Occupying the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican
Republic is a hugely popular destination, thanks to the portion of the
country that most resembles the image of a Caribbean playland: the
crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches lined with palm trees, of which
the DR has plenty.
"The most beautiful place that human eyes have ever seen" is what Columbus said when he landed here in
1492. He was of course prejudiced in desperate need of a small success
and hadn't seen any land for some time then, but there is still quite a
bit of truth in his observation.
One of the first things the Spaniards did in this charming new
discovery of theirs is massacre all the inhabitants. Within 13 years
600,000 Taino indians were killed.
Santo Domingo is the chief city of the
Dominican Republic. The colonial zone is absolutely worth a visit - it
features the Calle de las Damas, the oldest street in the new world.
Unfortunately many tourists don't come farther than Puerto Plata City
with its fabulous beaches....
This article is written by contributors of world66.com, modified by travelers-online.com editors and licensed under a Creative Commons License .
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