Dominican Republic Off The Beaten Path

 
by wlightfoot
 
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by wlightfoot
  • Ziplining from the 1st platform
      Ziplining from the 1st platform
    by andersonclan
  • Geared up, ready to go!
      Geared up, ready to go!
    by andersonclan
  • Weeee!
      Weeee!
    by andersonclan
  • Behind a factory wall are people to visit
      Behind a factory wall are people to...
    by melosh
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Dominican Republic

1.

Los Tres Ojos - The 3 Eyes National Park   Santo Domingo

Los Tres Ojos - The 3 Eyes National Park, Santo Domingo

 1 Review  Los Tres Ojos are 3 lagoons inside 3 caves, and then there's a fourth eye, an "open lagoon", that's not considered an "eye". All of them are fed by a subterranean river. The taíno people, the islands... 

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2.

Zona Colonial - Old Town   Santo Domingo

Zona Colonial - Old Town, Santo Domingo

 4 Reviews  Puerta de la Misericordia is usually not on the standard tourist retinue because it is a bit out of the way, but it still an interesting part of the city's history. The western-most gate in the city's... 

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3.

Jardín Botánico - Botanical Garden   Santo Domingo

Jardín Botánico - Botanical Garden, Santo Domingo

 2 Reviews  The Jardin Botanico, located in Santo Domingo, is a wonderful place for nature/bird lovers, families, joggers, couples, and just about anyone else to spend a morning or afternoon. The well-maintained... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Marina Puerto Blanco

by donpaul77

The Marina Puerto Blanco is a where the cruising sailors go for all of their needs, including a restaurant , bar and social activities. As refugees from the Luperon Beach resort, it was a great alternative for food, drink, exploring and socializing.The bar/restaurant is open walled and airy. The people working there were friendly and they served good food and inexpensive beer. We enjoyed talking with the temporary and semi-permanent locals, and joined them for their New Years Eve bash. It was good fun and one of the best New years I've enjoyed.Sailors will want to visit the website for info pertinent to them.Directions are by foot: To get to the Yacht Club, you leave the Luperon Resort and head right. Then take your next left. When you come to the rotary, stay left, with the ruins of a night club to your left. Continue down this road until you come to an intersection. There is a sign...

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Luperone Yacht Club

by donpaul77

We were fortunate to find this lovely refuge, a fifteen minute walk from the Luperon Beach Resort, and a much better option for eating, drinking and ambiance. It is nestled on the side of a hill in the woods, overlooking Puerto Blanco. We came across it with the help of a couple of English sailors who were exploring the area on foot, as they had their sailboat in port.The bar and restaurant area is open-walled and the view is spectacular. The people working there and running the place were very kind to us and the beers inexpensive. We were made to feel very comfortable and returned several times. You will meet many interesting people, as sailors from all over the world stop here on their voyages. They serve food and have daily specials, though we did not eat there.While we were there, the place were under a bit of renovation, but the upper bar/restaurant were in full working...

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Visit a coffee factory

by melosh

If you see a place like this one in Jarabacoa or anywhere else in the DR, at least wonder in and ask a question or two. Rather then an official packaged type of tour, we spent the better part of an afternoon with the octogenarian owner learning more about the region and the coffee business then we could have reading a thousand guide books.Later one son. who acts as the managing director, personally drove us to a roasting and packaging plant where we were able to buy the coffee as coffee beans.

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Cross the country by bus

by camilleaja

If you speak Spanish (good basis), it's cheap and easy to cross the country by bus. We didn't use the town bus, but the bigger ones that go from a city to another. We went from Santo Domingo to Varadero, it was quite intertesting to be the only "strangers". That's an experience we'll remember. Dominicans were really nice people.

Samaná

by marielexoteria

I consider Samaná to be an off the beaten path destination because of the few hotels that can be found there. The tourist activity peaks during the whale season but Samaná has more than that to offer:- unspoiled beaches at Las Terrenas, Las Galeras and Samaná city- excursions to one of the hidden gems in DR: El limón Waterfall- day trips to Cayo Levantado (Bacardi Island)- food that's only found here: fish with coconut (milk)The road going there is bad (as of Feb 2008) and it takes about 4 hours from Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata but a highway is being built between Santo Domingo and Samaná that'll shorten the trip to 3 hours or so. Also there are 2 airports and there's the harbor where cruises stop to let the guests visit the town.

