ATMs are not available and travelers cheques and credit cards are also not accepted. (You can also purchase the tourist card electronically before entering the country.) Only one half of the document will be taken upon entry into the DR, the other half will be taken upon departure. Visitors must save this second half in a safe place for the duration of their trip. The Tourist Card is good for up to 15 days.

Visitor Info: The island welcomes approximately 3.5 million visitors per year. In 2004, it captured about 29 percent of all Caribbean travel. The majority of visitors come from the U.S. and Canada and the island is also very popular among visitors from France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K.

Points of Entry: The Dominican Republic has seven international airports: Las Americas International Airport (Santo Domingo), La Romana International Airport, Punta Cana International Airport, Arroyo Barril International Airport (Samaná), Gregorio Luperon International Airport (Puerto Plata), Santiago International Airport, and María Montez International Airport (Baharona). There are quite a number of marinas that welcome private yachts up to 150 feet in length overall. (Larger facilities are being constructed.) Yachters must have their boat registration, documentation received when the captain set sail from the country of origin, a list of passenger names and passport numbers, $60 immigration fees for the yacht, and $10 tourist cards for each passenger.