The Dominican Republic is ranked #3 on the list of “The 29 Caribbean islands, ranked from best to worst, to visit in winter”, compiled by travel experts from the “Travel” section of the Telegraph newspaper in London.
It earned a total score of 565 out of 600 points, and highlights “The scenic versatility that includes rainforest, arid desert and a profusion of glorious beaches.”.
The publication highlights that the Dominican Republic is home to the highest and lowest points in the Caribbean: Pico Duarte, at 3,174 meters high, which can be climbed in a two-day hike, and Lake Enriquillo, which is 46 meters below sea level.
This diverse landscape, the English media outlet indicates, includes rainforest, fertile valleys, arid desert and a profusion of glorious white sand beaches, which is reflected in a high biodiversity score.
It also highlights that nature-related adventures include admiring humpback whales in the Samaná Peninsula, rafting on the Yaque del Norte River, and the possibility of observing 31 unique bird species such as the Hispaniolan Woodpecker.
The capital city, Santo Domingo, is renowned as a popular port for Caribbean cruises and boasts a rich heritage dating back to its founding in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus. Beyond its monumental churches and historic fortifications, the splendor of nature shines through in the largest botanical garden in the Caribbean.
For holidays from the United Kingdom, Tui offers packages with direct flights to Santo Domingo and Punta Cana from London Gatwick and British Airways, which also flies from Manchester.
Among the tasks carried out by the 29 islands, the Dominican Republic was always among the top performers:
- Natural wonders. Position 3
- Experience and environment. Position 9
- Luxury hotels. Position 10
- Highest mountain in the Caribbean (3,101m), First place
- Biodiversity ranking (32nd worldwide). First place
- Cheapest island (prices 25.37% cheaper than in the UK). First place
- Most awarded golf courses. Position 1 (11 award winners)
Selection
The list was compiled by comparing Caribbean destinations using 24 criteria divided into three categories: Natural Wonders, Experience and Environment, and Luxury. Points were awarded to each island based on the number of:
- Bird species (according to avibase.bsc-eoc.org)
- National parks, World Heritage sites (approved and provisional)
- Award-winning beaches (according to TripAdvisor and worlds50beaches.com)
- World's leading diving sites (according to sportdiver.com and scubamagazine.co.uk).
- Percentage of its territory covered by forests (according to ourworldindata.org)
- Highest point and its biodiversity (according to the classification of epi.yale.edu).
Experience and environment were also assessed for each island based on:
- Annual rainfall
- Hurricane threat
- Population density
- Cost of living (by number)
- Sustainability efforts (assessed by the Environmental Performance Index)
- Homicide rate, and safety advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Gay Freedom and Travel Index
- The availability of direct flights from the United Kingdom also increased ratings in this category.
The following were taken into account in the Luxury category:
- Number of five-star hotels per square mile
- Top-rated restaurants (according to caribjournal.com)
- Golf courses (according to top100golfcourses.com)
Additional points were awarded for
- Owning an international cricket ground (presumably a key point of interest for Telegraph readers)
- The popularity of each island on Instagram
- Position achieved in recent editions of the Telegraph Travel Awards, voted by readers (2018, 2019 and 2023).
The list of the top 10 positions:
1- Cuba
2- The Bahamas
3- Dominican Republic
4- Barbados
5- Jamaica
6- Antigua and Barbuda
7- Trinidad and Tobago
8- Dominica
9- Saint Lucia
10-Aruba