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Go on horseback riding...

by Kisu

Take a horseback riding excursion!!!I was the only one in our group who wanted to join the excursion and I was a bit scared to go alone as I hadn't been riding in many years...but the group I went there with was lovely...I met one family from Netherlands and we became good friends, still keeping in touch........it was so nice to ride on the mountains and through the river, views were amazing!After excursion we had great lunch in the ranchI recommend Ignacio Ranch, Chiquito tel.739-0746 (local)

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The South West coast/region: overview

by marielexoteria

The SW coast/region is the least exploited part of the country although it offers a lot when it comes to ecotourism and really unspoiled beaches. Because of this, it might be difficult to find good (or decent) accommodations other than in the Barahona province.This zone is better to go to if with a tour or with someone who can communicate in Spanish, because English isn't as widely spoken as in the other (heavily) touristic areas. With that said, that doesn't mean that if you're perseverant and armed with a Spanish-English phrase you won't go a long way!This is one of the parts where I spent most of my childhood visiting family and friends, which is sort of why I don't have many tips or pictures so as of now I can only show my Baní and San Juan pages.(Sorry for the bad map.)

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Motorcycle rental

by argylewoman

From my experience, it is safe to rent a motorcycle (mostly 175 to 500 ccm Enduro) from one of the local rental places. Make sure they are a serious place - they'll want either a copy of your driver's license or/and your passport. Make sure there's enough oil and the fuel display is working correctly. Then take a trip along the north coast from Cabarete to Samana, or to Jarabacoa in the mountains. There is a very nice cafe with a view over the Cibao valley on the way from Cabarete to Moca/LaVega. They serve good breakfast and they have clean bathrooms.

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The unprotected beach

by geskya03

Walk down the beach from the Allegro and you come to a sign that reads "u r leaving the protected beach..." Just look for the bent palm tree. There are a few locals that are selling homemade products like jewerly and art. We bought a few things. I got a turtle that was made from an ivory-like substance. A little further down u come to almost a point where the view is breath taking. It is almost like ur surrounded by water and sun.

Find your own beach in the Dominican Republic

by WanderingFinn

Even though not usually recommended, I rented a car in Dominican Republic. It is a very good way to see something unusual and several places during your holiday. But please take care if renting a car and driving in Dominican - you cannot be 100% sure of the insurance rules, the roads are somewhere in lousy condition (holes, even half can be missing). Traffic is chaotic and I don't remember if there were traffic rules, and íf they were obeyed. If possible, do not drive at dark (cannot see the holes in the road); there are animals among people and all kinds of vehicles on the both sides of the roads.But for those brave enough it is a great experience. I suggest taking a big car, a Jeep, Land Cruiser or corresponding; just to save your own ass. I drove to many other places too, but the most fascinating was to find those empty beaches. There I could be alone and listen to the wawes and...

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Unique Places in Dominican Republic

Top 3 Hotels in Dominican Republic

Playa Esmeralda Beach Resort  Dominican Republic

 2 Reviews and 41 Opinions  This all-inslusive resort was fabulous, as all-inclusives go. Kinda like being on a cruise. If lying... 

 Hotels in Dominican Republic

Hotel Atarazana  Santo Domingo

 1 Review and 132 Opinions  I stayed here on a recent business trip in the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. This 6 room hotel... 

 Hotels in Santo Domingo

Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana  Punta Cana

 7 Reviews and 660 Opinions  The only good things about our stay at the Gran Bahia Principe were the beautiful beaches and the... 

 Hotels in Punta Cana

413 Hotels in Dominican Republic
 
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Reviews and photos of Dominican Republic attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Dominican Republic sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Dominican Republic
  1. Punta Cana Off The Beaten Path
  2. Santo Domingo Off The Beaten Path
  3. La Romana Off The Beaten Path
  4. Cabarete Off The Beaten Path
  5. Sosúa Off The Beaten Path
  6. Santiago de los Caballeros Off The Beaten Path
  7. Bayahibe Off The Beaten Path
  8. Las Galeras Off The Beaten Path
  9. Bonao Off The Beaten Path
  10. Jarabacoa Off The Beaten Path
  11. Isla Saona Off The Beaten Path
  12. Boca de Yuma Off The Beaten Path

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Popular Regions in Dominican Republic

Provincia de La Altagracia Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Puerto Plata Off The Beaten Path  Distrito Nacional Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de La Romana Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Samaná Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de Santiago Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de San Pedro de Macorís Off The Beaten Path  Provincia de La Vega Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

fitzy7 profile photo

Q:  Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice of trip ideas from Punta Cana. I have had a tough time finding appropriate information... 

grandmaR profile photo

A: I don't know what time of year you are talking about - I have been to the DR two or three times in January, but not to Punta Cana. I've been twice by cruise ship to... 

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