Iguana Mama Blog

21 Facts You didn't know about the Dominican Republic

28/4/2024

1. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation, located on the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti to the west.

2. The capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo, founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher Columbus, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas.

3. The Dominican Republic is known for its stunning beaches, with over 1,000 miles of coastline along the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, attracting millions of tourists each year.

4. The Dominican Republic is home to Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean, rising to an elevation of 3,087 meters (10,128 feet) above sea level in the Cordillera Central mountain range.

5. The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish, and the country's population is predominantly of mixed African and European descent, with influences from indigenous Taíno culture.

6. Merengue and bachata are the national dance and music genres of the Dominican Republic, characterized by lively rhythms, catchy melodies, and energetic dance moves.

7. The Dominican Republic is renowned for its production of high-quality cigars, with brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta gaining international recognition among cigar aficionados.

8. Baseball is the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic, with many Dominican players achieving success in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. The country has produced numerous MLB stars, including Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Sammy Sosa.

9. The Dominican Republic has a rich cultural heritage, with vibrant festivals and celebrations throughout the year, including Carnival, which features colorful parades, music, dance, and elaborate costumes.

10. The colonial zone of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to some of the best-preserved examples of Spanish colonial architecture in the Americas, including the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, the oldest cathedral in the New World.

11. The Dominican Republic is a leading producer of rum, with brands such as Brugal, Barceló, and Bermúdez exporting their products worldwide. Rum production is deeply ingrained in Dominican culture and history.

12. La Hispaniola, the island where the Dominican Republic is located, was the site of Christopher Columbus's first permanent settlement in the Americas, established in 1493.

13. The Dominican Republic is known for its diverse ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, and dry coastal plains, supporting a wide range of plant and animal species.

14. The Larimar, a rare blue gemstone found only in the Dominican Republic, is prized for its unique coloration and is often used in jewelry and decorative items.

15. The Dominican Republic is a parliamentary democracy with a president serving as the head of state and government. Elections are held every four years, and the country has a multi-party political system.

16. Dominican cuisine is a delicious blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno influences, with staple ingredients such as rice, beans, plantains, and tropical fruits. Popular dishes include mangu, sancocho, and tostones.

17. The Dominican Republic has a thriving ecotourism industry, with opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, zip-lining, and exploring the country's national parks and protected areas.

18. The Dominican Republic is home to Lake Enriquillo, the largest lake and lowest point in the Caribbean region, located in a tectonic depression known as the Enriquillo Basin.

19. The Dominican Republic has a tropical climate with year-round warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons. The hurricane season runs from June to November, with the country occasionally affected by tropical storms and hurricanes.

20. The Dominican Republic has made significant progress in reducing poverty and improving access to education and healthcare in recent years, although challenges such as income inequality and environmental degradation remain.

21. The Dominican Republic is a popular destination for destination weddings and honeymoons, with its picturesque beaches, luxurious resorts, and romantic atmosphere attracting couples from around the world.

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know before you go ... 27 waterfalls of damajagua shore excursion!

11/1/2024

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The park Name

• The original Dominican name for the national park “27 CHARCOS de Damajagua” was mistranslated many years ago as WATERFALLS and the mistranslation stuck. The correct translation for the word Charcos is pools or puddles. There are in fact 27 Pools of water at Damajagua but there are only 12 actual waterfalls.

• Damajagua is pronounced DAMAHAGUA and in Spanish we verbalize every letter of every word (no hidden or silent letters).

PORT PICKUP & PARK ARRIVAL

•   When you follow the detailed port instructions and map we send with your confirmation you’ll find your guide waiting for you just outside the port wearing an Iguana Mama t-shirt and holding an Iguana Mama sign. This is your guide for the day and he stays with you throughout the excursion! You also have a dedicated driver that stays at the park waiting to take you and the guide back to port. Enjoy the ice cold bottle of water and air conditioned vehicle!

