The DR1 Tourist Map (Ways to Improve It)

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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RD_mapa.jpg


The DR1 tourism map has always caught my attention for the way the country was divided. I always thought this, but most of the time never felt the need to say anything. These are just suggestions in case there is a future update to both, the map and the DR1 tourist guide (which is inevitable as new tourist attractions pop up and old ones disappear.)

The map has many positive things, but this thread isn't about that.

The pet peeves that I have with the map are the following:

1. Traditionally, the point of reference for dividing the DR is the cordillera Central. Everything south of the mountains is El Sur (the South), everything north of the mountains is El Norte or Cibao, and everything east of the mountains is El Este. Within each region there are subregions such as La Línea Noroeste in the The North or El Sur Profundo in The South.

For many people the designations of The East and The North is never an issue, but when it comes to The South it causes confusion. Many people believe it should be called The Southwest because they erroneously believe that the point of reference is Santo Domingo, which is not. DR1 went the route of the confused people. lol

2. The DR1 map puts the provinces of San Juan and Elías Piña as part of the center. It doesn't make sense when we take into consideration that the way most people reach those provinces (at least within Dominican territory) is overwhelmingly through The South due to the road network. In addition to that, San Juan and Elías Piña truly belong to the southern region (remember, south of the cordillera Central.) Also, any tourist (Dominican or otherwise) that plans to discover The South and uses the DR1 tourist guide should be able to have the entire South on display in a single chapter dedicated to, well, The South and it should include San Juan and Elías Piña.

3. The Southcentral part could very easily be united with the East (Monte Plata and Hato Mayor are orientales afterall and its not as if those areas are overflowing with touristic points of interest) and simply keep the province of Santo Domingo as its own chapter titled Greater Santo Domingo (more than enough tourist points of interest to fill an entire chapter without the need to tag along Monte Plata and Hato Mayor.)

4. The northern 'border' of the Central part should be the cordillera Septentrional. It simply doesn't make any sense from the point of view of “the way most people reach these places” or the “geographic reality” of places such as Moca, Salcedo, and San Francisco de Macorís. I know Moca is in the province of Espaillat and that province spills into the northern coast, but for practical purposes the province is really split into two separate 'societies' for practical purposes. Most of the people that live on coastal Espaillat have much more frequent connections with Puerto Plata than they do with Moca and vice versa. Most people that reach Moca do so through Cibao Valley roads. The cordillera Septentrional is a natural barrier and while there is a road that connects Moca with the coastal part of its province, its simply not used much, not even by Mocanos that wish to go to the northern coast (in that case the vast majority go via the Navarrete - Puerto Plata road.) It makes perfect sense to have that province split between the Central and the North categories.

5. Those pine trees!! In the national parks of the cordillera Central those green pine trees not only look nice, but is also accurate considering they dominate many areas there. In much of the rest of the country a palm is much more representative of both the most striking trees (especially to foreign tourists) and also the climate. Consider adding a cactus or two for some of the national parks in the extreme southwest, especially Jaragua and Isla Cabritos (but not Bahoruco because there the pine is king.) You guys forgot to put any symbol for the Martín García National Park which consist of the mountain of the same name between Barahona and Azua; there too a cactus is more appropriate.


Anyone else have other suggestions for the creators of the map/tourist guide to take into consideration?

Speak now or forever hold your peace. lol
 
Last edited:

Timotero

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Feb 25, 2011
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I'm guessing most of us now use the map applications on our smartphones? Mine has "google maps" which I find perfectly adequate for navigating around the island. 
 

ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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RD_mapa.jpg


The DR1 tourism map has always caught my attention for the way the country was divided. I always thought this, but most of the time never felt the need to say anything. These are just suggestions in case there is a future update to both, the map and the DR1 tourist guide (which is inevitable as new tourist attractions pop up and old ones disappear.)

The map has many positive things, but this thread isn't about that.

The pet peeves that I have with the map are the following:

1. Traditionally, the point of reference for dividing the DR is the cordillera Central. Everything south of the mountains is El Sur (the South), everything north of the mountains is El Norte or Cibao, and everything east of the mountains is El Este. Within each region there are subregions such as La Línea Noroeste in the The North or El Sur Profundo in The South.

For many people the designations of The East and The North is never an issue, but when it comes to The South it causes confusion. Many people believe it should be called The Southwest because they erroneously believe that the point of reference is Santo Domingo, which is not. DR1 went the route of the confused people. lol

2. The DR1 map puts the provinces of San Juan and Elías Piña as part of the center. It doesn't make sense when we take into consideration that the way most people reach those provinces (at least within Dominican territory) is overwhelmingly through The South due to the road network. In addition to that, San Juan and Elías Piña truly belong to the southern region (remember, south of the cordillera Central.) Also, any tourist (Dominican or otherwise) that plans to discover The South and uses the DR1 tourist guide should be able to have the entire South on display in a single chapter dedicated to, well, The South and it should include San Juan and Elías Piña.

3. The Southcentral part could very easily be united with the East (Monte Plata and Hato Mayor are orientales afterall and its not as if those areas are overflowing with touristic points of interest) and simply keep the province of Santo Domingo as its own chapter titled Greater Santo Domingo (more than enough tourist points of interest to fill an entire chapter without the need to tag along Monte Plata and Hato Mayor.)

4. The northern 'border' of the Central part should be the cordillera Septentrional. It simply doesn't make any sense from the point of view of “the way most people reach these places” or the “geographic reality” of places such as Moca, Salcedo, and San Francisco de Macorís. I know Moca is in the province of Espaillat and that province spills into the northern coast, but for practical purposes the province is really split into two separate 'societies' for practical purposes. Most of the people that live on coastal Espaillat have much more frequent connections with Puerto Plata than they do with Moca and vice versa. Most people that reach Moca do so through Cibao Valley roads. The cordillera Septentrional is a natural barrier and while there is a road that connects Moca with the coastal part of its province, its simply not used much, not even by Mocanos that wish to go to the northern coast (in that case the vast majority go via the Navarrete - Puerto Plata road.) It makes perfect sense to have that province split between the Central and the North categories.

5. Those pine trees!! In the national parks of the cordillera Central those green pine trees not only look nice, but is also accurate considering they dominate many areas there. In much of the rest of the country a palm is much more representative of both the most striking trees (especially to foreign tourists) and also the climate. Consider adding a cactus or two for some of the national parks in the extreme southwest, especially Jaragua and Isla Cabritos (but not Bahoruco because there the pine is king.) You guys forgot to put any symbol for the Martín García National Park which consist of the mountain of the same name between Barahona and Azua; there too a cactus is more appropriate.


Anyone else have other suggestions for the creators of the map/tourist guide to take into consideration?

Speak now or forever hold your peace. lol

Robert asked this question a year of so back.