Arzobispo Meriño Street, Santo Domingo
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Arzobispo Meriño street, Santo Domingo. CONTENTS WELCOME! 28 44 77 6 What is OPETUR? e are very pleased to know Santo Domingo, offering first class cuisine 10 Dominican Republic Map 18 wthat you will visit our and housing the First City of America and 12 Recommendations Dominican Republic, where you can enjoy its 16th and 17th century monuments. 14 About Dominican Republic hospitality recognized throughout the world. Definitely the Dominicans like to receive Feel at home and appreciate the magic of 18 What to see and do their visitors and tourists. carelessly living unique experiences, in a 74 Excursions land where it may rain coffee or the moon Our country has a great variety of unique strives to shine more than normal. 84 Hotels & Resorts experiences that will make your trip 100 OPETUR Members unforgettable: from lush beaches of fine With the certainty that your vacation here 112 General Information white sand and turquoise waters, to the will be totally to your liking, we invite you Atlantic coast with one of the best areas to enjoy every day, every sunset, let your Published by the Dominican Republic Receptive Tour Operators Association82 (OPETUR). Padre Billini No. 263, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Phone: 809-682-1785 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.opetur.net in the world for wind surfing; mountains senses fly and relax. All rights reserved: The partial or total reproduction of this guide, as well as its broadcast of any kind or by any mean, including photocopying, recording or as high as Pico Duarte, the highest in the electronic storage and recovery systems, without the written consent of the editors, is prohibited. Created and Directed by: Target Consultores de Mercadeo Caribbean, from where we can jump like Looking forward to seeing you! Av. Sarasota #39, Torre Sarasota Center, Suite 401, Bella Vista, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Tel.: 809-532-2006. E-mail: [email protected] • www.targetconsultores.com birds in paragliders. We also have striking Text revision: Aralis Rodríguez Photography: Ministerio de Turismo -MITUR- Cover Photography: Rebeca Del Castillo Zouain, Dominican, Bioanalyst by trails that end in waterfalls; caves with Elizabeth Tovar profession and photographer at heart. Coordination: Yajaira Abréu Design and Layout: Luis Isidor / Q Estudio Creativo Printed by: Editora Corripio petroglyphs and a large metropolis such as President OPETUR We thank Ms. Rebeca Del Castillo for having given a photograph of her private collection. Ms. Del Castillo has won several mentions and awards in international photography competitions. 4 OPETUR / Guide of excursions Dominican Republic 5 WHAT IS OPETUR AND WHAT DOES IT DO? OPETUR is the Association of Tour Operators of We are the institution responsible for managing the Dominican Republic and its main objective is 90 percent of the tourists who enter the country the organization and provision of tourism services every year, to whom we provide an experience with professionalism, security and high levels of enjoyment with excellence, through the of quality, contributing to the strengthening of preparation and skills provided by our partners. Dominican tourism. Elizabeth Tovar President Doina De Campos Vicepresident / Administrative Director Amalia Rodríguez Financial Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rocío Oller First Vocal 2019-2021 Minnie Maalea Second Vocal María Zobeyda Vargas Regional Director North Zone Nadya Medrano Regional Director East Zone Maria Grazia Battaglia Regional Director Romana-Bayahibe 6 OPETUR / Guide of excursions WHY HIRE A TOUR OPERATOR MEMBER OF OPETUR? f you want your stay in the Dominican Republic i to be truly enjoyable, it is advisable to hire a tour operator that is a member of OPETUR, legally constituted and commercially recognized companies, whose operations guarantee the following: • Fast, safe and effective assistance at the time of any inconvenience or difficulty. • Rely on a highly skilled and trained staff to preserve your integrity in each activity, since the guides, vehicles and means they use have the proper operating permits granted by the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic. • Assurance that you will receive the service you have booked, and in case you decide to cancel it, your money will be refunded. • Be protected by companies that have civil liability insurance by law to cover all types of eventualities that may We advise you not to buy any service from arise. false travel agents or tour vendors, since they do not have the proper license and insurance • Because of the confidence of the to operate, even if you see that they carry an company, travel agent or wholesaler identification card. from whom you bought your vacations in the OPETUR receptive tour operator, an For this reason, when purchasing the various institution that can offer you advantages excursions that you will see in this guide, at the moment of buying excursions or we recommend you approach the counter of other service or in case you require any your hotel and buy only those offered by your information. representative or the OPETUR tour operator. 