How many people you know spent their vacation in the Dominican Republic? If you live in Spain like us, probably quite many. We took the destination into consideration a couple of times, but I can’t say it made our top list.
When Level Airline had a direct flight promotion for a 200 euro roundtrip from Barcelona to Punta Cana, we couldn’t say no. And no, we don’t regret it. This country has so many things to offer that we were even considering investing there at a certain point in life.
The Dominican Republic is the second-largest and most diverse Caribbean country, situated just two hours south of Miami, less than four hours from New York, and eight hours from most European cities. It was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus and it’s part of the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles.
The Greater Antilles consists of the Island of Hispaniola, which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Usually, when you say the Dominican Republic, you think of Punta Cana- big all-inclusive resorts with private beaches, surrounded by those tall amazing palm trees. The Dominican Republic is much more than Punta Cana and you just cannot go there to only see the Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean Sea it’s a must. So for our 8 days vacation, we opted for 5 days in Bayahibe and 3 days in Punta Cana (ticking-off the most commercial spot).
Bayahibe
Once landed in Punta Cana, we contracted the airport transfer offered by the hotel and after a 2 hours ride, we arrived in what I still call a paradisiac place. Honestly, my first thought was to keep the name of the hotel from Bayahibe a secret, as it was so amazing and I didn’t want to spoil it, but since sharing is caring, here you have it:
Los Flamencos Aparthotel Beach Club
Our choice was a 2 bedroom apartment with access to a private beach (read resort beach) for which we paid 600 euros/5 nights/4 people + electricity bill. This apartment is actually located at Cadaques Caribe Resort, which automatically gives you full access to everything around, including all the facilities. This is the last resort in Bayahibe, situated at the entrance of the natural reservation.
It felt like home and I mean it. We had a fully equipped kitchen, where we were cooking our breakfast & lunch. For dinner, we were always going out in the village. We tried several places but there were 2 in particular that we liked:
La Cueva Ristorante – you need to try the cheesecake with passion fruit (maracuja)
Anani Beach Restaurant and Lounge – might be out of business
At the 2nd one, I celebrated my birthday and it was simply different: dinner on the beach, under the moonlight. It was one of the best birthdays ever and until today, it holds a special place in my heart.
Saona Island
One of the musts while there is to visit Saona Island, a virgin Paradise where the Bounty commercial was filmed. We booked this trip with Saona Tours, choosing the VIP offer with a catamaran party – 55 USD per person. Transportation from the hotel, drinks, and lunch was included in the price. 3 stops during the trip: Isla Saona for bathing, again Isla Saona for lunch but a different corner (Mano Juan village), and a natural swimming pool to see starfishes. Just check these pictures out:
Leaving for Punta Cana
Because we like to be a bit adventurous, we took the local bus from Bayahibe to Punta Cana. To be precise, guagua from Bayahibe to La Romana and bus from La Romana to Punta Cana. Guaguas are the traditional means of transport in the Dominican Republic. They will be filled to the brink with people and luggage; expect to squeeze to fit more people who will be picked up en route. If you prefer authentic experience over comfort, traveling by guagua is the right choice.
The bus driver in La Romana advised us to stay around and when I wanted to exchange some money, he insisted to come with me… for safety reasons. We spent around one hour in La Romana, so I am not sure about the level of safety, but it’s not the most touristy place in the country, that’s for sure. Buses are fairly luxurious with movies playing for the entire trip and AC.
The bus driver dropped us in front of our hotel in Punta Cana – Tropicana Suited Deluxe Beach Club for which we paid 185 euros/3 nights/2 persons with breakfast included. The hotel is really nice but does not have direct access to the beach. You need to walk for a couple of minutes and keep in mind that most beaches in Punta Cana are private (owned by different resorts). Still, there is plenty of space for you to enjoy it. Renting beach chairs is an option. Something that can be quite annoying are the beach-boys that are selling a bunch of different stuff.
We walked up and down the beach and explored the area, feeling safe all the time, without being bothered or harassed.
My favorite restaurant in the area: Citrus Restaurant.
Another place that we enjoyed was a local cigar store. Simply great and a must if in the area – Bavaro Cigars.
Punta Cana activities
In Punta Cana, we booked a boat trip with four activities, for 110 euros per person:
- Parasailing – was a blast. Highly recommended!
- Snorkeling Cruise – I cannot remember the snorkeling part, but I remember the boat party where they served us drinks while dancing in the shallow water, surrounded by multiple boats with extremely loud music. The real fun, is if you get in the atmosphere.
- swimming with nurse sharks – interesting but not worth it;
- swimming with stingrays – interesting but not worth it.
The sharks and the stingrays are being kept in a little ocean pen, so once you are in, you can do a bit of snorkeling with the sharks and touch the stingray.
The Atlantic Ocean cannot be compared with the Caribbean Sea and if I would go again, definitely I would not choose Punta Cana over Bayahibe.
Useful information:
- the official language is Spanish
- you need a plug adaptor; they are using the same plugs as in the USA
- food is amazing; most restaurant meals will cost an additional 16% tax plus 10% service: for very good service, it is customary to leave an additional 10%
- drink Rum (Barcelo, Brugal) and Mama Juana: a mixture of bark and herbs left to soak in rum, red wine, and honey
- the country is generally safe
- Dominicans are extremely nice people, especially if you can have a decent conversation in Spanish
- buy coffee and take it home – trust me, you will not regret it – Cafe Santo Domingo
- take cash with you
Enjoy it!
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