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Where is the country of Dominican Republic located? The Dominican Republic is a country located on Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic largely has a tropical savanna climate, type Aw according to the Köppen-Geiger classification. The northeast of the country has a tropical rainforest climate (type Af) due to rainfall throughout the year. Daytime temperatures in these areas are between 28 and 33 degrees Celsius all year round and at night the temperature rarely drops below twenty degrees, with the exception of the higher areas in the interior.

The southwestern tip of the Dominican Republic has a warm steppe climate (type Bsh), because of the considerably lower amounts of precipitation that fall in this area.

The Dominican Republic is one of the most popular sun destinations outside of Europe due to its excellent weather, many beautiful hotels and breathtaking beaches. The white beaches at Punta Cana and Bavaro are without a doubt some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean and even in the world. Many photos of white palm beaches with an azure blue sea and a bright, deep blue sky were taken here. Because there are quite often clouds, it contrasts nicely with the blue sky and you get the photos that make you yearn for vacation during Dutch winters.

Dominican Republic vacation

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frost

The Dominican Republic is the only country in the Caribbean Sea where frost can occur. It can freeze on the Pico Duarte, which according to new measurements is the highest mountain in the Caribbean at 3098 meters. The upper part of the mountains in this area, in particular the Pico Duarte, is regularly subject to frost. In exceptional cases, the frost line suddenly drops by hundreds of meters in the winter months and the inhabited areas also have to deal with the phenomenon of frost and ice. In the winter of 2006/2007, residents of the island were drawn to the ice-covered forests surrounding the mountain town of Constanza, which lies just 1,220 meters above sea level.

Summer in the Dominican Republic

The summer months in the Dominican Republic are warm, humid and quite sunny. Sea level temperatures are around 31/32 degrees throughout the island and sunshine hours are around 8 hours per day. Punta Cana is even sunnier, with about 9 hours a day in the months of July and August. You often see that there are quite a lot of clouds inland, but that it is just wonderfully sunny above Punta Cana itself. However, you will also regularly see a shower of rain pass over here. For most places in the Dominican Republic, summer is the season when there is significantly more rain than in the winter months, for the south coast and mountain areas, summer is really the rainy season. Especially in the mountains, large amounts of rain can fall within a short time. Who wants to go into the mountains on foot or on a mountain bike, must be prepared for very rapid changes in the weather in the summer season. In the morning the weather can be beautiful, while during the day it can completely turn into heavy downpours where you can hardly see a hand in front of your eyes.

Hurricanes

The Dominican Republic is located in a region where there is regular hurricane activity. From June to the end of November, there is a chance of hurricanes entering the Caribbean from the east. Like most other islands in this region, the Dominican Republic can also be hit by a hurricane. The chances of that happening shouldn’t be exaggerated, because it doesn’t hit every season, and when a hurricane hits the country, it’s always only a certain part. If there is a serious threat of hurricane, the authorities will intervene in time and the necessary measures will be taken. In the worst case, there is an evacuation or you can hardly travel for one or two days. Tourists are almost never killed and injured, because the hotels are prepared for major storms and hurricanes. There is a greater chance that a tropical depression will pass over the country, with a lot of rainfall within a short time and possibly also temporarily strong winds. This weather picture is also usually of a fairly short duration and after one or two days of bad weather you can usually lie back on the beach.

Winter

The winters in the Dominican Republic are not much cooler than the summers. The temperatures at sea level during the day are still close to or around thirty degrees, which makes the Dominican Republic an excellent winter sun destination. If you want to go on a honeymoon and are looking for great sun security, it is best to choose the east coast (Punta Cana, Bavaro) or the south coast (Santa Domingo, Boca Chica). The winter period there is considerably drier than the summer season.

UV radiation

The sun power is high in the Dominican Republic. For a large part of the year there is the highest solar power (UV index 11), whereby going unprotected in the sun is actually not justified, unless it concerns a very short period (10-15 minutes). The use of a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (minimum 30) is recommended all year round, even for people who do not burn so easily. In winter it is not much lower. Only the months of November, December, January and to a lesser extent February and October are slightly milder for your delicate skin. But then still take into account a sun strength that can be compared to the middle of summer in Spain.

Precipitation

The tropical climate of the Dominican Republic not only brings a lot of heat and sun, but also the necessary rain and high relative humidity. Depending on the region and seasonal influences, reasonable amounts of rain fall. In the northeast, around Samana and Las Terrenas, there is quite a lot of precipitation throughout the year. The Los Haitises National Park benefits from the significant amounts of rain.

