The Empress of the Caribbean

ITS GREAT GASTRONOMY, BIODIVERSITY, SINGULARITY, CULTURAL LEGACY, COMMUNITY OFFER OF TOURISM AND ADVENTURE TRAVEL, LET ALONE ITS SPECIAL COEXISTENCE WITH NATURE SPELL OUT WHY THIS IS THE CARIBBEAN’S LEADING COUNTRY IN TOURIST ARRIVALS

The Dominican Republic, the Caribbean's leading country in tourist arrivals, after having become a dream place, thanks to the beauty of its beaches and the warmth of its people, has embarked on the path of renewal as a travel destination, under the umbrella of its uniqueness, great cultural legacy, biodiversity, gastronomy, community tourism offerings, options for adventure tourism and special coexistence with nature.

The place where all began, this is how the Colonial City of Santo Domingo can be eternally

presented, a jewel of the New World, made up of authentic architectural treasures, its American primacies, among which the ruins of the first hospital, the first shipyard, the first headquarters of religious orders, the first cathedral, the first monastery, the first transatlantic trading house of the Americas stand tall..., places with charms of their own that deserve to be visited at least once in a lifetime.

The Republic of Colors: from north to south and from east to west, its colors conquer us through a prodigious and very particular nature. Its rivers, such as the Arroyo Colorao -the only red river in the country, located in San Cristobal-, the Bahoruco River, the most crystal-clear river on the whole island and which flows down from the mountains in the south in Barahona; the Yásica River, with an intense turquoise blue and thick vegetation in its surroundings as it passes between Puerto Plata and Jamao to the north, are joined by breathtaking sunrises, such as those over Montaña Redonda in El Seibo, and beautiful sunsets like the ones in Valverde Mao. The hue chart would not be complete without the spectacular emerald color that paints the province of Monte Plata.

The Dominican tourism offer has evolved hand in hand with the preferences of its visitors, especially those who need to free their souls from the stress and pressures of everyday life

Nothing like the criollo flavor: say those who have tasted the assorted and delicious gastronomy that makes the best representation of the mixture of races that flourished at the onset of the colonial rule and continued with the different arrivals of migratory waves from different continents, all headed towards this small sample of earthly paradise. Sancocho, the flagship dish of their holidays season; bandera (a national dish consisting of rice, beans and meat stew with a piece of avocado as a side dish), as well as the chen chen and goat, the spiked pork, the coconut chicken or simply a helping of fried meat marinated with natural sour orange syrup, are only but a few of the many options that visitors might have, regardless of the demands or preferences, in the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever beheld.

Community tourism: is presented as a new way of living "a la dominicana", a set of very unique experiences related to their daily lives, as baseball at the Bartolo Colón Stadium in Altamira; those of the cocoa in Hato Mayor, El Seibo, San Francisco, Guananico or Yamasá; Rincón Caliente, where visitors can learn about the making of the traditional elements that put the harmonious notes of their catchy merengue rhythm, a token of the Dominican Republic and already World Intangible Cultural Heritage; or simply let yourself get carried away with the community tourism experience offered by its inland villages, such as San José de Ocoa with its Agrotourism Route, or Constanza with the first Cycling Route among croplands in the area of the Sabina. Of course, we cannot pass up a visit to such museums as the Rum, Tobacco,

Amber, Larimar, Ceramics or its multitude of cultural centers.

Nonstop adrenaline: the Dominican Republic's travel offer has evolved hand in hand with the liking of its visitors, especially those who need to free their souls from

the stress and pressures of their daily lives. Zipline with views of the Atlantic, crossing stretches of it and laden with descents in pools, or just letting yourself be absolved by a great transparent sphere, like zorbing and sliding along a slope, and rafting down right where the Yaque del Norte and Yaque del Sur rivers meet, are just some of those options that make this destination one I like!

International visitors: like the more than 3,000 humpback whales that every year swim around the Bay of Samaná and which can be made out from small boats or from the Cayo Farola tower, a one-of-akind vantage point that, as a matter of fact, is also used by bird watchers. This country welcomes over 150 migratory birds on a yearly basis, which are added to the endemic species in a feast for the eyes with a chance to spot ciguas palmeras, hawks like the ones that flutter over La Hispaniola, woodpeckers, goldfinches, as well as Florida ducks, black gulls, falcons, among other birds that enjoy the opportunity of flying through the Dominican skies and even nest in its mangroves, trees and tropical shrubs.

For all of the above and a whole lot more, the Dominican Republic bears out its leadership in tourist arrivals in the Caribbean, supported by being a friendly, sustainable, accessible destination, with a wide range of possibilities to enjoy the best escapades, and above all, stress us once again that it has gone itself one better without leaving its essence behind. It reminds us that it has gone from being a destination of sun, beach and sand to becoming the Empress of the Caribbean, the destination that -make no mistakes about it- "has it all".

The Dominican Republic is a melting pot of races and cultures, located in the center of the Caribbean, on the same route as the sun. From north to south and from east to west, its colors enthrall visitors through a prodigious and very particular nature