During Holy Week, there is a type of tourism that increases its demand by displacing thousands of tourists, and that is the religious tourism, also called faith or sacred. This is a category motivated by faith, spirituality, devotion or interest in learning about the heritage of sacred art that includes all faiths of tourist interest.
The Dominican Republic has unique places where beliefs and artistic beauty give rise to monuments that are symbols for a particular religion as well as for culture lovers. During the holidays, many vacationers are interested in visiting those temples with interesting stories.
Travel with religious intent involves not only the worship of relics, buildings, structures or other church objects, but also a general knowledge of the culture and religion of a particular place, which is also of educational interest.
Tourists visit for various purposes, as part of their faith routine, with the intention of asking for a miracle, or simply to have an enriching and memorable experience.
The Catholic news portal Aciprensa, highlights that in the country the tour of the seven churches (chosen at random) takes place on the night of Holy Thursday -which in some places extends to the morning of Good Friday-. This tour is undoubtedly one of the most common traditions of Holy Week throughout Latin America. These visits, and the prayer in each one of them, symbolize the accompaniment of the faithful to Jesus in each one of his journeys from the night he was taken prisoner until his crucifixion.
Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Colonial City, Santo Domingo
Built between 1510 and 1540, the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, also known as Primada de America, has a design based on the plans of the architect Alonso de Rodriguez. It is located in the Colonial Zone, between Arzobispo Meriño and Isabel La Católica streets, in front of Parque Colón.
Nuestra Señora La Altagracia Basilica
Located in Higüey and inaugurated in 1971, this cathedral is the most important religious site in the Dominican Republic. It honors the patron saint of the Dominicans, the Virgin of La Altagracia. It stands out for its great bronze and gold arch, which measures 69 meters high.
La Isabela, Puerto Plata
This temple is located 65 kilometers from the province of Puerto Plata. Here was built the first European settlement in America and was home to the first church and mass in the New World. At this time, it is a temple taken into account by tourists.
San Estanislao Church, La Romana
This church, the work of Robert Copa, began construction in 1976. This place, located in Altos de Chavón, La Romana, was consecrated in 1979 and, to commemorate the occasion, Pope John Paul II sent the ashes of the patron saint of Poland, St. Stanislaus.
Sanctuary of Santo Cerro, La Vega
The National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy is a temple located on Santo Cerro, La Vega. It was designed and built by the architect Alarife Onofre de Lora, in the early 1880’s, under the direction of Archbishop Roque Cochia.
Santo Cristo de los Milagros Sanctuary, Monte Plata, Bayaguana
It is a temple dedicated to the patron saint San Juan Bautista. In 2020, former President Danilo Medina inaugurated the first stage of the sanctuary, a new pilgrimage center for the province of Monte Plata.
