Punta Cana - Bavaro

Punta Cana is an area in the eastern-most part of the Dominican Republic. It has been estimated to cover approximately 420,000 m² with about 100,000 people. It is part of the recently created Punta Cana-Bavaro-Veron-Macao municipal district. The area experiences tropical climate with average annual temperatures reaching up to 26^oC. The locals of this area speak mainly Spanish but English is also spoken by some of the people especially at areas like resorts, restaurants, bars and discos.

Since the1970’s, Punta Cana has been known to be a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean region. There are quite a number of tourist destinations in this area. The Bavaro beach is very beautiful. Its sands are heavenly and warm and just being there leaves you with a great feeling of harmony. The waters at the coast are clear and sheltered by a reef and thus you will have fun swimming or getting involved in any water sport. Along the beach, there are people who sell excursions or you can just register for many of them at whatever resort you stay. 

Another attraction is the Espada Golf Course. According to worldwide golfweek rankings, this golf course has been categorized as one of the worlds finest in the Caribbean and Mexico. This golf course offers you the opportunity to play on eight holes along and over the sea. While playing, the golfers are able to enjoy a great view of the Caribbean Sea. This exposes the golfer to an extraordinary contrast view between the sea and the emerald fairways and the greens of the course.

Other major attractions are the resorts which are composed of diverse architecture and interior design that has been majorly inspired by the Spanish and other native speakers that are part of the Dominican culture. Your stay will not be complete if you leave Punta Cana without seeing the Bavaro runners. Through this you will get to experience the real people and their lifestyles through a highly popular safari excursion practice that is carried in the area. You will have a chance to visit typical Dominican homes in the process, some authentic sugarcane plantations and enjoy horseback riding along the way on the beach.

If you love animals, then you will have to make sure that you visit the Manati Park on your tour to Punta Cana. Some of the animals that you will come across in the park include exotic fish, parrots and horses. And if you know how to swim you may have the privilege of swimming with real dolphins! There are ocean adventures too that you may not want to miss which include activities like driving a high performance boat, an excursion adventure that involves yoga, massage and so forth. You may also book up a trip on a double floor catamaran which is taken towards a secretive and special beach area that has nurse sharks and stingrays which are meant for a secure interaction program.

There are a lots of other tourist attractions that you will actually find at Punta Cana. It is an awesome place for going on a vacation. You may not find another place like it in the Caribbean.

Samana – Another Exotic Tourist Destination in the Dominican Republic

Samana was found on the coast of Samana Bay, which is an area in the northeastern of the Dominican Republic. It is the capital city of the Samana province. It occupies about 49 percent of the province with a total of about 51,501 people: 26,317 men and 25,184 women as of the recent statistics taken. It has an average annual rainfall of about 2,349.8 mm, while its mean annual temperature has been predicted to go up to 26.5^oC. It covers a considerably small plain area which is near the coast but a large part of it is found in the hills which encircle that plain.

This city is well known as a tourist destination. People who love the beauty of nature and just want to have adventure visit it to have a look at the green mountains, the long beaches, the lively small towns that are in that city and not forgetting the turquoise waters. For the people who need a place for their honeymoons it will actually be an excellent choice to pick. It has various small but very exotic hotels which will keep you mesmerized by its surroundings. 

During your stay there you can do fun activities such as scuba diving, visit Los Haitises National Park, El Limon waterfall, whale watching (only part of the year), horseback riding, four wheel adventures and many other things. Many of the beaches on this area of the island have not seen any developments so many of these virgin beaches are still among some of the best preserved ones in the country.

There are many other attractions in this city apart from some that have already been mentioned. There are beaches on both the north side and the south side of the city. The beach on the north is known for its fun waves which can be quite rough sometimes. To access it one has to use the road or alternatively use a boat. The beach on the south on the other hand is comprised of a protruding coral reef which is known to shield the Samana bay from the Atlantic waves. It has got very beautiful sand beaches which are surrounded by beautiful coconut trees. 

Another attraction is the El Limon waterfall, which covers up to about 300 meters above the sea level.  The fun thing about this waterfall is that you are able to swim in it and enjoy its crystal clear waters. It has a drop of about 40 meters long.

More attractions include exploring caves. These caves played a major role during the battle between the Indian settlers and the European conquerors. Los Haitises National Park is also an attraction site worth checking out. It is popular for having one of the most vital rainforests and mangrove reserves in the entire region of the Caribbean, which encompasses keys and caves.

Samana city is just an awesome place to visit. The area is very exuberant with a lot of natural tourist attraction spots and therefore making it a good choice for a place to spend your vacation. One important fact to know as a tourist regarding this place is that credit cards are somewhat not easily accepted. You may therefore be obliged to carry cash when touring or you can alternatively use travel checks or ATM cards to process your purchase transactions.

