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Destination: Three Ways to See the D.R.
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Wherever you’re staying in the Dominican Republic, you can take one of these day trips—to a colonial city, a mountain retreat or secluded beaches
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BY JOSH DEAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID A. LAND
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| Playa Cosón, on the Samaná Peninsula; a guide at Ranco Baiguate; a café in Santo Domingo’s Parque Colón. |
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The Dominican Republic is the most popular vacation destination in the Caribbean, known for its spectacular white-sand beaches. Another defining characteristic is size: In a region of beautiful but tiny Gilligan’s islets, the D.R. is gigantic, second only to Cuba in area and population. And that means plenty of options for exploration. Here are three such diversions, each one perfect for an all-day outing, depending on where you’re based.
SANTO DOMINGO
The Dominican Republic’s buzzing beehive of a capital is the oldest city in the Americas, founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of the famed Italian who discovered the D.R. and thus the Americas four years earlier. Santo Domingo is sprawling, with all the conveniences—and traffic—of a modern city. But its cultural heart, the Zona Colonial, is a warren of cobbled streets and 400-year-old stone buildings. It’s also home to the oldest cathedral in the Western hemisphere, the Cathedral of Santa Maria. (UNESCO has designated the area a World Heritage Site.) Activity centers on Parque Colón, which is bisected by the pedestrian-only Calle El Conde (aka El Conde), lined with shops, restaurants and bars—many in hidden courtyards behind nondescript stone façades. For lunch, stop at Mesón de Bari (302 Calle Hostos; 011-809-687-4091; lunch for two, $40*). It’s known for the crowd of after-work businessmen at the bar and its excellent stewed crab, doused in creole spices and served up with rice and plantains to tame the heat.
As you wander the old city, you’re likely to be besieged by affable men offering to guide you. The $25 charge for a half-day tour is a good investment, as it includes a free pass to most sites. Just ask to see their government badge before you sign on.
THE DETAILS
Santo Domingo is a 3½-hour drive from Punta Cana on good roads. It’s only 1½ hours by major highway from La Romana and Bayahibe. If heavy traffic and erratic driving make you nervous, ask your resort to arrange a taxi or direct you to bus service. Once in Santo Domingo, you won’t need a car; the old city is eminently walkable.
JARABACOA
Set in a central mountain valley at 1,700 feet, the town of Jarabacoa is sometimes called the adventure capital of the D.R., and for good reason: It’s within striking range of the four highest peaks in the Caribbean, including 10,417-foot Pico Duarte, the tallest of them all. Dominicans even refer to this rugged region as Los Alpes. From Santo Domingo, it’s an easy 1½-hour drive up the country’s biggest and best-maintained highway (DR-1); Santiago, with its own international airport and access to the north coast, is a little over an hour away.
The road that climbs up to Jarabacoa from Highway DR-1 passes through the home of Dominican arepas, or corn cakes. (It’s just outside La Vega, but you’ll know it by the tourism board signs that say “Zona Arepas.”) Women sell the snacks at roadside stands—$1 will buy you more than you can eat.
Outfitters in Jarabacoa offer trekking, canyoning, horseback riding and whitewater rafting on the Yaque del Norte, the only river in the Caribbean where such a thing is possible.
THE DETAILS
Jarabacoa’s best outfitters are Rancho Baiguate and Rancho Jarabacoa. Rafting trips cost about $50 per person for three hours. Prices for horseback rides vary from $10 an hour to several hundred for overnight treks, including tents and food.
SAMANÁ
It’s easy to imagine that the Dominican Republic has always been a country of large, all-inclusive resorts. But to see it the way it used to be—endless stretches of white-sand beaches lined with swaying palms—make the trip to the northeast corner, where the Samaná Peninsula juts into the sea. In winter, pods of humpback whales convene in Samaná Bay to give birth, but the peninsula is just as alluring any other time of year. Prior to the new highway from Santo Domingo, christened just two years ago, Samaná was a four-hour drive on bad roads from the capital. Now it only takes 2½ hours, and the drive from Puerto Plata is about the same.
The peninsula’s primary town is Las Terrenas, a French enclave of thatched beach bars and cabana hotels. Sadly, development is starting to move in here, but change has yet to reach the tiny town of Las Galeras, farther out on the peninsula, or Playa Cosón, an enormous horseshoe-shaped beach 15 minutes west of Las Terrenas. There you’ll find little more than solitude-seeking sunbathers and the occasional beach restaurant or bar. The best of these is Luis, named for its proprietor, a cheerful man who grills up whatever fish his guys have caught that morning. Just look for the word “Luis” on a faded wooden sign along a road that has few other landmarks.
