The island of Hispaniola is shared by the Dominican Republic in the east and Haiti in the west. With a surface of about 76,000km2, it is the second largest island in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic occupies roughly two thirds of its land mass, and Haiti the remaining third. It is also the most populous island of the Caribbean archipelago, counting over 11mio Haitians and a good 10mio Dominicans.Hispaniola also enjoys a wonderfully varied geography and habitats: from lowland swamps and rainforest, to broad savannahs, to arid deserts, to montane rainforest, to highland pine forests. It has several unique geographical features, like Lago Enriquillo, a salt lake 40m below sea level, and Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the whole Caribbean at 3,145m.Thanks to its good connections to both the rest of the Americas and to Europe, its good infrastructure, variety and diversity in landscapes, flora, fauna and things to do, its pleasant climate, its laid-back vibe and its delicious gastronomy, the Dominican Republic is bound to conquer a space in any visitor’s heart.

When it comes to bird life, Hispaniola benefits from its unique location: It sits on an oceanic archipelago between the Caribbean Sea in the south and the Pacific Ocean in the north, and pretty much in the middle between North and South America. It may not have the high species numbers of other countries in the Americas (though it still counts just over 300 species total), but it has relatively high numbers of endemic and regional endemic species. In total, Hispaniola boasts 31 strict endemics (that is, species that are not found anywhere else in the world). Only one of those – Grey-crowned Palm-Tanager – has not been seen in the Dominican Republic, since it is restricted to southwestern Haiti. Besides the strict endemics, Hispaniola is also home to about 20 regional endemics, or species only found in the Caribbean. Then we are not talking yet about the nearly 50 resident sub-species. And on top of that, the island is an important wintering or stopover site for hosts of migratory warblers, ducks, and shorebirds that are a lot easier to see here in winter than in North America in summer, simply because they are concentrated in a much smaller area.

The climate in the Dominican Republic is best de–scribed as a tropical, with sunny days year-round and average annual temperatures hovering just below 80°F (26° C). Variations from that average are determined more by altitude than anything else. Temperatures at higher elevations in the central mountain range, the Cordillera Central, can drop into the 60s F (17°C), and it’s not uncommon to see temperatures above 90°F (32°C) on the coastal plains. Northeast trade winds blow off the Atlantic year-round and are especially welcome on the northern side of the island. The average temperature in the capital, Santo Do–mingo, is 75°F (24°C) in January and 80°F (27°C) in July.Changes in seasons in the Dominican Republic means changes in rainfall patterns as opposed to changes in temperature. The rainy season for the north coast runs from November to January; for the rest of the country, rain falls more regularly between May and November. During the rainy season, rains tend to fall in the afternoons in short bursts after which sunshine returns. The mountainous northeast see the heavi–est rains, with average annual rainfall of more than 100inches (2,540mm). The west–ern valleys along the Haitian border, as well as the northwestern and southeastern extremes of the country, are relatively arid and usually see only about 20 inches (500mm) of annual rainfall. The humidity can be oppressive during the heat of sum–mer months, but winter brings relief in the form of cooler, dry nights.Generally, hurricane season in the Dominican Republic is from June to November. Historically the most active month is September, but some of the most severe and destructive storms have come significantly earlier in the year; it’s impossible to pre–dict when the storms will come. While a major storm hits once every quarter-centu–ry, the island is affected by at least outer bands of storms more frequently—close to every five years.