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Dominican Republic - Facts

Apr 04, 2025
  • The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, one of the Greater Antilles. It is the most visited destination in the Caribbean with its year-round golf courses being one of the major attractions. The other third of the island of Hispaniola is Haiti, culturally very different from the Dominican Republic.
  • The DR has a population of over 10 million and the official language is Spanish, although English and French are mandatory foreign languages in both private and public schools.
  • The national currency is the Dominican Peso (DOP), but the US$, the Euro, the Canadian dollar and the Swiss franc are accepted at most tourist sites.
  • The time zone is Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4)
  • The DR lies in the outer tropical zone, so there is little temperature variation between summer and winter. The varied relief of the large island means a diverse climate, from warm and tropical to arid and more temperate. See Weather for more details.
  • Foreign yachts are welcome in most places and marine facilities are steadily improving. Entry formalities are now completed quickly in most ports of entry when all the paperwork is in order. But be prepared for being boarded and inspected at almost every stop you make, including while at anchor on passage.
  • One particularly attractive stop is at Samana Bay, on the east coast. This is an area to which humpback whales migrate for the breeding season.
  • Luperon, on the north coast, has a well-sheltered harbor/hurricane hole and is popular with many.
  • There are some relatively new large resorts that have marinas within their complexes at Punta Cana, Casa de Campo and Cofresi (Ocean World Marina) west of Puerto Plata.
  • Because of the prevailing NE winds, the south coast offers more protected anchorages and attractive harbors, ranging from Punta Beata in the west to Isla Saona at the far eastern end of the island.
  • There are two routes east to the Lesser Antilles. Some cruisers take the route along the north coast of the DR and some go along the south coast. There are pros and cons to each route that should be reviewed, studied and understood before a trip is made to the eastern Caribbean. See publications.
  • The best facilities are to the east of the capital, Santo Domingo, at Boca Chica and further east at Casa de Campo. West of the capital, Las Salinas is probably the best stop. Outside of the large industrial centers, repair facilities for yachts are virtually non-existent although minor repairs can be dealt with by ordinary workshops. See Yachting Essentials for more details.

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Dominican Republic was last updated 9 months ago
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