Put three friends with a lot of desire to have fun and a week off season vacation. Where are you going? The heart says Caribbean, and so be it! Challenge intrepid the hurricanes, which have already passed, we find ourselves on a flight to Santo Domingo, the first stop of a holiday on the road with friends in Dominican Republic that will take us to the discovery of the north coast of the Caribbean island. The other face, more authentic, adventurous and natural, of the island of all-inclusive holidays.
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Santo Domingo
Land in a warm tropical evening in the capital Santo Domingo, to recover from the jet-lag we begin to explore the colonial part of the city declared World Heritage by UNESCO. We are immediately fascinated by its historical monuments, traditional and gourmet restaurants, and then immerse ourselves in the vibrant nightlife at the rhythm of merengue and bachata.
On the second day of our holiday on the road with friends in Dominican Republic we dedicate it to shopping in the colonial area, where we discover shops and boutiques to say little interesting. Like the atelier of the famous Dominican designer Jenny Polanco; the Alpargateria boutique specializing in espadrillas, but also an ideal place for aperitif or after dinner.
Do you look like the design objects of the Galeria Toledo, and what about the handcrafted ceramics of Casa Alfarera or fabrics and other objects for Casa Quien? One more beautiful than the other! But to really lose our heads are the jewels of the Amber Museum: beautiful!
Where to sleep: To fully immerse ourselves in the colonial atmosphere of the city we have chosen Casa Museo El Beaterio, a hotel set in one of the oldest buildings in the city with a delightful interior patio, which leads to imagine how life was once. The Casas del XVI is a boutique hotel with colonial style furnishings.
Peninsula of Samanà
From Santo Domingo we reach in about three hours the Peninsula of Samanà, a natural paradise of enchanting bays, waterfalls, natural parks to ride by boat or horse. The panoramic road that leads to the town of Las Terrenas is to take the breath away, so it is suggestive.
Of course, however, the beaches and bays of the area are no less and the first dive we do it in Playa Coson, a language of sand with turquoise waters framed by palm trees. A real wonder is also Playa Rincon, 4.8 km of cove with an unspoilt beach known for its white sand, for quiet waters.
In the hinterland, a few kilometers away from Las Terrenas there is "Il Salto el Limon", a waterfall of more than 40 meters that falls from the top of the Sierra de Samaná. We reach it with an adventurous horse-riding route (willing you can also walk, but it is less fun) through the jungle and once you arrive, leak, we dive into the water for a well-deserved refreshing bath.
Another excursion we make at the Los Haitises National Park, one of the jewels of the national parks of the Dominican Republic. Los Haitises, which in Taino means "climbing land", houses one of the last rainforests of the island and also has an extensive area of mangroves that we explore by boat.
Where to sleep: In Las Terrenas ACAYA is a hotel in a colonial wooden house overlooking the lovely Playa Bonita wet by a turquoise sea. In Las Galeras Villa Serena, it is a wonderful original colonial residence, once a holiday home of a rich Dominican family, which has maintained its untouched charm. The villa overlooks a well-kept tropical garden and a small private beach with crystal clear water.
Cabarets
At the first impact it seems a simple seaside town with small hotels and outdoor restaurants on the beach and an international atmosphere. It is actually the Dominican mecca of surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding. The beach of Cabarete is defined as a "perfect reef break on the right".
In practice, the right place to learn and practice water sports all year round thanks to the many schools present, But also to meet fustacchioni style Point Break, especially in the evening, when the movida begins and the beach fills with tourists who stop listening to music and dancing in the various clubs.
Where to sleep: Here the accommodations are in line with the eco-friendly spirit of the place: Casa Maravilla Beachfront Eco Lodge offers small multi-storey lodges arranged around a pool, while Natura Cabana is a village of cabanas where you can also practice yoga.
Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata is the place where in 1492 the three Caravelles of Christopher Columbus landed and in the province are the remains of the first European settlements in the Americas. Initially, Colombo called La Isabella, in honor of the Queen of Spain. It was then the silver clouds on the top of the mountain Isabel de Torres, at the origin of the current name of the city that boasts the largest presence of houses of the late 19th century in neoclassical and Victorian style of all the Caribbean, giving Puerto Plata an unmistakable charm.
In addition to visiting the city center and the beautiful beaches of the area on the Costa Daurada, we also took the cable car to get to the top of the mountain where in addition to admiring the best panorama on the city we also visited the botanical gardens.
Another experience not to be missed in the area is the path of the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, to be done letting yourself slip on the water accompanied by local guides, to be matched perhaps to a kayak trip on the traces of the lamantini of the park of Estero Hondo.
Where to sleep: The best hotels are located on the Costa Daurada, such as the Iberostar or the elegant boutique hotel & spa Casa Colonial.
Montecristi
We continue our holiday on the road with friends in Dominican Republic towards the province of Montecristi, in the deep north west of the island, an area of great naturalistic interest that boasts 40% of the surface covered by mangroves and a unique habitat, shelter of dozens of species of flora and fauna.
But the real discovery was the excursion to Cayo Arena, an atoll of fine coralline sand in the blue sea, where we spent hours snorkeling. To get there we went from a series of natural pools and a mangrove forest.
Where to sleep: Unlike other parts of the Dominican Republic, here you sleep in small lodges on the beach such as the Punta Rucia Lodge, or the Cayo Arena Beach Eco Hotel, located on a small sandy flap, a small building with only four rooms a few steps from the sea and a couple of hammocks where you can be lulled.
Barahona
Even more west, we venture into unspoilt landscapes and unique landscapes still little explored by tourism. The jewel of the area is the natural paradise Bahia de las Aguilas, a very white coral sand language only accessible by sea.
We then discover that the Barahona area is the main destination of professional surfers. The recommended beaches are Barranca, Bahoruco, Ciénaga, San Rafael, Paraíso and Los Patos where the Dominican Surf Federation organizes various events.
The most fun is the Canopy Tour: a short but pleasant zipline adventure that crosses a water mirror, bridges on a tropical forest and strategically ends in the Tanama Eco Spa, where local ingredients are used for treatments.
Sleeping: at Casa Bonita perched on a small hill, with spectacular views of the jungle and the ocean, we felt really pampered. Great cuisine, attention to detail and an infinity pool that is confused with the blue of the sea. Leave us here!