Dominican Republic Mountains

Constanza and Jarabacoa

If you feel like discovering a different part of the island and enjoy a different experience around beautiful mountains, I suggest checking out Constanza and Jarabacoa. These two beautiful towns offer some of the best mountain scenery of the Dominican Republic. Located towards the center of the island, you will get to enjoy spring weather all year round. I can almost feel the clean and cool breeze you feel in the morning as I'm describing this area. It's great to see the heavy fog accumulation on the outskirts of the mountain below you. It's like looking at the clouds from above, just mesmerizing.

Both towns rely mainly on agriculture. Some of the most common crops are coffee, strawberries, apples, peaches, garlic, potatoes, and different types of peppers. I was in awe the first time I saw these never-ending strawberry fields on the side of the mountains. You will also notice many different kinds of roses and tropical flower species making this part of the mountains a very desirable area.

The locals are among the friendliest people I have ever met. They treat any stranger as if they were part of their family. These towns may not have the nightlife you would normally find in other towns/cities but they certainly manage how to have fun when the long day at work is over.

You will find some of the largest rivers in the country here. The Yaque del Norte and Jimenoa river merge in the Confluencia. The confluencia is a beautiful camping spot if you ever want to camp out in the woods. This is also a great spot if you are into river rafting. It’s a great experience so don’t miss out on that. They will give you a quick briefing on how to follow the guide’s commands to handle yourself and the boat as it rushes through some adrenaline jumps and turns.

You can stay at some of the local resorts where you can sign up for river rafting, mountain excursions to waterfalls (i.e. Salto de Jimenoa), horse back riding and golfing. The Salto de Jimenoa is just impressive if you visit it after the month of May when they get a lot more rain from tropical storms. To get there, you will have to cross a series of hanging bridges like the ones you saw in Indiana Jones, the movie.

Constanza is very similar to Jarabacoa but I believe it gets slightly colder at times here. It has a record low of 30.2 F back in 1958. Its average temperature ranges between 41 °F (5 °C) and 68 °F (20 °C) and it is located 4000 ft above the sea level. The nearby location of Valle Nuevo freezes from time to time and you may notice snow falling around its highest peaks. However, the snow rarely accumulates. Constanza offers a good starting point to get to the Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean.

Bayahibe

Bayahibe is another turistic spot highly visited all year round. It is conveniently located in a very beautiful and magical part of the island next to the beautiful beach of Dominicus. It is an excellent location for family gatherings, scuba divers, golfers, honeymoons, etc. Located just 25 minutes from Casa de Campo (Caribbean's most complete resort), national parks, Altos de Chavon, Saona Island and among other attractions. There are 3 different airports you may choose from to get to this location: Punta Cana International, La Romana or Las Americas. This area offers some of the best scuba diving spots because of its unique coral reef formation diversity. Make sure you take a boat trip to Catalina island where where you can see the best reefs at 20-30 feet and it is amazingly cristal clear. There is excellent visibility around 100 feet deep and great light refraction. The beach in this area is not only known for its amazing snorkeling experience, white sands and beautiful coconut trees but you may be able to take a quick peek at manatees and dolphins.

Bayahibe is farther away from than Boca Chica beach for those who travel from the capital but many people like its location better for being less crowded and more tropical. You have to make it past La Romana (nearest town from Bayahibe population 150,000) as you travel east on the main highway.

My personal favorite attractions are Altos de Chavon and Casa de Campo. I won't say too much about them in an effort to avoid spoiling the best experience of your life. Casa de Campo, hands down, simply is the caribbean's most complete resort. This high quality resort has everything you can think of. From the best golf courses in the islands to the most beautiful villas I've ever seen. This is a huge resort which keeps expanding every year to accommodate for its demand for services and villa purchases from wealthy individuals including celebrities from the entertainment industry. Casa de Campo is so huge that it has its own internal bus transportation system so make sure you ask for maps when you first arrive as a guest.

Altos de Chavos has to be one of the most magical places in the Dominican Republic. It's famous amphitheater holds frequent concerts all year round and has some wild nightlife spots. This village was designed to simulate southern Italy and Spain back in the 15^th century. It has many galleries, craft workshops, quality restaurants and many other different shops within this small village. The place is practically indescribable, you will have to experience its magic yourself.

Saona Island

If you ever make it to this area, make sure you take a boat trip to the Saona Island. You can register for this excursion from your resort or simple head over to the beach and pay on the spot to embark on a thrilling 45 minute ride over to the Saona Island. Try getting on the catamaran instead of the speed boats for a better experience. This small island is about 10 by 2 miles all around and even have a few families living there on the opposite side of the island from where you land. Some other exotic excursions may include horseback riding, fishing (including deep sea fishing), visits to impressive massive caves such as “Cueva Fun Fun” or Cave of Wonders. There are also jeep safaris where you can experience over 500 flora species and over 140 types of birds.

