C$ 199+ Cheap flights to the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic climate

The Dominican Republic’s climate is great all year long. In the summer, temperatures range from 21 C to 32 C, and it only drops a bit in the winter. The weather can get much cooler in the mountains, and rainstorms are usually brief.

Getting around Dominican Republic

Aerodomca and Takeoff Destination Service offer regular and charter domestic flights around the Dominican Republic. There are seven international airports and airlines include Air Century, Caribair, Helidosa, SAP (Servicios Aéreos Profesionales) and Helidosa.

Rental cars are another option for getting around the Dominican Republic. Vehicles including sedans, four-wheel drives, scooters and mopeds are available for hire.

Buses are comfortable and reliable. There are three privately owned air-conditioned bus lines – Autobuses Metro/Metro Bus, Caribe Tours and Expreso Bávaro – that travel from Santo Domingo to cities such as Puerto Plata and Santiago among others. Gua-guas (pronounced “Gwa-Gwas”) are collective taxis that run fixed routes. The fares are very cheap but the vans can be crowded.

What is good to know if travelling to Dominican Republic?

• Sosua, on the Dominican Republic’s north coast, has a fascinating history. In the 1930s, in a great humanitarian gesture, Rafael Trujillo, then dictator, welcomed Jewish refugees. The Sosua that the refugees arrived at is a far cry from the tourist town today. Traces of the old Jewish settlement have survived. The synagogue is one of only two in the republic, the original school is still there, and there is a Jewish Museum that tells the story of the community in Sosua. The beach is Sosua’s greatest attraction, a sweep of soft sand and turquoise waters backed by towering cliffs.
• The Dominican International Film Festival takes place in Puerto Plata. The festival has an emphasis on first-time fillmakers. The Dominican Republic Global Film Festival takes place in Santo Domingo and seeks to raise awareness and deepen understanding of global issues through stories.
• Santo Domingo has many “firsts” to boast about. It was, for one thing, the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World and it’s the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas. Among the many stunning buildings in Santo Domingo is the governor’s mansion. Nicolas de Ovando, Governor of the Indies between 1502 and 1509, built his magnificent residence here in 1502 on Las Damas, the first paved road of the New World. It’s a World Heritage Site today, its central building part of a carefully restored compound of the Sofitel Nicolas de Ovando.
• The country is the largest producer of cigars in the world, considered by many taking cheap flights to the Dominican Republic to be of superior quality to Cuban cigars. Cojimar is a sugar-tipped cigar made with Dominican tobacco. There are seven flavours in total, including amaretto and vanilla. Romeo y Julieta is the brand favoured by Jack Nicholson. Ensure you check the customs limits permitted if you’re planning on bringing some back to Canada.