Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Dominican Republic

Phillipe has lived in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years. Knowing the island on the tip of the fingers, it proposes to make it discover it, off the beaten tracks, with its jeep jeep. You can choose your route, or follow its advice, and you will have an overview of the country as few people have the chance to discover it.

Few people know it, even Dominicans, but the country's north coast is home to a colony of manatis . This mammal, measuring 3 to 4 meters and weighing up to 300 kilos, has made its home in an estuary surrounded by mangroves to the east of Punta Rucia. Long hunted by local communities, only 10 remained in 1996. It was then that the authorities decided to protect the area by creating a protected sanctuary dedicated to manatee conservation. One of the results of this project was the opening of the Ciudad Manatí information center in 2013.Here, local guides will tell you all about the manatee and its habitat during a guided tour through the mangroves, where you will be introduced to the different types of manatee. The highlight is the viewpoint from which you can watch the manatee come to the surface to breathe. According to the guides, you have a 90% chance of seeing one! Today, over fifty representatives of the species inhabit these waters. A fine example of successful animal protection and responsible tourism.

Alsoworth a visit: Finca la Protectora. An agricultural and craft farm producing coffee, avocados and cocoa, among other products. It is accessible by quad or 4x4. It is also possible to sleep on site (rather basic). A wonderful discovery of an eco-responsible place in the heart of lush nature.

It is the largest museum of rock art in the Antilles. The walls of the cave are decorated with pre-Hispanic rock paintings. You will see some of the 500 pictograms that decorate the rock walls, testimony to the passage of the Tainos through the area, which was used as a center for religious and funeral rituals. Bring closed shoes to go down the 135 slippery steps, and a little wool (it is 19 degrees in the cave). No photos allowed!

Originally from Yamasá, these five brothers and sisters have made a specialty of reproducing Taino sculptures and ceramics. They set up a workshop that today employs around 30 people. They process the clay, then hand-model and sculpt replicas of Taino statuettes and objects, before firing and patinating them. Their ceramics are reproductions of original ritual objects and cemis , the idols of the Taino people. The figurines come in a wide range of colors and are ideal for interior decoration.

A place of pilgrimage for gourmets... You are indeed entering the lands of true cocoa culture enthusiasts, and this since 1944. Today, they produce one of the best chocolates on the island and many professionals, such as the Frenchman Michel Cluizel for example, get their supplies directly from them. You will discover the origins of a quality chocolate in a playful and educational way, from the sowing of the cocoa trees to the finished product. Count on about 2h30 for this interesting visit.

You can reach this large natural cave by boat, which a colony of swallows has chosen as its home. The cave is named after these birds, golondrinas meaning "swallows" in Spanish. The cave can be reached in only five minutes by boat from Rio San Juan. Accompanied by your captain, you will admire its rocky composition while floating on crystal clear water. At the exit of the Cueva de las Golondrinas do not hesitate to swim in the natural turquoise and soft swimming pool. A walk in complement of the Laguna Gri Gri.

We visit a nursery for baby plants that will be transplanted to the mountains at altitudes of between 1,200 m and 1,700 m, as soon as they have acquired sufficient resistance to do without the care of gardeners, then silos for the natural drying of hand-harvested seeds, and finally the factory itself. Today, production is highly mechanized. Various machines are involved in the process, including an oven to finish drying the seeds, and a machine to hull them.

The painter chose to live in a country house just outside the city. A specialist in monumental frescoes, often of religious inspiration, Roberto Flores executes many official commissions. He will show you his work and amateurs will be able to buy reduced size sketches. An interesting visit in the presence of a passionate and talented artist. For beautiful souvenirs to bring back if you fall in love.

Cueva de Berna is famous for its Taino petroglyphs, testimony to the art and culture of this ancient civilization. While exploring the cave, you can also admire the spectacular rock formations and stalactites that have formed over time. The tour is unaccompanied, and it's best to bring a flashlight or portable torch to help you see clearly. You'll also need mosquito repellent, as the area is frequently infested. A pleasant visit, although the cave is not always well maintained.

Discovered in 1851 by a British consul, this geological formation, composed of some fifty caves, bears witness to Taíno rock art. More than 6,000 petroglyphs represent fish, reptiles and human figures. The caves, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site, are home to large colonies of bats and were a place of veneration for the Taino people who performed rites there. The incredible wealth of rock art covering the walls of these caves makes the area the prehistoric capital of the Antilles.

"El Paso de los Hidalgos" is the first land route built by the conquistadors. This road between La Isabela and Fort Santo Tomás de Jánico is said to have been laid out in honour of Admiral Christopher Columbus and the first children of the Spanish nobility who walked the area in March 1494. The area of Los Hidalgos is known as the "Land of Poppies", a flower that can be found throughout the area. It is known for its romantic character and is celebrated every year in April. It is a good time for declarations of love.

It was here, in 1493, that Christopher Columbus established the first European colony in America. The 1,500-strong community of craftsmen, farmers, herders and monks lived in this fortified place for almost 5 years, battling the indigenous people for possession of the land, before disappearing. A museum featuring a number of objects found during excavations retraces the daily life of these early settlers.

The ruins of this first city of the "New World" are grouped around two zones. The military zone, known as the Castillo, marks the site of the ancient stone buildings. The residential zone was home to the first generation of civilians, whose houses were temporarily built of more fragile materials.

In the first zone, among other remains, are those of the home of the conquistador Christopher Columbus, a two-storey edifice built on the edge of the rocks and whose mirador tower overlooked the town. A few stones mark the site of the first church, where Father Bernardo Boyl celebrated the colony's very first mass on January 6, 1494. It was here, on April 24 of the same year, that the first town hall was established, under the presidency of Giacomo Columbus, Christopher's brother, as well as the first court of justice. Then came the port and its warehouses.

Built to commemorate the settlement of the conquistadors, a church was inaugurated by the Spanish sovereigns.

This shop offers various leather accessories, solid and finely worked. While browsing through the small space, you can choose from bags and purses, wallets, sandals, flip-flops, belts and many other things, the leather object you want for yourself or to give as a gift on your return from holiday. It is possible to ask for a custom-made accessory, but this obviously takes time. To see with the manager. Nevertheless, the choice is quite vast