PCDR Facts:

Learn all about the Dominican Republic.

Location

Click the map below to travel to the DR. If you're having trouble seeing it with Internet Explorer, hold Ctrl-F5 to completely refresh the page.

Weather

The Dominican Republic has beautiful tropical weather. Although temperature various throughout the regions and altitudes. Average annual temperature is around 25°C (77°F). There is a cooler season that runs from Nov-April, and a warmer season that runs from May to October.

Regardless of season, the coolest areas of the country are in the Cordillera Central mountain region, around Jarabacoa and Constanza. The northern areas of the Dominican Republic tend to see the greatest amount of rainfall whereas the southern areas of the Dominican Republic tend to be very hot and dry. Among the PC volunteers it is nicknamed "The Dirty South."

Due to location of the island, the DR is at risk for hurricanes. The season begins in June and runs through November. Most hurricane activity, however, occurs during August and September.

Public Transportation Around the DR

There are five common ways to travel, pending on: comfort, length of travel time, and destination. The five include: Busses, Taxis, Guaguas, Carro Publicos, and Motoconchos. They are all quite reasonably priced and easy to flag down. The driver's assistant, or Cobrador (fare collector), is likely to be hanging out of a window or side door waving at you to see if they should stop to let you in. The DR has various options to get around, although it does revolve around one's level of bubble-space.

If you like to have your own space it's a good idea to travel by taxi. Be aware, however, of the vehicle you get in, since it may not be real taxi. Always make sure to look for taxi sign on front of windshield. Taxi fares in the Dominican Republic are fixed rates based on destination (as opposed to metered rates) and are considerably higher than rates for public transportation. Make sure to always ask for the price, before leaving towards destination and don't be afraid to negotiate price with taxi driver.

Public transportation in form of buses or mini-vans are also called guaguas. Not always the most comfortable ride but easy to flag down. They will stop at any point to let a passenger get on or off. This form of transport is quite cheap, but you should be aware that some of these mini-vans could be in poor condition - broken windows, doors that don't close properly, etc. These mini-vans are generally designed to hold 12 passengers but most will carry up to 20 people.

Carro Publicos are public taxis. It's normally the size of a 4-door sedan, but it fits 6 passengers plus the driver. The front passenger seat fits two, while the back must fit four. It can definitely be an uncomfortable ride, but is decently priced. If you ever have bags or you just want more space, you can pay for two and not be so squished; they will have a sign indicating where they’re heading on the top of the vehicle or on the side of the door. They stop wherever passengers want to get in or out.

If you're not afraid of motorcycles combined with Dominican drivers, this could be a fun ride for you. Motos, can be found in most towns and are normally good for shorter trips. It's fairly cheap, but always try to negotiate with the driver. Don't be surprised to see up four or five people on a moto. Just know you can ride by yourself and also be extremely careful of how you get on or off the bike to make sure it’s always on the opposite side of the muffler.

Dominican Expressions

chin - a little
chon - a lot
habichuelas - beans
la bandera - traditional meal (rice, beans, meat)
Si Dios quiere - a polite way to say maybe, but usually no
vaina - can literally be anything, just as long it's a noun
guapo - mean or upset
china - orange
lechosa - papaya
cuarto - money
guagua - bus/mini-van
pollito - little bus/mini-van
yipeta - SUV
zafacón - waste basket/trash can
mata - tree
sorbete - straw

Music and Dancing in the Dominican Republic

Music and dancing is a major part of life in the Dominican Republic. Go anywhere, and you are bound to hear music blaring from cars, guaguas, colmados and houses at oftentimes deafening levels. Dominicans consider dancing an art form and are proud to dance in the local discotecas and colmados, or wherever there is music playing. The major types of music played in the Dominican Republic are Merengue and Bachata. Reggaeton is also rapidly becoming a commonly heard type of music.

Merengue is the type of music that most Dominicans identify with and is believed to be native to the Dominican Republic. Its origins are disputed, but it is known as the national music and dance in the country. It is often very fast with an aggressive beat that dancers swing their hips to in rapid flowing motions while the top half of their bodies remain almost motionless. Merengue music is characterized by its use of three main instruments; the melodeon (an accordion type instrument), the guira (a scraped percussion piece), and the tambora (a double headed drum).

Bachata is a relatively newer form of music that up until recently was banned from Dominican radio and television. It was developed in the rural areas of the island in the 1960’s and was originally dismissed as worthless because it’s lyrics were typically about relationships and hard times. Called bachata because it was a “rowdy lower class fiesta,” it only just started to gain acceptance with all classes of Dominicans. Characterized by its use of the guitar and its slower pace than merengue, it is now widely played and danced to all over the country.

Reggaeton is rapidly becoming a very popular type of music in the Dominican Republic. A mixture of American hip-hop and reggae with a little bit of merengue and bachata, it is a very popular form of music for the youth of the country. Dancing to reggaeton is more abstract and dancers are able to interpret the music how they choose to.

Culture, Family, Religion and Pastimes in the Dominican Republic

The culture of the Dominican Republic is a blend of European colonists, the Taíno Indians that lived on the island, and African cultural elements. The ethnic make-up consists of about 16% white, 11% black and 73% of mixed ethnicity. Dominicans typically self-identify as being of mixed race rather than black or African and use a wide range of terms to describe their skin tone such as “morena” and “india.” Spanish is the official language of the country, but it is spoken in a way unique to the Domincan Republic. Many Taíno words and names are still used in daily conversation. Haitian Creol is spoken fluently by 1.2 million people in the country also. More than 95% of the population is Roman Catholic, but there is a growing population of Protestant groups such as Seventh Day Adventists and Jahovah’s Witnesses.

Families in the Dominican Republic are one of the most important aspects of life. Family comes before everything and it is generally patriarchal with the oldest male member of the family having the final say. Many families live together or in close proximity to one another, often with many generations living together. Families usually spend time together during the afternoon meal, which is the largest meal of the day.

Dominican pastimes consist largely of baseball, dominoes, music, and dancing. Baseball is widely popular throughout the country. After the United States, the Dominican Republic has the largest number of players in Major League Baseball in the United States. The country also has its own baseball league with six teams; Tigres de Licey, Aguilas Cibaeñas, Gigantes de San Francisco, Toros Azucareros del Este, Estrellas Orientales and Leones del Escogido. The season runs from October through January with many players from minor leagues in the United States playing in their off season. Dominoes are also an enjoyed pastime in much of the country and people can oftentimes be seen sitting on street corners or in colmados (small stores located in every neighborhood that sell most things needed on a daily basis) playing dominoes for hours on end.

I’ve learned that developing and maintaining personal and professional relationships are what influences most the decisions you make in life.Randy MauerFormer volunteer in the Dominican Republic 2005-2007.