At the arrival of the Spaniards 520 years ago, the island was inhabited by the Taino natives. Various theories justify the presence of these former inhabitants, who came from the Orinoco basins, in Venezuela, and Xingu and Tapajos, in the Guyanas. Taino left no strong remains as in Mexico and Central America, since they lived in caves and aboriginal houses made with palms and vegetation called ¨bohios and caneyes¨, since it was a nomadic civilization. Therefore, we all the reference we have are the diaries of Spanish conquistadors, and the remnants of pottery and art found on caves that have been finding up to our days.

All the Taino treasures are exhibited in Santo Domingo museums; vessels and utensils for their daily tasks, such as pots, ¨burenes¨ and jars, baskets, spoons and cups, maracas, wood or higüero, trumpets snail, clay ocarinas and flutes of cane, or bone. Their pictographic samples in caves represent the most important collection of this sample in the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic, has a vast amount of caves that were inhabited by the taínos, among which we will find the Cuevas de las Maravillas, the caritas in Barahona, the Pomier caves, the caves of los Haitises, among many others, with important sample of this pictographic art of the island.

DeChepa travel offers cultural, thematic tailor-made packages, and this topic, is one of the most original that we have prepared. Depending on the area you want to visit, it would be the program. Not only will discover vestiges in museums and caves, also you will get in contact with a still standing heritage of the Dominicans. Their language and cuisine, still show a strong influence from these ancestors.

Discover this ancient civilization and you will have the rest of a holiday in a destination of beautiful beaches.