Dominicus Americus

Dominicus Americus Review

This village nicknamed "Little Italy" was developed mostly by Italians, who, it is said, brought tourism to the local Dominicans. The main drag, however, is named after a pioneering American, Wayne Fuller. In the early 1970s he bought large tracts of waterfront land, which he subsequently sold and where the major resorts now flourish.

The original houses in Dominicus, built in the 1970s, are painted mostly in Caribbean pastels—pinks, yellows, and blues. A more moderne wave of both apartments and single-family houses of all types has proliferated. One main street holds most of the shops, which are mostly filled with clothing and souvenirs. (El Mundo, the largest, boasts that they have something for everyone.) And there are a few simple restaurants (some with Wi-Fi), bars, a supermarket, and tour agencies where excursions are sold mostly to Isla Catalina and Isla Saona. Most of the resorts are on Playa Dominicus, some close to town and others a bit further away. The casino at Monte Carlo Plaza enlivens the night.