8 OPETUR / Guide of excursions DOMINICAN REPUBLIC We are a country of surprising contrasts and extraordinary diversity. Between the cold ridge of the Caribbean's highest mountain and some of the region's most beautiful beaches, you can find verdant valleys, spectacular waterfalls and torrid deserts. We invite you to discover this paradise with us. HAITÍ Main Road Secondary Road International Airport Ecotourism and Adventure Local Airport Extreme Sports National Park Museums, Culture and History 10 OPETUR / Guide of excursions Dominican Republic 11 OPETUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PLEASANT VACATION f you are about to make your vacation medications, anti-spasmodics, antacids, dream come true, to rest and enjoy antidiarrheals and the medication you in the heart of the Caribbean, in a use daily. i tropical Eden such as the Dominican Republic, then OPETUR gives you important 5 Always use your sunscreen, as the sun tips to make your stay memorable, as you shines brightly almost always, in order to deserve it: avoid sunburn. 1 The first thing is to make sure that 6 Upon arrival, always carry your camera you have all the necessary personal with you to capture those unforgettable documents for the trip and, above all, moments in every place you visit. that they are valid, such as passport, residence card, driving license, boarding passes and plane ticket, which you must 7 If you are traveling with children, make place in your hand luggage. sure you are staying in a hotel that has attractions for your little ones to have maximum fun; and if it's a couple, chose 2 Avoid carrying excessive luggage, so a hotel with activities that you enjoy just bring what you need to use during together. your vacation, and preferably opt for suitcases with wheels, as they are easy to handle and can provide more comfort. 8 Do not drink tap water, but bottled or purified; also avoid eating food in street stalls, only in the restaurants of 3 Pack light-colored and cotton garments the hotel where you are staying and in in your suitcase, such as skirts, loose establishments that guarantee they will shirts, unbuttoned pants, shorts, also not harm your health. cloth hats, swimsuits, sarongs, sandals and shoes as comfortable as possible, in addition to your sunglasses. Also, a small 9 Don’t carry large sums of money and backpack to take with you to the beach carry low-denomination bills, whether or if you go hiking. in Dominican peso, dollar or euro, so you can easily pay for any purchase, consumption or tip. 4 Place a medical kit with maximum protection sunscreen, mosquito repellent and bite creams in your suitcase; 10 Stay informed about any last-minute antipyretics, pain relievers, digestive event that affects the place where you will be staying. 12 OPETUR / Guide of excursions ABOUT THE DOMINICAN GENERAL INFORMATION Population: REPUBLIC 9.4 million inhabitants approximately. Official language: Spanish. Religion: predominantly Catholic, followed by the Protestant. he Tainos were the first settlers Climate and temperatures: t of the new world. They were tropical zone with an average responsible for giving our country’s its temperature of 28 degrees Celsius original name “Quisqueya”. An ethnic group (about 82 degrees Fahrenheit). whose mode of production was based National currency: Dominican on agriculture, they had a culture that peso. highlighted their art, magical-religious Electricity: 110V to 60 cycles practices and their political organization, (110V/60Hz). grouped into cacicazgos. Area codes (telephone): for On December 5, 1492, the Spanish landlines and mobile phones 809 conquerors arrived on the island, headed by have impacted national life throughout our and 829; for mobile 849. Admiral Christopher Columbus, who pointed history, have been the two military invasions it out as “the most beautiful land that human of the United States, the first from 1916 to Taxes: The Tax on the Transfer of eyes have ever seen”, and then baptized it 1924, and the second from 1965 to 1966; Industrialized Goods and Services “La Hispaniola” or “La Española". This event also, the implacable Rafael Leónidas Trujillo’s (ITBIS) is 18 percent and in some is called "meeting between two cultures or Dictatorship, from 1930 to 1961, and the establishments, there is a 10 two worlds". April 1965 War. percent surcharge for service or It was precisely from 1965 when the legal tip. For a long time the territory was under Caribbean Sea.