THE DETAILS
If you want to see whales, go in January or February. You can arrange for a boat through one of the outfitters in Las Terrenas or online (whalesamana.com, run by a Canadian biologist, is a good one). Or you can simply show up at the harbor in the town of Samaná and book there. For a great meal, visit the tiny Fisherman’s Village—a collection of renovated fishing shacks—along the beach road in Las Terrenas. A good bet: La Terrasse (809-240-6730; dinner for two, $30) for whatever was caught that day (say, dorado) cooked in a typically Dominican way, with French, Spanish and Creole twists.
VALUE
BEACH BITE
Head to Luis on Playa Cosón for the freshest fish around (lunch for two, $20).
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts in the
Dominican Republic include:
PRESIDENTIAL SUITES
BY LIFESTYLE
An all-inclusive resort on Cofresi
Beach, with modern two-bedroom units;
a casino; French, Asian and Italian
restaurants; and a state-of-the-art spa.
1 Playa Cofresi, Puerto Plata
THE COCONUT PALMS RESORT
Guests at this hilltop resort can walk 10
minutes to the beach, go riding from the
onsite stables or lounge by the pool.
One- to three-bedroom units available.
Vista del Caribe, Cabarete
Member Reviews:
“Dinners were to die for.”
“The staff was amazing and
the pool was great.”
OCCIDENTAL GRAND FLAMENCO
PUNTA CANA
This all-inclusive resort on the D.R.’s
eastern side offers a range of units, from
hotel rooms to two-bedrooms, plus three
pools, nine restaurants, seven bars and
nightly entertainment. Bávaro, Higüey
Member Reviews:
“We enjoyed the evening shows, beach
volleyball, tennis.”
“On the Jurassic Safari you go horseback
riding, swim in a cave, see how the locals
live and more.”
HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
PUNTA CANA
All-inclusive hotel units with balconies,
satellite TV and double jacuzzis. The resort
also has a spa, casino, eight restaurants,
nine outdoor pools, a cyber café and 24-hour
room service. Blvd. Turístico del Este,
Km. 28, Higüey
Member Reviews:
“The spa is 10-star.”
“New rooms with modern decor;
a big soaking tub near the balcony
that had a gorgeous view!”
BPPC @ G BAHIA PRINCIPE
PUNTA CANA
Set on the D.R.’s eastern tip, this
all-inclusive beach resort has one-bedroom
and hotel units, plus a casino, spa and pools,
scuba diving, fishing, golf and tennis.
Arena Gorda–Macao, Higüey
THE RESERVE AT PARADISUS
PALMA REAL
This all-inclusive beach resort has
one-bedroom units, outdoor grills and
dining areas amid gardens and fountains.
Expect a spa, casino and live entertainment.
Playas de Bávaro, Punta Cana
Member Reviews:
“Beautiful rooms, contemporary and
spacious. Gorgeous grounds, lovely pool,
fabulous beach.”
“The best attraction was the Barrio tour.
We went up to the mountains and saw
true Dominican living.”
VVC @ VIVA WYNDHAM
DOMINICUS PALACE
This all-inclusive resort 17 miles west of
the La Romana airport has a beach bar, two
lounges, five restaurants, a pool, spa and an
off-property excursion program for day trips.
La Romana, Bayahibe
Member Reviews:
“Great resort to relax and sunbathe.
Drinks were plentiful.”
“There is a scuba shop on site and they
were terrific.”
For more information, including complete member reviews
(as member reviews have been condensed),
visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476
Club Members, please call your specific
Club or RCI telephone number.
NON-RCI AFFILIATED RESORTS:
HOSTAL NICOLAS DE OVANDO
SANTO DOMINGO
This historic hotel dates from 1502.
Calle Las Damas, Santo Domingo;
809-685-9955; accorhotels.com; doubles
from $130 per night
HOTEL PALACIO
A 40-room property in a 19th-century palace.
Rooms are decorated with oversized paintings
and wrought iron chandeliers. 106 Calle Duarte,
Santo Domingo; 809-682-4730;
hotel-palacio.com; doubles from $80 per night
CASA DE CAMPO
It’s over the top at this classic mega-resort
on the southeastern coast—the spa alone
is 39,000 square feet. La Romana;
casadecampo.com.do; 800-877-3643;
doubles from $295 per night
MI VISTA MOUNTAIN RESORT
A mountain property three miles outside
Jarabacoa, operated by a retired U.S. Navy
diver who built the place himself. Jarabacoa;
809-574-6696; mi-vista.com; doubles from
$70 per night
VILLA EVA LUNA
A collection of adobe cabanas on the Samaná
Peninsula, owned by a French couple. She
arranges excursions; he makes fantastic dinners.
Calle Marico, Las Terrenas; 809-978-5611;
villa-evaluna.com; doubles from $100 per night
PENINSULA HOUSE
A luxurious plantation-style hotel with a central
courtyard, gardens and six suites with ocean views.
Las Terrenas; 809-962-7447; thepeninsulahouse.com;
doubles from $580 per night
*Prices throughout have been converted to U.S. dollars.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: Spring 2011
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