PLAYA GRANDE
Occupying 2,000 acres on the north coast with almost seven miles of exposure to the Atlantic Ocean, Playa Grande is an unusually beautiful place. Dominated by its eponymous mile-long beach, followed by a more intimate beach, Playa Preciousa, Playa Grande is a virtually untouched land with a natural beauty framed by soft green mountains that culminate in a plateau of rolling hills, lush with native trees and royal palms.

PLAYA PRECIOUSA
Occupying 2,000 acres on the north coast with almost seven miles of exposure to the Atlantic Ocean, Playa Grande is an unusually beautiful place. Dominated by its eponymous mile-long beach, followed by a more intimate beach, Playa Preciousa, Playa Grande is a virtually untouched land with a natural beauty framed by soft green mountains that culminate in a plateau of rolling hills, lush with native trees and royal palms.

THE NORTH COAST
Running along the Atlantic Ocean, the north coast of the Domincian Republic extends from the Haitian border in the west to the tip of the Samana Peninsula in the east.

A WHOLE DIFFERENT VIEW OF LIFE
Sunset along Sosua Beach.

GOLF AT PLAYA GRANDE
Playa Grande boasts an ocean side Robert Trent golf course that is a favourite with locals and tourists.

HORSEBACK RIDING
There are many local equistrian groups in the area.

SOSUA BEACH
Located on a crescent-shaped bay, Playa Sosua is a postcard perfect beach. Featuring a backdrop of towering cliffs, the waters here are calm, clea,r and a deep shade of turquoise.

SOSUA BEACH
Located on a crescent-shaped bay, Playa Sosua is a postcard perfect beach. Featuring a backdrop of towering cliffs, the waters here are calm, clear, and a deep shade of turquoise.

KITE AND WIND SURFING
Kite and windsurfers have been visiting Cabarete since the mid 80s because of the fantastic conditions available for every level of sailor. Cabarete has played host to numerous world-class events. Every June, it hosts Cabarete Race Week, an international windsurfing competition that incorporates exciting windsurfing competition and a ton of fun!

PALMS

DINING ON THE BEACH
Cabarete Beach is lined with many restaurants offering food from around the world. Enjoy a day at the beach and a great meal. At night, the entire beach is lit for moonlight dining.

FLAMBOYAN TREE
All over the Dominican Republic from May until the end of September you will notice the magnificent flamboyán trees. Their vibrant, vermilion flowers can be seen for miles, often standing in rows lining the sides of the road, often standing solitary – their broad canopies providing shade for man and beast.

SOSUA BEACH TOURIST SHOPS
Tourists can find all kinds of souvenirs of the DR trip at one of Sosua's many beach side shops.

CABARETE BEACH
The village of Cabarete is spread out across the center of a gorgeous, semi-circular beach of golden, sun-soaked, sand. Just behind, limiting its size, lies a tranquil lagoon, backed up by richly verdant hills overflowing with luxurious tropical vegetation.

BANANA/PLANTANA/GUINEO
Here in Dominican Republic we love our bananas. These large, big leaved plants can produce many fruits. They taste better here in Dominican Republic because they are ripened right on the plant and not picked green like the ones shipped to other destinations. Choose a red, yellow or green banana/ guineo which can be eaten without cooking, or a green to yellow platano which needs to be cooked, nothing tastes better than getting it fresh.

DOMINICAN YOUNG LADY
The Dominican people are warm and friendly; very family orientated; and have a natural zest for life. This young girl was enjoying a day at the beach with her family, and kindly let her picture be taken for our website.

THE MONUMENT OF HEROES OF THE RESTORATION
The identifying symbol of this city is the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration of the Republic, which dates back to the 1940s when it was elected as the "Trujillo Peace Monument". This solid white marble structure is 67 meters tall and has small museums in its interior.

Santiago de los Caballeros, with its quaint Neoclassic and Victorian buildings, is the second most populous city in the Dominican Republic. Frequently in the past, its residents vied with Santo Domingo's to dominate the country politically.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HOUSE
This is a very typical house in the Dominican countryside. Unusually, these houses are found very close to major roads, with very little setback. Colourful paint is almost always used - very Caribbean!

PUERTO PLATA
Five-centuries-old Puerto Plata has an old world (albeit faded) charm, with narrow streets and gingerbread Victorian architecture of its Old City. The latter is a holdover from its heyday as a tobacco and sugar port in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it outshone even Santo Domingo as a wealthy enclave. Besides tourism, Puerto Plata's modern economy is built on sugar, tobacco, and rum – a nutritionist's nightmare but a hedonist's haven.

Most visitors spend the bulk of their time along or near the Malecón, the mile-long-plus promenade that runs along the ocean. On the far west end is Fort San Felipe, the city's one relic of Colonial days, dating from the mid-16th century. Toward the other end is Long Beach, the city's recently upgraded public beach, where you can watch for offshore whales in winter.

CABARETE BEACH AT NIGHT
Not a bad way to eat dinner!

OCEAN SIDE DRIVE, PUERTO PLATA

COUNTRYSIDE
A drive 10-minutes inland reveals amazing mountain views and breath taking vistas.

COLINAS MALL, SANTIAGO
The DR offers excellent shopping with most major brands represented. Big box stores like Costco (Price Smart), Ikea, Radio Shack, etc. are available, as are large department stores like Colinas Mall above. Sosua, Puerto Plata, and Santiago have it all.

SANTIAGO
Just a 45-minute drive from Sosua, Santiago has a big city feel with all the amenities to go with it.

A DOMINICAN CHURCH
Many faiths are represented in the DR, but primarily, you will find that Catholicism is the most prevalent. English speaking congregations are available.

AMAZING TREE
What else can you say?

JEWISH MUSEUM, SOSUA
The lovely tourist town of Sosua was actually began by Jewish settlers in the late 1930's. The DR offered to take many homeless Jewish refugees after WW2. The settlers founded an agricultural settlement, and ran an employee-owned dairy cooperative. Their settlement later boasted its own water works, sanitation system, clinic, school, library, theatre, shops and bank, as well as the synagogue. The settlers had to process their perishable agricultural products to assure a longer shelf life, allowing them to ship the produce to market with very precarious transportation conditions. Cheese and sausage industries were born thus! Today very large factories, such as Productos Sosúa, until recently still owned by descendents of the first settlers, continue to produce leading brands.

DOMINICAN SCHOOL KIDS IN UNIFORM
Little people in their uniforms. Every time there is a camera...kids are kids!

FRUIT & VEGETABLE STAND
You will find these fruit and veggie stands all over the DR. This is THE BEST place to buy fresh produce - you will never find anything as good in Canada.

MOTORCYCLE TAXIS
Called ``motorconchos`` these over weighted taxis transport people all over the country. Helmets are mandatory, but not always used. It is not unusual to see as many as five people on one bike.

BOATS TO PARADISE ISLAND
For a great day of snorkelling and sight seeing, many people like to take a day trip to Paradise Island. These are the boast that take you there.