Dominican Republic - Travel Guide
Hi guys! It is so crazy to say I visited this amazing country (aka where I was born) the very week before all the borders were closed due to Covid-19. But after a crazy couple of months after getting back from the DR I have created this guide for you.
We visited Santiago, Samana, Puerto Plata & Punta Rucia all in one week! I do wish I had stayed for longer in each location.
A little bit about my island I may say; The Dominican Republic is a small island on the Caribbean full of history and amazing beaches. A beautiful culture of bachata & merengue, domino games outside & smiles from everyone you pass by.
It wouldn't be me if I did not start with finding out the most instagrammable places on the Island!
The most instagrammable places in Samana:
CAYO LEVANTADO
$50-80
In order to get here, you have to get on a boat! There are options on renting your own, sharing a catamaran, or doing a full end tour. We were in Samana during whale season so we actually went whale watching before reaching cayo levantado.
** Before you go you should know: The cayo is smaller than what you imagine. You are only allowed to roam a quarter of the place since the other parts are private property. The good side is that you can still find amazing photo ops.
You can go by different trees and have the ocean as the backdrop, half of the island shows the land on the other side & you can even hike up to the top of the rocks where the waves crash.
RIO CAÑO FRIO
$ FREE unless you take a small ride
I would say this was the most beautiful place in Samana. The way the river merged with the ocean was magnificent and touching the difference in water with my bare feet. I loved taking photos here since the water was so clear and absorbed the colors of all its surroundings.
You can take photos where the river meets the ocean, on top of a bark that makes a bridge, in the water, underwater with a dome. Or you can do as I did and take a small canoe to the ends of the river to get that rainforest vibe.
THE BANNISTER HOTEL
$FREE if no stay
Although we did stay at the Bannister hotel, we found out that you can pass by and visit. The hotel has restaurant amenities that are open to the public upon reservation. Yes, even the locals did not know this.
This hotel has a lot to offer as photo ops. The hotel is part of a yacht club, therefore you can go anywhere around the amazing yacht and boats to create content. You can go around a small pier or even wait for the amazing sunset. And let’s not forget the pizzeria in there that has a beautiful diner style.
SIDES OF THE ROAD
$FREE
As random as this sounds, you read that correctly. Samana being a peninsula has a great advantage. Anywhere you drive (or ride a 4 wheeler) you have the ocean to your right. This is an amazing virtue that we did not let go easily. We stopped on the sides of the roads multiple times to take in the view, take photos or just relax.
The Most instagrammable places in Puerto Plata
EL TELEFERICO
$5 for Dominican ID $10 for tourist
If you have a bit more time in this town and want to temporarily escape the tourist crowd this is the place to go. You will take the cable car to the top of a mountain and once you are there you can wander around for as long as you please.
The mountain peaks 2,555 feet above sea level, the location includes a large garden of over 500 different plants and the home of many national birds.
I dressed accordingly for the location as I had a very rainforest outfit for the gram.
LA FORTALEZA DE SAN FELIPE
$2
The fortress is a key element of Puerto Plata’s history. Built-in the 16th century to protect the gold predominant areas of the country from British, dutch & french pirates. This piece of historical architecture still stands as a full structure. Something to note is that this is located about a mile from the teleferico exit so we did those two in one day. I absolutely loved the color of the building & the contrast with the ocean. I do recommend having a drone for better images & videos in this location.
SIDES OF THE ROADS
Puerto Plata is a fun city. A place where you can stop on the side of the road to get a coconut or simply visit all the different beaches around. Each city of the way to Puerto Plata had large signs with their names & also cultural elements. I found a beautiful swing on the way.
The most instagrammable place in Punta Rucia
Cayo Arena
$ N/A
Going to cayo arena can be an experience you determine for yourself. The sandbar is located a couple of miles in the sea off Punta Rucia & the locals have established small huts to hang out. Someone has to always remain on the lookout since depending on how the tides are the cayo moves around and the huts need to be transported as well. You can go to the cayo in different forms. You can rent a private yacht, you can go on a party boat or a communal boat. I did this quite differently. I went with my family. I have cousins that live there and own a small fishing boat. We decided to jump off in the middle of the ocean for a swim, go underwater with the GoPro at the cayo and end the trips with a ride through the mangroves.
And to end our trip we actually flew over all the Caribbean islands for about two amazing hours. This is the longest time I have stared at the window of a plane. I would 100% go back to all the many places I did not get to see.