   •   On the way to Damajagua your guide will give you park instructions, tell you some local history and generally pump you up for your big adventure!

   •   At Damajagua there will be MANY GUIDES that help with the hike, the jumps, the slides and remember… your Iguana Mama guide also stays with you the entire time. You’re in a lot of good hands!

safety

•   Your safety is our number one priority (along with making sure you have the most memorable adventure possible).

   •   Everyone is issued a life jacket, helmet and a bottle of water. The safety equipment must be worn during all river activities. You can carry them while hiking if it gets a bit warm.

   •   This is a physical activity and accidents can happen now and then. There is a trained medical team at the park and even an ambulance should it be required.

   •   You’ll be just fine and have an amazing experience if you … pay attention to all the guide’s instructions. Jump straight as a pencil, jump where they point to in the pool, slide with your arms crossed on your chest and be aware of your surroundings. It’s going to be awesome!!

CAMERAS

•   Some tour operators and cruise lines tell you that you can’t bring your own camera. That’s not true. You certainly may however, please remember, cameras, cell phones, disposables or Go-Pros need to be waterproof and shock resistant otherwise you could ruin your device.

   •   The helmets provided are not equipped with camera mounts so you’ll have to carry it throughout the activity. We recommend you find a way to secure the camera to yourself because it’s very easy to drop on a jump or have it slip out of a pocket on a slide.

   •   It’s fairly challenging to take your own photos and videos while jumping and sliding. Damajagua offers a photo/video service. You can hire a park photographer to follow you (and your group) throughout the park and at the end, you will receive a thumb drive with approximately 3 gigs of photos and videos.

   •   Iguana Mama is not responsible for lost or broken cameras.

FOOTWEAR

    •   We recommend an old pair of close-toed tennis shoes or river shoes like Keen or Teva. You can’t always see where you are stepping in the river and stubbed toes hurt.

   •   Tread… you need some decent tread for both the hike up and coming down through the falls. Rocks are slippery when wet. The best shoes tie up or strap on, have closed toes, have thicker soles and good tread.

   •   Soft soled water shoes will get shredded on the hike up and you’ll have very sore feet.

LADIES

• We highly recommend ladies wear an old pair of shorts over your bathing suit (especially 2 piece suits) or you might find yourself rather embarrassed after a jump or slide 😳

• And, if you're pregnant CONGRATS!! But unfortunately, you can’t go on this excursion 😞

VALUABLES AND CHANGE OF CLOTHES

• The visitor centre offers lockers in the men’s and ladies change room/bathrooms but often there are not enough lockers available for everyone. You can leave your dry clothes, shoes, towel and any valuables on the transport. It’s safe to do so! Iguana Mama transports stay at the park. We don’t leave to pick up other groups so your valuables stay safely locked up in the transport waiting for you to get out of the river.

• We do recommend you leave all jewelry on the bus. Especially wedding rings. The waterfalls and slides are notorious thieves.

LUNCH

    •   Lunch at Damajagua is a delicious, authentic Dominican buffet (ALL YOU CAN EAT) including:

        - Stewed and/or Fried Chicken
       - Pork
       - Sausage
       - A Pasta Dish
       - Rice & Beans
       - Plantain
       - Green Salad
       - Fruit
       - Soft drinks / Water
       - Alcohol is available for purchase (the first drink is on us)

RETURN TO PORT

• You’ve had a crazy, fun filled few hours and we like to keep that vibe going all the way back to port. On the bus enjoy local rum drinks (Cuba Libre or Santo Libre), lively Dominican music and the guide (who you now think of as family) will keep you laughing till it’s time to say ...

Hasta Lavista Baby!

Click Here To Book Damajagua Waterfalls

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Why iguana mama is the ultimate shore excursion provider from amber cove & taino Bay in puerto plata

15/12/2023

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You’ve booked your cruise and either Amber Cove or Taino Bay, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic are part of your itinerary. Great start! Now you’re checking out shore excursions and wondering if you should just play it safe and book one of the cruise line excursions. Stop that!

