Dominican republic travel guide
What better destination could we have chosen to be our first trip outside the European Continent than a paradisiac Caribbean getaway in the Dominican Republic?
Are you still not convinced the Dominican Republic is the perfect destination for your next summer holidays? Let us change that:
Are you a beach lover? There’s plenty of stunning and unique beaches for you to discover!
Are you adventurous? Dominican Republic is full of exciting activities full of adrenaline to guarantee your heart keeps racing to its fullest! From zip lines, hikes, dives and so many other electrifying experiences!
Still not your type? Are you a wildlife lover? What about whale watching, snorkelling or contemplating the exotic wildlife of this paradise in one of the amazing Natural Parks?
We are pretty sure you must be convinced by now, but for the most reluctant readers out there, what about this: if you are a food lover (aren’t we all?! Apart from Bruno of course…) wait until you try proper Dominican cuisine! The hard part? To finish whatever you have on your plate! (We’re talking about big servings!)
Here are the ultimate experiences that will make you fall in love with Dominican Republic!
Taste Luxury in punta cana
Punta Cana is unquestionably the most touristic place in Dominican Republic and probably the only place coming to your mind when someone talks about this Caribbean Country.
This area of the island is filled with 5-star hotels, golf resorts, infinity pools and endless paradisiac beaches!
What we did? We booked our all-inclusive resort (Impressive Punta Cana), packed our best swimwear, grabbed our favourite books and allowed ourselves to stop, relax and embrace all the luxury around us! We couldn’t ask for anything else before exploring this beautiful country!
Also, getting to meet the people who work there and getting to know their culture was a big plus.
Join a day trip to Saona Island
Saona Island really does live up to its reputation, being one of the most untouched paradisiac places on the entire country! The island remains hardly developed at all and that’s what makes it so special. Make sure you visit it before it’s too late!
We highly recommend you join a day trip to the island which often includes a buffet-style Dominican lunch. One thing we know for sure: this day will be a lifetime experience! Exploring this little treasure where coconut trees still occupy the place major hotels normally would is certainly unforgettable!
We were initially taken to Bayahibe, where our boat was waiting for us. On our way to the island, we stopped at the natural pool for 45 minutes - another masterpiece of this tour where you will be able to swim in the clearest waist-deep waters you have ever seen and to see the beautiful and enormous starfish - avoid touching them because sunscreen can be toxic! We were then taken to the Saona Island where we stayed for a few hours and we had the most amazing Dominican Lunch!
Don’t book any tours directly with your hotel before checking other options. We paid 99£ per person for this tour.
When we checked the GetYourGuide app, the exact same tour would have cost us 62£ per person! You can book this and other experiences here.
Discover Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo
Visiting Santo Domingo is certainly not for the light hearted!
With over 2 million people, Santo Domingo is the largest city in the entire Caribbean. This 500-year-old city is also known for its rich culture and heritage! The so-called Ciudad Colonial is full of must-sees, which makes it the oldest colonial city centre in the New World!
From the cobbled streets and old residences, to the first Cathedral of America and to the grand Alcazar de Colon, there’s plenty of things to be revealed in the UNESCO district of Santo Domingo.
Acknowledge and absorb your surroundings as it will make your experience unique. Try to see beyond all the poverty, dirt and maniac traffic.
Santo Domingo wasn’t our favourite place and, in fact, we were really excited to leave the city, but we are extremely grateful we got to explore its culture and to see the real Dominican Republic besides the beautiful and luxurious resorts in Punta Cana!
Produce your own chocolate bar
Who can resist a good chocolate bar? Yeah, that’s right, NO ONE!
We were recommended to visit El Sendero Del Cacao by someone that used to live in the Dominican Republic and it didn’t disappoint! One of the most real and authentic experiences of this trip!
Cacao produced in the Dominican Republic is well known for its extremely high quality and it is very likely that all your favourite chocolates from the most renowned brands in the world were made with cacao produced in this amazing Caribbean country.
During this tour, we were shown the whole process of producing Chocolate, both in an old school (traditional) and in a more industrialised (and modern) way. We got to get a glimpse of heaven by tasting every type of chocolate they produce in the farm and we ended up crafting our own chocolate bar!
We were offered another amazing Dominican Lunch, served by the most friendly and welcoming people we have ever met! Definitely an experience hard to beat!
Sunbathe at your own private paradisiac beach
Playa Bahia de Las Aguilas is a 8 km white sand beach located near the southernmost part of the Haiti border, in the province of Pedernales, probably one of the most remote areas of the country.
Despite being considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire World, it remains untouched by humans and barely visited, as you will need to drive for almost 9h from the well known touristic area of Punta Cana. We decided to go against the odds and we included it in our itinerary!
The journey to Pedernales is quite rough as it is mainly through dirty roads, and driving in the Dominican Republic is an adventure in itself and not safe at all! We were so grateful to get the chance to see undiscovered places and the reality of most Dominicans, far away from the touristic centres. From beautiful and natural landscapes, to naked kids playing in the middle of the street, to animals roaming around freely, we have seen it all!
We chose to stay at Glamping Cueva de Las Águilas and can you think of a better place to sleep then an amazing glamping site at a paradisiac beach? Neither can we! We stayed here for 3 days and it turned out to be the most beautiful opportunity to disconnect from reality and to connect with nature, simplicity and harmony.
We then took a boat to Playa Bahia de Las Aguilas. We agreed with our boat driver the amount of time we wanted to stay there and we officially arrived in Paradise! It certainly felt like we had our own private beach, as there was barely anyone and the boat drivers always leave the visitors far away from each other, alongside the 8km long sand beach, so you can have your privacy and take the best of this experience!
DON’T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
Dominican Republic is still a poor country despite all the luxury resorts and accidents happen when we least expect! There is nothing more terrifying than getting hurt abroad, where we don’t always understand the health system neither the language. Also, there is this misconception that a travel insurance is really expensive, which couldn’t be far from the truth!
If you are looking for travel insurance for your trip to Dominican Republic, we would recommend IATI, which is the company we use when traveling. As our reader you will get 5% off your travel insurance!
Always remember: Better Safe Than Sorry!
