Dominican culture and customs: know before you go

Transportation in the D.R. can be a little dicey, as you'll see drivers and motorcyclists running red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, parking on sidewalks, and breaking just about any road rules that can be broken.

You'd be amazed that people aren't crashing left and right every second, as motorcyclists swerve in and out of traffic. But if you're going to travel anywhere, here are the Dominican Transport methods:

Motoconcho

The infamous Motoconchos or motorcycle-taxis, can be found all over the country on street corners, in front of businesses, and schools, they're the transport of choice for the majority of Dominicans. They’re fast, cheap, and accessible to low income citizens.

The Motoconcho capital is without question the city of Puerto Plata, where any day on the road is like a battle scene out of Star Wars, with motorbikes zooming in every direction.

GuaGuas or Carritos

Guaguas (gwa-gwa) or mini-buses, and carritos (little cars) are the preferred form of transportation for people across the island. Minivans and cars (mostly Toyota Camry's for reliability) with the name or letter of your town on it, picks and drops passengers off every three or four blocks.

The Guaguas and Carritos are often packed to a loose interpretation of safe capacity, stuffing up to six people in the back, and two on the passenger side beside the driver. If you take a seat, be prepared to pick up more passengers as you go, and be prepared for it to get loud and uncomfortable before you get where you’re going.

Want more specifics on how to get around once you’re here? Read our guide to transportation in the Dominican Republic.

Haggling is expected almost everywhere except supermarkets and banks. A good rule is to always negotiate a price before you jump in a cab or agree to buy something. To haggle successfully, locals recommend learning some essential Spanish, carrying pesos, not USD, carrying small change (including coins), being friendly and polite, and starting with around half of the first price a vendor offers you before negotiating toward a happy medium.

You might be asked for a “propina” - Spanish for tip - by people offering to do you favors, including giving you directions. Keep a handful of coins with you for these occasions, and give a couple of coins to express your gratitude. If you want to avoid tipping for these small favors, it’s best to say “no, gracias” politely and to refuse the help in the first place.

Want more details on haggling, tipping and how money works? Read our guide to cash, costs and saving money in the Dominican Republic.

With a diversity of African, European and Taíno ethnicities, you can expect Dominican culture to be vibrant, colourful, and spicy. Dominicans love to dance, celebrate, and cook as often as possible, enjoying themselves with whatever budget they may have. The idea is to simply live life, and live it well.

When night falls, people hit the streets and local venues, listening to the tropical rhythms that set the tone for the Dominican Nightlife.

Merengue

Merengue is the music that best represents the Dominican Republic, with festive sounds of the Tambora (native drum), Guira (metallic scraper), accordions and piano. And don't forget the back-up singers.

Bachata

Once considered taboo music that would only be played in clandestine clubs and cabaret, Bachata gained popularity in the 90s for it's simple 1, 2, 3 step dance that anyone can learn. Yes, even you! Look for mentions of bachata at the clubs in the part of the country you’re visiting, and try a few steps.

Salsa

Originally from Puerto Rico, Salsa has been a part of the Dominican music scene for decades. Especially in Santo Domingo, you’ll see people dancing Salsa in the streets and local colmados (grocery stores).

Dembow

Dembow is an electric, up-beat music that originates from Jamaican Reggae and Puerto Rican Reggaeton. It's the most popular music among the youth and shows no sign of slowing down.

Festival de Merengue

The Santo Domingo Merengue Festival is two weeks of celebration dedicated to the Dominican Republic’s national dance, the merengue.

For two weeks each summer (from late July to early August) the world’s top merengue dancers dance to the world’s best merengue bands all over this gorgeous Caribbean city. This fortnight-long festival fills the capital with the rhythms of merengue, bachata, bolero, reggaeton, salsa and more. Most of the action happens on the Malecón, but visitors can attend related events across the city.

The Merengue Dance Festival is usually organized every year by the company that brews the popular Presidente Beer and hosts the country's biggest names in the business with legends like: Fernando Villalona, Mili Quezada, and Los Hermanos Rosario.

Read more about the Santo Domingo Merengue Festival and how to get involved.

Carnaval en Febrero

Every weekend in the month of February, Dominicans gear up for Carnaval, the biggest festival of the year, when people don traditional costumes that represent indigenous and Taíno culture. A very popular costume that stands out is the Diablo Cojuelo, a masked devil with spiked horns. They might be a little scary at first, but they're harmless.

Breakfast

Dominicans go hard when it comes to breakfast. We’re talking mashed plantains (Mangu) with fried onions on top, fried squares of cheese (Queso Blanco), tiny sausages or Dominican Salami (Salchichón) and a slice of avocado.

Lunch

Second Round: El Almuerzo (Lunch Time). If at home, Dominicans typically cook up a huge pan of rice and gandules (pigeon peas), Pollo Guisado (chicken in tomato sauce), and a green lettuce salad with more avocado. Long live the avocado!

While you’re here, don’t miss your chance to try real Dominican fast-food, like Pica-Pollo (Dominican KFC), with tostones or frito verdes (fried plantain chips).

Dinner

This is the only meal where Dominicans eat lightly - usually toasted ham, cheese and ketchup like a grilled cheese sandwich, maybe with a glass of passion fruit juice. If dining out, a typical dinner order is Carne Salada, a dry salted meat that's fried and served with a side of tostones, or maybe Yuca, another Dominican staple.

Don't forget to see the Dominican street food you have to try!

Baseball - or pelota, as it’s called here - is the official sport of the Dominican Republic, and it’s fair to say that it’s a pretty big deal. Despite this island nation’s tiny size relative to the United States, Dominicans account for more than ten percent of Major League players in American Major League Baseball!

Parents teach young children how to play, always encouraging the next generation of world-class talent to rise up the ranks of the Dominican league. Being a baseball player is a great honor here in the DR, and many young people can be seen practicing in their spare time, dreaming of making it big.

Here in the DR, the major league sees six provincial teams face off each year from October through to the end of December. Watching a game is a wonderful way to get involved in Dominican culture. You can read more about Dominican Baseball and how to get involved in our guide to Dominican baseball.

Written by Omar Guzman.

Published October 2020