Dominican Republic

Spanish is the official language, spoken with a fast, clipped Caribbean accent and its own local vocabulary. English is widely understood in resort zones, at hotels, and among tour operators, especially around Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, but far less so once you leave tourist areas. A handful of Spanish phrases go a long way outside the resorts.

Prepaid SIM and eSIM plans from Claro, Altice, and Viva are sold at the airport and in city stores; bring your passport, since Dominican law requires ID to register a SIM card. Coverage is strong along the coasts and in cities, and weaker in the mountainous interior and remote parts of the south-west.

Tap water is not considered safe to drink; stick to bottled or purified water, including for brushing teeth, and be cautious with ice outside hotels and reputable restaurants. Pharmacies (farmacias) are widespread in cities and tourist areas, with some open 24 hours in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana; bring copies of prescriptions for any regular medication. No special vaccinations are required for entry, though routine immunizations and, depending on your itinerary and health situation, typhoid or hepatitis A protection are commonly recommended by travel clinics — check with your doctor before the trip. Mosquito-borne illnesses (dengue, Zika) are present, so repellent is worth packing, particularly outside the peak of the dry season.

Nationals of the United States, Canada, the UK, the EU, and most of Latin America can enter the Dominican Republic without a visa for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, covered by a tourist card that is now bundled into the airline ticket price or paid on arrival for land entries. Longer stays or other purposes generally require an extension or a specific visa arranged in advance. Citizens of some countries do need a visa before travel — check your specific nationality.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Dominicans are warm and informal, and greetings matter: a handshake for a first meeting, a cheek kiss (women) or a warm handshake/pat (men) among people who already know each other. Beachwear belongs on the beach or at the pool — cover up when entering shops, restaurants, or town centers. Modest dress (shoulders and knees covered) is expected at churches and religious sites, including Basílica Catedral Metropolitana Santa María de la Encarnación Primada de América and Basílica Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia. Bargaining is normal in markets and with street vendors, but not in shops with marked prices or in restaurants. Ask before photographing people directly, and be aware that Dominicans generally run on a relaxed sense of time — punctuality expectations are looser than in North America or Northern Europe.

Public holidays that fall midweek are sometimes moved to the nearest Monday to create a long weekend (a "puente"), and banks, government offices, and many shops close on the day itself. Expect reduced services and busier domestic travel around Easter week (Semana Santa) and Christmas/New Year, when many Dominicans travel to see family or head to the beach. Shops in cities generally open Monday–Saturday and often stay open Sunday mornings in tourist areas, while smaller-town businesses may close for a few hours around midday.

• By air: domestic flights connect Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Santiago, and are worth it if you're combining the capital with a beach stay on a short trip, since road transfers between regions can take four hours or more.
• By bus: long-distance coach companies connect all major cities with air-conditioned buses on fixed schedules — the most comfortable way to travel between destinations without a car.
• By público / guagua: shared vans and cars running fixed routes are the cheapest way to travel between towns; they leave when full rather than on a schedule and are best for travelers comfortable with some unpredictability.
• By rental car: gives the most flexibility for exploring beyond the resort zones — see the driving section below.
• Within cities: metered taxis, ride-hailing apps (available in Santo Domingo and the main resort areas), and motoconchos (motorbike taxis, best for short hops, agree the price first) cover local trips.

Before you go, the official Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism site has current travel advisories and event listings.

Breakfast is often mangú — mashed boiled plantains — topped with fried eggs, cheese, and salami in a combo Dominicans call "los tres golpes." Lunch is the main meal of the day, typically "la bandera dominicana": white rice, stewed red beans, meat, and a side salad or fried plantain. Dinner is usually lighter, and on weekends families gather over sancocho, a slow-cooked stew of meats, plantain, and root vegetables.

Street food includes tostones (twice-fried plantain), yaniqueques (fried dough disks sold at the beach), and empanadas. For dessert, try habichuelas con dulce, a sweet cream made from red beans, coconut milk, and spices, traditionally eaten during Lent. To drink, Dominican coffee is strong and usually served sweet; mamajuana, a rum-based infusion of tree bark, herbs, and honey, is the country's signature drink; and Presidente is the everyday beer. Most everyday eating happens at colmados (small neighborhood shops-cum-bars) and comedores (simple lunch counters serving set plates), while restaurants in resort towns and Santo Domingo range from casual to upscale.

Capital and colonial core: Santo Domingo anchors the country, with the Zona Colonial's Alcázar de Colón, Basílica Catedral Metropolitana Santa María de la Encarnación Primada de América, Fortaleza Ozama, and Puerta del Conde within walking distance of each other, plus the cave pools of Los Tres Ojos on the city's east side. Beach day-trippers from the capital head to Boca Chica, a calm, reef-protected bay close enough for a half-day out.

East coast resorts: Higüey's coastal districts of Punta Cana and Bávaro hold the country's largest concentration of all-inclusive resorts and beaches like Playa El Cortecito. Further south, La Romana and the fishing-village-turned-resort-town of Bayahibe are the jumping-off points for Isla Saona and the recreated Mediterranean village of Altos de Chavón.

North coast: Puerto Plata pairs a historic center and Fortaleza de San Felipe with a cable-car ride up Pico Isabel de Torres. Nearby Sosúa and the surf town of Cabarete are the region's beach and watersports base.

Samaná peninsula: Samaná and Las Terrenas are greener and less developed, known for the waterfall at Salto El Limón, the island of Cayo Levantado (Bacardi Island), and whale watching from January to March.

Mountains and the south-west: Jarabacoa, in the Cordillera Central, is the base for climbing Pico Duarte, the Caribbean's highest peak, and for river rafting. Santiago de los Caballeros, the country's second-largest city, is a working center for cigar and rum production, overlooked by Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración. The remote south-west around Barahona holds the stark, hypersaline Lago Enriquillo and the empty, ten-kilometer beach at Playa Bahía de las Águilas.