Los Altos

Dominican Republic Quick Facts

• Location – the island of Hispaniola (occupying two-thirds while the country of Haiti occupies the remainder)
• Capital – Santo Domingo
• Population – 9.365 million (2007)
• Language – Spanish with some English, French, German and Italian spoken in tourist areas
• Government – Representative democracy
• Currency – Peso (US dollars are widely accepted)
• Time Zone - Atlantic Standard Time but does not follow Daylight Savings Time. This means in the fall/winter the DR is one hour ahead of New York or Toronto, and in the spring/summer the DR is the same time as New York or Toronto.

Dominican Republic Map

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Weather

The average annual temperature in the Dominican Republic is a warm 25° C (77° F). The winter season runs from November to April with coastal areas highs of 28°C (83°F) during the days and lows of 20°C (68°F) in the evening. Summer season temperatures range from highs of 31°C (87°F) to lows of 22°C (72°F).

History

Hispaniola was originally occupied by the Tainos, an Arawak-speaking people, when Christopher Columbus landed on his first foray into the New World in 1492. The island was the first New World colony. The Spanish brought African slaves to the island in 1503. France occupied the western part of Hispaniola in the 1600s and this area later became the country of Haiti.

The Spanish remained in possession of what was to become the Dominican Republic for three centuries. Its capital, Santo Domingo is the New World’s oldest city and the cathedral of Santa Maria is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

Modern Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has become a hot tourist destination for all-inclusive vacations with the largest hotel room inventory (approximately 60,000 rooms) among Caribbean countries. It has also become very popular location for second homes and luxury residences, especially along the white-sand beaches that comprise one-third of the country’s coastline.

Local Highlights

The Village of Altos de Chavon – This site became an artisan center in 1976. Reminiscent of a Renaissance Italian village, the coral block and terra cotta buildings along its cobble-stoned paths house craft workshops, artist’s studios, galleries, shops and restaurants. Trained artisans produce ceramics, fabrics, tapestries, silk-screens and much more.

The village is also home to a 5,000 seat open-air theater which was inaugurated in 1982 by Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana and hosts symphonies, concerts, theatrical events and festivals; the Regional Museum of Archaeology which records the island’s history; and the Altos de Chavon School of Design.

Getting Here

Travel to Casa de Campo is easy with flight options from major cities around the world. There are three international airports available for your traveling convenience: The Casa de Campo/La Romana International Airport (LRM), just 8 minutes from the resort’s main entrance, the Santa Domingo International Airport (SDQ), and the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), both just 90 minutes away from Casa de Campo.

Casa de Campo/La Romana International Airport (LRM)

• American Airlines from Miami
• American Eagle daily from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• LTU from Frankfurt and Munich, Germany

Santa Domingo International Airport (SDQ)

From the USA

• American Airlines
• US Airways
• Delta
• AeroMar
• Continental
• Spirit Airlines

From other locations

• American Eagle from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• AeroMar, Aero Postal from Caracas, Venezuala
• Dutch Caribbean from Curaçao
• COPA from Panama
• Iberia from Madrid, Spain
• Air France from Paris, France

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)

• Air Canada from Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax