Dominican Republic is the place to go in the Caribbean for relaxing resorts on remote beaches, but energetic vacationers also will find plenty of things to do outside the resort property.
The capital city of Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the New World. It is filled with a variety of shopping opportunities on cobblestone streets, historical and architectural sites, and plenty of cultural attractions.
Special attractions within Santo Domingo include the pedestrian shopping street of Calle El Conde, the city's historical enclave of Colonial City, and Cathedral of Santa Maria, the oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere.
The Parque Zoologico Nacional in Santo Domingo is a 400-acre park with tigers, local fauna and tropical gardens. Two unique mammals on display are the hutia, once thought extinct, and the solenodon, a creature that has been in existence for 30 million years.
At least two other Dominican Republic attractions also are cities -- Sousa and Carabete.
Sousa attracts tourists with its white sand beaches, luxurious homes and resorts. Cabarete's town beach has been ranked one of the world's top five windsurfing and kiteboarding destinations.Nature lovers will want to visit two of the country's national parks. National Park Isla Cabritos located near La Descubierta has one of the world's largest populations of American crocodiles and an opportunity for visitors to see them up close by boat. Los Haitises National Park is known for caves, pictographs, parrots and owls.
Major excursions and tours emphasize visits to the country's cities and national parks, including Santo Domingo, Sousa, Carabete and Puerto Plata. Others include jeep safaris, humpback whale sightings, park hiking, big game fishing and the water park at Ocean World.
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Dominican Republic Attractions, Excursions and Tours