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Dominican Republic and St Lucia are two amazing countries to consider for an upcoming Caribbean vacation. Therefore, choosing either destination will not leave you disappointed.
In this article, we compare and contrast Dominican Republic with St Lucia to help you determine which destination is better for your vacation.
As a general rule, St Lucia is ideal for persons seeking to enjoy stunning black sand beaches while exploring the neighboring French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Alternatively, Dominican Republic is a perfect destination for persons seeking a vibrant nightlife environment.
Read on for more attributes of St Lucia and Dominican Republic. This article was written by a Caribbean national.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Destination Is Bigger
Home of the legendary baseball superstar Sammy Sosa, the Dominican Republic has the second largest landmass of all the Caribbean countries totaling 18,704 square miles.
Alternatively, St Lucia is remarkably smaller being 238 square miles.
According to the website Worldometers, the population of Dominican Republic was 11,072,084 while that of St Lucia was 185,323 at the time of publication.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Destination Gets More Tourists
The Dominican Republic gets significantly more tourists than St Lucia. According to tourism, analytics, the country recorded a total of 6,446,036 stop over visitors in 2019.
On the other hand, St Lucia welcomed 423,736 stop over visitors during the same period.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Island Is Safer
St Lucia is the safer of the two countries and hence is the better destination especially for solo female travelers.
According to the US Department State, Overseas Advisory Council based on a 2018 crime report per 100,000 citizens, Lucia had 21 murders and 4 kidnappings over the period.
Furthermore, according to InsightCrime.org, 74 murders were recorded for the year 2021.
This figure places the island among regional counterparts Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago which have some of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2021.
This drastic increase in the crime rate has been linked to gang violence.
Contrastingly, crime in Dominican Republic is even higher.
According to Statistica.com, in 2021 there were approximately 10 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
This homicide rate was higher when compared to 2020 when there were 9 homicides per 100,000 individuals.
Nevertheless, the above homicide rate was a decline from the year 2014 when the rate was 18 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Island Is Better For Island Hopping
St Lucia offers more opportunities for seamless travel to neighboring destinations and therefore may be ideal for persons on a budget.
Due to its location, St Lucia has effortless access to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe via the ferry services of L’ Express Des Isles.
Furthermore, this transportation service also docks in the Eastern Caribbean Island of Dominica.
The island of Dominica is known as the nature island of the Caribbean and is a perfect stop for individuals who enjoy hiking.
Dominica is also home to the boiling lake which is the second largest boiling lake in the world after the Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand.
On the other hand, the ability to access other countries from Dominican Republic is limited.
There is a ferry service to Puerto Rico which is restricted to select days each week from San Juan to Santo Domingo.
The Capital city of the country Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. Moreover, from Santo Domingo, one can cross the overland border to Haiti.
It takes about 7 hours via bus to Port Au Prince which is the capital city of Haiti. This time may increase due to the volume of persons at the border.
At the time of publication, the cost of the bus was approximately USD$80.00
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- What Are The Official Currencies
The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD) is the official currency of St Lucia which was pegged to the US (United States) dollar since July 7th, 1976 at a rate of USD $1 to XCD $2.70.
This currency is also shared by seven other Eastern Caribbean islands and is managed through a regional central bank which is based in St Kitts.
On the other hand, the official currency of the Dominican Republic is the Dominican Peso.
Its symbol is $ with RD$ being used to prevent confusion with other currencies.
The Dominican Peso is issued and managed by the Central Bank of Dominican Republic and is available in bank notes and coins.
Bank notes are available in 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 bills. Alternatively, coins are available in 1, 5, 10 and 25 peso.
Nonetheless, the US dollar is widely accepted for financial transactions in both destinations. Change is usually given in local currencies.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Destination Has The Better Beaches
In terms of beaches, this truly depends on your priority. For stunning and gorgeous white sand beaches with turquoise waters, Dominican Republic is the better destination.
Some of the key spots to explore include Juanillo Beach, El Corecito Beach and Uvero Alto Beach.
On the other hand, if you are interested in experiencing beautiful black sand beaches then St Lucia is the better destination.
Due to the volcanic nature of the island, there are several black sand beaches to explore.
Some of the stunning black sand beaches to visit include Anse Chastanet Beach and Anse Cochon Beach.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Which Destination Has The Better Nightlife
Dominican Republic is the country with the more vibrant nightlife atmosphere. As a nation with Spanish flair the music genres primarily are reggaeton, electro and latino music.
Some of the popular places for nightlife in Dominican Republic are Onno’s Zona Colonial and La Bodega Bar.
On the contrary, St Lucia is a much quieter destination and as a part of the Eastern Caribbean the main genres of music are calypso and soca.
Zouk music is also popular in St Lucia which has its roots in the French heritage of the island.
Entertainment in St Lucia is primarily features restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Additionally, every Friday there is a street festival where locals meet at an event called Fish Friday.
This event is hosted in Gros Islet where dishes are prepared with fish as the main ingredient.
Vendors of local crafts and souvenirs as well as a live band are usually present at this venue.
St Lucia Vs Dominican Republic- Unique Things To Do In Both Destinations
Sulphur Springs, St Lucia– this was formulated from the Soufriere Volcano. The sulphur springs provides persons with the opportunity to have a mud bath.
The sulphur springs are believed to help heal sun burns, eczema, joint pains and more.
The 3 Eyes National Park, Dominican Republic- is a limestone cave with three lakes called “Los Tres Ojos” in Spanish.
It contains three lakes and is one of the most popular attractions in the Dominican Republic.
The three lakes are called Lago de Azufre, La Nevera and El Lago de las Damas.
Final Thoughts
On a whole, St Lucia is ideal for visitors seeking to enjoy black sand beaches and amazing sulphur springs. On the other hand, Dominican Republic is perfect for persons who love to enjoy basking on white sand beaches with turquoise waters such as the iconic Bavaro Beach.
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