The best way to experience the north coast of the island during your stopover is through a local tour operator like Iguana Mama Shore Excursions. Continue reading below as we give you 5 great reasons why Iguana Mama is your Ultimate Amber Cove & Taino Bay shore excursion provider.

1. Iguana Mama Offers More with Less People

While cruise lines love to scare you with horror stories about taking an independent shore excursion BOO, they actually have a hidden agenda. After all, those dock fees, half full 24 hour casinos, empty cabins and empty bus seats won’t pay for themselves! Their MO is to paint a grim picture so you’ll book your excursion with them instead.

Here’s why what they tell you is a bunch of malarkey:
Iguana Mama is a premium, legally licensed and insured tour operator that’s been in business for over 28 years. We have over 1,100 5 bubble/star reviews across multiple platforms like TripAdvisor, Viator, and more. Our past customers know that as a local, independent Dominican Republic tour operator, Iguana Mama looks after them like the VIPs they are from port pickup to port return. 70% of our bookings are return customers!

Iguana Mama offers the five most sought-after excursions from Amber Cove and Taino Bay. We are more affordable, dive deeper into our local culture and provide a more intimate tour experience for all our customers. Don’t sweat it out with 50 other passengers on the cruise line crowded buses when you can book with Iguana Mama and relax. We cap our transports at 20 people (unless you have a larger group).

2. Iguana Mama Shore Excursions are More Affordable

Our prices are more affordable than cruise line tours because their contracted operators have to make at least a small profit and... THE CRUISE LINES WANT A BIG PROFIT! In fact, the cruise lines squeeze the poor local operators who have contracted with them so hard the operator can barely breathe let alone provide you with the best possible experience and amenities.

We’ve been operating from Amber Cove and Taino Bay since the ports opened and we always strive to make our tours as affordable as possible, without sacrificing the five-star quality that our customers have come to know and love. Our excursions are priced at just the right amount to cover costs, pay our local guides fair and livable wages and of course, retain a modest profit for ourselves (we are a business after all) while still going above and beyond for you.

3. You Get the Most Bang for Your Buck When You Go Local with Iguana Mama

We may be more affordable than cruise lines, but our clients are like family to us, and we treat every one of them like VIPs. All our excursions, from our waterfall tours to our beach party include an authentic Dominican lunch buffet with unlimited local rum drinks, water and soft drinks. As a local business, we cherish our clients and show them the DR we know and love.

And FUN? We wrote the book on shore excursion fun! Not only do we keep you safe, we make it our mission to ensure you have a great time from start to finish!!

Did you know that if you book the Waterfalls of Damajagua through the cruise lines they don’t allow you to jump!? Imagine cascading without jumping. Absurd.

4. We Value Your Business!

Without the intrepid cruise ship passengers who seek us out we’d be nothing. As the leading independent shore excursions operator in the Dominican Republic we understand you have options when it comes to booking shore excursions and we’ll do everything we can to earn your business, ensure your safety, and guarantee you have a great experience while docked at Amber Cove or Taino Bay in Puerto Plata.

5. We Get You Back to Amber Cove or Taino Bay On Time!

We’ve worked with cruise passengers since the opening of Amber Cove on October 6, 2015 and Taino Bay December 15, 2021. We have an intimate understanding of the cruise departure and arrival schedules and have structured our excursions to accommodate your cruise schedule. We’ve never missed a sailing, and we guarantee you’ll be back on your ship at least one hour before departure.

When your ship docks at Amber Cove or Taino Bay in the Dominican Republic, do more than just pass through, experience the beauty of our island home through local eyes. When you book with Iguana Mama, you’re not just supporting a small business and the local economy, you’re meeting real people, experiencing our culture, and getting to know what makes our island so special. Click here to book your tour. Shore Excursions

Choose from our famous 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua, our Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Puerto Plata City tour, our ATV Quad Lets Ride Excursion, or our Castaway Beach Party for Groups of 20 or more.

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