Boca Chica Beach

Boca Chica Beach is the closest tourist beach from the capital of Santo Domingo. It has been the main attraction for most people in the city to spend a weekend with a wide variety of activities. It takes about 30 minutes to get to this beach from the capital. This beach is not just beautiful but a lot of fun for all ages. Its location is perfect as it is conveniently located in the area between the Las Americas International Airport and Santo Domingo.

This beach is protected by a long reef barrier that has shaped Boca Chica to be the crystal clear lagoon lined by soft white sands that it is. I remember how much I enjoyed my visits to this area as a kid because you could explore all day looking at the small fish swimming around you or catching some crustaceans to play with. I could walk straight into the beach and the water would still remain at chest level. It was like the biggest “pool” I’ve ever seen. Eventually we would reach the reefs’ outer limits just to turn around again and head towards the distant shore again. This is what makes this beach suitable for children too.

Boca Chica is open to the public all year round and it is the perfect place for tourists to pick up some of the most exotic souvenirs from around the entire island. You can basically find anything you want in this small area of the country; from produce to jewelry. This is truly a shopping beach. If you ever wanted to buy some genuine amber, you will run into many little shops that carry a lot of samples made into jewelry and many other art decorations. It is also common to see Larimar, silver and gold. The artwork is great and you will always find a piece that you will love to take back home. If you ever feel this is not enough, you can always visit the colonial zone in Santo Domingo where they carry more variety. Last time I took back seven great paintings with me and a couple of beautiful wood carvings.

Most of the shopping stores are located just one block up from the beach. It looks like a strip mall with a variety of gift shops, restaurants, bars, and some small hotels facing the beach. This is where nightlife kicks off every evening. There is music everywhere, dancing with the locals while others remain sipping on fresh and delicious cocktails.

There are many vendors offering all different kinds of services and products everywhere you go on this beach. Many of them will come by you showing you their open briefcases hoping that you would fall in love with their products; whether being artwork, food, rum, cigars among many other things. The prices of these products are normally very inflated to allow for bartering with the clients. There are many others services offered such as oil massages, hair braiding services, etc. just to name some of the most common ones.

Make sure to try some of the locals’ fried fish with fried plantains. I have not had a tastier fish ever since I left the island. Some vendors carry a local delicious white cheese (Queso de hoja) which serves as a delicious snack while you sun tan. You can get a wide variety of fruits, coconuts, rice and beans and many other traditional dishes. Make sure you don’t leave the beach without having a cold Presidente beer. This great tasting pilsner beer is brewed locally and it is considered the number one beer in the country.


Boca Chica has some of my favorite Dominican Republic all inclusive resorts not just for its quality but because is part of this spots radiating with entertainment. These resorts all offer some very nice paid excursions to keep you busy and entertained throughout your stay. Make sure you check their activity schedules as soon as you arrive. You could go deep see fishing, take a boat to another smaller island, scuba diving, parasailing, and many others. If you are feeling like exploring on your own on the beach, check out “La Matica” and “Los Pinos”. These are two islands located in Boca Chica and you can either take a boat there or practically walk but may take you a very long time to get there. The water is very calm so should not be too bad. Make sure you bring some mosquito repellent if you go to Los Pinos, mosquitoes do not see people often there and tend to be very hungry in that specific area.

Dominican Republic All Inclusive Resorts

Dominican Republic all inclusive resorts have always been advertised to give you a vision of white sand beaches and crashing waves. Explore different tropical spots around the island while enjoying spice-rubbed snappers with fried plantains. This magnificent part of the world offers different types of ecosystems compounded within 30,279 square miles. I am here to give you an insider’s review of some of the most popular spots around the island and what to expect.

As a native from the Dominican Republic whom also has plenty of experience tasting the real joys of the local culture, I want to make sure you see it from a point of view that a travel agent would never be able to give you. 

You see, most travelers fly directly to a local airport, take local or hotel transportation to their destination (mainly a resort) and remain there until the very end of their stay. Although the resorts are a lot of fun and full of great scheduled entertainment but nothing beats going out and experience the outgoing and friendly personality of the locals. 

On the next posts, I will go into detail about some of my favorite spots on the island. I will show you an entire spectrum of choices that you can explore from the vast desert around Lake Enriquillo to massive wild forests with manglar swamps and breath-taking scenery.

This blog will discuss not only Dominican Republic all inclusive resorts but many other fun activities that you must include in your schedule before you fly down there. Stick around and discover my favorite spots as I unravel and enjoy the memories of unparalleled experiences.