Not only can large differences arise per region or per month, it is also not the same every year and it is possible that a considerable deviation occurs for a certain area compared to the long-term average. Those who are lucky will mainly see sun, those who are unlucky will have to deal with more rain showers than usual.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit the Dominican Republic

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to the Dominican Republic? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Dominican Republic is especially popular as a sun destination. Lots of sun, high temperatures and great tropical beaches are the ideal mix for a wonderful beach holiday. It is not for nothing that many Dutch couples choose this dream destination for their honeymoon. Those who are afraid that their dream trip will fall into the water should take into account that from May a clearly wetter season will come. In many places in the Dominican Republic, the chance of a rain or thunderstorm increases considerably from May. Most of these showers fall in the afternoon or evening. The number of days with plenty of rain are small, unless a severe tropical depression passes over. Those depressions can even develop into a tropical storm or even a real hurricane.

Best months for the Dominican Republic

For a large part of the Dominican Republic, the period from January to April can be seen as the best time to travel. In these months there is the least rainfall and with temperatures around 27 to 30 degrees in the afternoon, it is pleasantly warm. The sun is especially visible in February and March.

The North Coast

On the north coast of the Dominican Republic, the climate differs from other destinations within this tropical country. Puerto Plata, which is located on the so-called Amber Coast, has a drier season from June to September. This makes the summer holidays ideal for a holiday in this part of the Dominican Republic. The Samaná peninsula, which can be found more east on the north coast, is significantly wetter. The best time to travel here is the period from mid-February to the end of April, where you still have to take into account heavy showers that occur especially at the end of the day.

Hurricanes and tropical depressions

The hurricane season lasts from early June to early December. Do not expect hurricanes to pass over the country every year, but the chance of unpredictable weather is certainly present. If you want to have more certainty about pleasant sunny days, it is better to bet on the period from December to April. The clouds are then often much more friendly in character and when it comes to a shower, it usually does not last that long.

The most popular hotels and resorts in the Dominican Republic are already located in locations where on average slightly less precipitation is measured than in other places. Well-known are the hotels in Punta Cana and Bavaro in the east, where there is usually not a cloud to be seen above the sea, while impressive clouds are silhouetted against the blue sky above the interior.

Best time to visit Punta Cana

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Punta Cana? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Punta Cana is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach destination in the Dominican Republic. The snow-white sandy beaches are often counted among the top 10 beaches in the world. The combination of bright blue sea, white palm beaches and a warm tropical climate make Punta Cana an absolute top destination when it comes to beach holidays. The many luxury hotel resorts that can be found in large numbers in Punta Cana ensure that you will lack almost nothing here. Almost nothing, because in terms of nice places, historical sights or museums there is hardly anything to do here. If you come for a great beach holiday, Punta Cana is the place to be!

Honeymoon

Anyone looking for a suitable honeymoon will quickly come to Punta Cana. Some flights to Punta Cana seem to have more honeymoon couples than normal vacationers. Those who get married in the first half of the calendar year usually have a great destination for a honeymoon in Punta Cana. The month of May can be on the wet side.

The best months for Punta Cana

The best weather for a beach holiday in Punta Cana is from January to April. This is therefore the best time to travel to Punta Cana. From the end of April, the chance of precipitation suddenly increases, so that the month of May is less certain in terms of beach weather. June and July are slightly drier, but also more stuffy due to the increasing relative humidity in combination with rising temperatures. It seems only a small difference, 28 degrees in February or 32 degrees in July. The perceived temperature is much further apart. At an official temperature of 32 degrees and a relative humidity of 75%, the perceived temperature is 40 degrees.

During the months of January to April, the average maximum temperature is around 27 to 30 degrees and the weather is clear to partly cloudy about 80% of the time. In the course of May this decreases considerably. Between mid-May and the end of September, the chance of partly to completely cloudy weather is 75%. That too is part of a tropical climate type.

Hurricanes

In Punta Cana you can experience tropical storms and even hurricanes. This is not something that happens every year. Yes, hurricanes do occur in the Caribbean during hurricane season. That does not mean that they automatically move towards Punta Cana. On average, Punta Cana experiences such a tropical cyclone once every few years. Fortunately, hurricanes can be predicted in reasonable time, allowing the hotels to take the necessary measures. There is rarely any direct danger to tourists.