Dominican Republic Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
island sovereign state in the Caribbean Sea
About Dominican Republic
Explored and claimed by Columbus on his first voyage on December 5, 1492, the island of Ayití, named by Columbus as La Hispaniola, became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. The island was first inhabited by the Taínos and Caribes. The Caribes were an Arawakan-speaking people who had arrived around 10,000 BCE. Within a few short years following the arrival of European explorers, the population of Tainos had significantly been reduced by the Spanish conquerors. Based on Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Tratado de las Indias) between 1492 and 1498 the Spanish conquerors killed around 100,000 Taínos. The first European settlement founded on the American continent was on La Isabela, founded in 1493 using a 15th-century style in La Isabela, Puerto Plata
Dominican Republic Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 19 sections including: