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Baseball in the Dominican Republic

Baseball is the Dominican Republic’s favorite sport. For Dominicans, “pelota”–as we call it here–is more than a sport. It’s a limitless passion, a love for country and unity. For the young generation, baseball also symbolizes a dream and hope for a better future–with the possibility of becoming one of the world’s legendary Dominican baseball players. After all, it worked for Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martínez, David Ortiz, Robinson Canó, José Reyes, Juan Marichal and Bartolo Colón, among numerous others.

Aside from tracking their favorite players during the Major League Baseball (MLB) games, each Dominican has a favorite team that he or she cheers on during the Dominican baseball season. Baseball season in the DR runs from mid-October through late January, featuring six teams competing at major professional baseball stadiums around the country. If you are visiting during these months, add this unique experience to your list–going to a Dominican “juego de pelota” is about the game, but it’s also a lively party. For schedule, tickets and prices, and other information visit the official website of the Dominican Baseball League.

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Signature Dominican Experiences

The Dominican Republic offers sustainable community tourism with  rich cultural and agricultural experiences for visitors. Chocolate and coffee production can be explored throughout the country providing immersive experiences. When you visit the countryside, you will witness Dominican genuine hospitality at its best. People go out of their way to make you feel at home. Seeing their slow-paced way of life will change your perspective and get you to appreciate the simple things that make life much greater.

Rum and cigars go hand in hand in the Dominican Republic, where the fertile soil produces some of the world’s best tobacco, and abundant sugar cane. Dominican premium tobacco brands are award winning, including Arturo Fuente, La Aurora, Romeo y Julieta, and La Flor Dominicana. Tour one of the DR’s top cigar factories, in-city or on their plantations, from Punta Cana, La Romana, Santiago, or Puerto Plata, among other hubs. Stop in at a cigar lounge, and kick back with your choice of dark or white rum, from Brugal to Barceló, Bermúdez, or Macorís brands. For more history on Dominican rum, hop on a tour of the Brugal Rum Factory in Puerto Plata or the Barceló Rum Historical Center near Juan Dolio.

Dominican Carnival, celebrated in various cities and regions, is a vibrant showcase of its culture and identity. Colorful parades, costumes, masks, and mythical characters reflect the country’s diverse folkloric heritage. Every Sunday during the month of February, colorful parades take place in every major city and region around the DR–some extending through the first week of March. Costumes, masks, and mystical characters are distinct to each area and reveal Dominican folkloric traditions and beliefs, as diverse as the country’s population.

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Surfing & Kitesurfing in the Dominican Republic

A top Caribbean destination for wind sports, the DR is ground zero for surfing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing. Whether novice or expert, there’s a Dominican coastline ideal for your preferred activity. Cabarete usually has between 250 and 300 kiteboarding-friendly windy days per year. The waves are created by a reef break, forming fast and powerful waves, perfect for experienced surfers. However, there are also some gentle waves suitable for beginners.

That’s why Cabarete has earned the name of “Surf and Wind City” and has long been known as the “Water Sports Capital of the Caribbean.” Active with certified schools and instructors. Daytime surfing is followed by nightly entertainment to soothe the muscles. Kite Beach attracts the experts, who are a joy to watch. Surfers of all levels flock to Playa Encuentro for lessons from award winning surf instructors. On the Samaná Peninsula, Las Terrenas offers its fair share of kitesurfing at Punta Popy, and surfing at Playa Bonita. In Punta Cana, Macao is renowned for surfing, while Playa Blanca attracts kitesurfers. 

Wherever you end up on our Atlantic shoreline or in the Caribbean Sea, you’ll enjoy our year-round Dominican winds and waves.

Ride the waves to your heart’s content in the number one wind sports coast of the Caribbean.

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National Parks + Protected Areas in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic’s diverse topography and varying climates combine to create the perfect environment for over 6,000 species of thriving flora and fauna, including a high number of endemic species. In Bayahíbe, Cotubanamá National Park stretches from land—where you can spot the national, endemic Bayahíbe Rose—to the marine jewels of Saona and Catalina islands offshore, teeming with marine life.

The largest of all national parks, and part of the DR’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Jaragua National Park includes beach, lagoons, dry forests and cays. Nearby, the Sierra de Bahoruco is the only cloud forest in the Caribbean. Among the most visited parks in the country is also its most stunning: Los Haitises National Park, toured mainly by boat to view its towering rock mounts rising out of the water. In one of the most remote, pristine areas of the country, Valle Nuevo National Park astounds with its dense pine tree forests and frosty mornings.

Whether for hiking, bird watching, or on flora expeditions, the DR’s protected areas should feature on your vacation to do list. Explore one of the DR’s 29 national parks across land and sea, including a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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