When Christopher Columbus first set foot on the land now known as the Dominican Republic, his emotions were likely mixed. It was 1492 and the Spanish explorer was on a mission to find an overseas route to China, Japan and India, places known to possess riches in gold, silk and spices. At first sight, he would have realized with disappointment that this sunsplashed island in the Caribbean was not the destination he had sought. On the positive side, this newfound land was a splendid piece of terra firma with magnificent beaches, lush tropical forests and towering mountains. In fact, he thought the place so impressive that he famously stated that it was “the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen.” Not surprisingly, Columbus claimed the land for Spain and thus began the long, colourful and sometimes wrenching history of the island he named Hispaniola. Today, it is shared by the independent countries of Haiti in the west and the larger Dominican Republic in the east. Centuries later, the Dominican Republic ‒ commonly referred to as “the DR” ‒ has become the most-visited tourist destination in the Caribbean, welcoming more than 11 million sun-seeking vacationers a year. In fact, numbers show that it outstrips all others in the Caribbean region ‒ sometimes by a wide margin. My own experiences there made it easy to understand the island’s winning popularity. What I found most compelling is that it’s a vacation destination that truly has it all: spectacular beaches, mountain retreats, awesome seaside resorts, championship golf, colonial history museums, Spanish architecture, endless water sports and more. For snowbirds, the DR also has an abundance of long-term-stay properties ranging from oceanside condos to city apartments and mountain villas. The island’s attraction is further sweetened by its reputation as one of the most affordable in the Caribbean. The DR has come a very long way since Columbus arrived there purely by accident. Today, the island’s breathtaking beauty and natural bones are the foundation on which the Caribbean’s most-visited vacation destination was built. Beginning with the island’s three main cities, the following is a limited selection of what this sunshine getaway has to offer. The Dominican Republic A Caribbean treasure trove of island charms. By Donna Carter 18 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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