The Dominican Republic is growing in popularity as one of the most popular destinations for Caribbean holidays. Not to be confused with Dominica; a much smaller island located in the Caribbean Sea between the Windward and Leeward island groups some 500 miles south east. The Dominican Republic shares the much larger island of Hispaniola with its neighbour Haiti and has a population of around 10 million. It's capitol city, Santa Domingo is home to 3.2 million people and is located on the countries south central coastline. Santa Domingo was founded in 1496 and is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in the Americas and is also home to the first cathedral built in the Americas too.
Tourism accounts for 14% of the nations' employment and is a major contributor to the Dominican Republic's economic growth as tourism provides 1 in 7 jobs. The Dominican Republic is now the largest tourist destination for Caribbean holidays. The currency is the Dominican Peso, however both US dollars and the Euro is accepted in most tourist spots making it a popular choice for both American and European travellers. The main language is Spanish but many of the tourist hotspots do have more than their fair share of English speakers.
As well as a multitude of hotels, there is also a growing number of villas for rent throughout the region. Many of these are purpose built and feature air conditioning, swimming pools and tennis courts. It's also not uncommon for a butler or maid to be on call in many of the Dominican Republic villas for rent and in some high end luxury villas, a security guard can also be provided. With over 250 miles of coastline and the world renowned pristine white sandy beaches, many villas for rent can be found in beach front locations with unhindered views of the Atlantic ocean or Caribbean sea. Many inland villas pride themselves on having hill top locations with expansive views over the island and the seas beyond its shores.
The people are passionate about baseball, however the tourist industry has made way for golf and a multitude of water sports including swimming, wind surfing, scuba diving and water skiing. Historically the capitol is home to many medieval buildings dating from the 16th century as well as The Royal Houses Museum which is home to many artefacts dating from the 15th century and the archaeological museum featuring much older artefacts from the indigenous Taino people. From a huge range of hotels and luxury Dominican Republic villas to rent, to stunning beaches, sports and tourist traps, it's no wonder why the Dominican Republic is a major destination for Caribbean holidays.
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