Dominican Republic holidays

3:27pm Friday 25th June 2010 in Holiday information

A Beautiful Island Paradise

When Christopher Columbus first discovered this island in 1492, he described it as a 'beautiful island paradise' and that is exactly what you will still see today. Dominican Republic holidays offer quaint villages that doze in the afternoon sun, secluded beaches with amazing views and colourful towns that know how to party. Crystal white sands lined with palm trees stretching towards the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean create a paradise that must be seen to be believed. The only problem with the picture perfect scenes that greet you is that they cannot convey the wonderful warm welcome that the Dominican people welcome their guests with.

There are four main areas to choose from on Dominican Republic holidays, Punta Cana and La Romana to the south east, the islands capital of Santo Domingo on the south coast, Puerto Plata to the north and Samana, resting on its own eastern peninsula. Puerto Plata is the perfect example for showing Dominican life as it really is. Most holidaymakers here stay in all inclusive resorts just outside of the town whose quaint harbour side cafes, Victorian style dwellings and old cobbled streets will take you on a relaxing journey right back in time.

Samana sits on its own little peninsula to the east of the island and can only be described as 'paradise'. Waterfalls create the back beat of drumming, but if you listen carefully you can still hear the palms whispering in the breeze as the crystal clear waters softly lap the pure white sands, and the chattering of colourful parrots is occasionally interrupted by the opinion of the harmless, but noisy cicada insects.

Punta Cana and Romana take you to the south of the island and the part that the locals call the most beautiful. This is a very brave statement considering the sheer beauty of the whole island, however after just one glimpse; you may be tempted to agree with them. Bayahibe has a cluster of fishermen's cottages and is the perfect place to unwind and watch them bring in their early morning catch. Just along the coast is Bavaro, having sprung up from a sleepy little fishing village, it now has a wonderful selection of bars, shops and restaurants.

The island's capital Santo Domingo is home to medieval churches, cobbled streets, sun drenched terraces and fascinating museums. Venture a little inland and you'll be treated to pastel coloured villages set against a rugged mountain backdrop and aromatic coffee plantations to explore.

Dominican Republic holidays are available all year round due to the excellent temperatures here although travelling to the north of the island is advisable between June and September and the south between November and April to avoid the rainy seasons.