Why a weekend In the Dominican Republic is the perfect mood booster!
Whether you’re a true beach lover or merely a superficial dabbler in the fine art of sunshine, sand, and blue waters a weekend away on a gorgeous Caribbean Island in the middle of winter is the perfect way to unwind and relax and what better place to do it than in the Dominican Republic (DR).
For obvious reasons Caribbean beaches are sought-after destinations most of the year but can become even more crowded in the winter when cold temperatures and gray days start to take a toll. Sometimes the thought of putting on one more layer on top of the 5 we’re already wearing is the breaking point at which we just have to say “enough is enough.”
Choosing where to go for a quick beach getaway should be as easy as going to a booking website and seeing where a nonstop flight will land you. One of the major keys to success with a weekend getaway is making sure to secure the best arrival and departure times so that you’re able to make the most of the time you have. We strongly recommend flying nonstop if you’re planning a 4-day weekend trip as there is less risk of missing connections which could be really stressful, cut into your actual vacation time and potentially even end in you missing out on your trip altogether.
Thanks to a fantastic sale on airfare over the holiday season and to Scott’s cheap flights sending us timely alerts with all the best deals we were able to book tickets to the Dominican Republic for just $240 per person. We didn’t know this prior to last year but the end of the year is apparently the perfect time to shop for dramatically reduced airfare. Luckily, we figured it out in time to be able to capitalize on it!
When to go to the DR is really up to you as you’ll encounter balmy weather and spectacular beaches year-round. Clearly, we were escaping a harrowing, bone-chilling 50–60 ºF Southern USA winter so February was perfect for us. One thing to consider when heading to the DR though is the seaweed season. Extending from May-September, this season sees an enormous proliferation of the native seaweed known as Sargassum. The seaweed itself is not dangerous however it transforms the water from a sparkling aquamarine to a full brown which is significantly less glorious to splash around in. The government of the DR has tried to lessen the impact of the seaweed by installing nets parallel to many of the popular tourist beaches to stop seaweed making it to the shore which does, to some degree, mitigate the issue but not resolve it entirely. If, like us, you don’t like to be startled every few seconds by something brushing against you then wintertime when seaweed risk is lower is also probably a great time for you to visit the DR as well.
Where to stay in the DR is somewhat of a challenge as there are resorts and beaches all around the island. Staying in the La Romana/Bayahibe region closer to the city of Santo Domingo offers iconic Caribbean beaches with calm and warm waters however the beaches tend to be popular and therefore fairly crowded. The resorts in this area also tend to be large, which adds to the general busyness.
Staying in the Bavaro Region, which encompasses Punta Cana, puts you in an area with beaches that are a blend of Atlantic and Caribbean waters. In the DR this translates to equally stunning blue/green beaches that are wavier and windier with cooler waters. Surprisingly, the beaches in this area are not simply great for kitesurfing or surfing but are also excellent for swimming and are significantly less crowded.
We decided to stay at Cabeza de toro in Punta Cana about 20 minutes away from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). We chose the Radisson Blu hotel where we had access to a pristine, green water beach. This beach did have nets to capture seaweed and had only tiny amounts of seaweed along the seashore in February, but we could see mounds of dried sargassum on the beach itself that had been raked up by diligent beach workers from the previous summer season. The beach was also windy and shallow (no deeper than chest height) with an interesting underwater landscape of grass and seaweed close to the shore and with obvious underwater walking trails which made for easy snorkeling. We particularly enjoyed interacting with coral fish without having to take a boat tour while admiring the kite-surfers. Consider packing some water shoes as, even though they’re not completely necessary, they can come in handy on the more natural beaches.
For the true Dominican Republic blue wave experience, we visited Macao beach, a public beach located about 25-30 minutes away from our resort where we found the water to be warmer with more dramatic waves. While fun to visit, Macao beach was a little more of a challenge than our resort beach due to the numerous polite but aggressive vendors. We’ll pass on a tip to you from a local: make sure to ask the price of everything including food/drinks before you accept it from a vendor as they could triple the price after you accept it. We weren’t overly bothered as we were prepared to be circumspect in choosing souvenirs or services (like taking a picture with a parrot or iguana) as we understood the general impoverishment of many on the island and that this was often a full-time job.
What to do with our time as we settled in was actually the easy part. We decided to spend the first two of our four days reveling in the beach and our all-inclusive resort. We arrived at our hotel around noon and were able to check in early so we could hit the beach asap.
We highly recommend staying at an all-inclusive resort as hunting food on a short trip could be a hassle. Make sure to look at food reviews before booking as well as poor quality food can really ruin a good time. For instance, a fellow traveler regaled us with tales of the terrible food from their resort by referring to the chicken nuggets as “chicken knuckles” as the dish suspiciously didn’t seem to have any chicken! We loved that rather than generic buffet food our resort offered plenty of delicious local, traditional fare daily so we could sample as much as possible even in a short time. If you’re not sure what the local foods are then don’t despair just follow the crowds and you’ll end up where you need to be! Look out for dishes like Sancocho (7 meat stew), Mangu (mashed plantains), Habichuelas Guisadas (stewed beans), Pollo Guisado (braised chicken) and the like! We were sure to tip the waitstaff well as they were very attentive and pleasant and kept us well-fed the entire trip.
On the third day of our trip, we decided to take a tour that would allow us to see more of the island and interact with the locals. We typically prefer to rent a car and sightsee on our own in most places but decided against this in the DR where crimes of opportunity as a result of poverty is known to be commonplace. Instead, we took an epic tour for just $60 per person where a local guide led us on ATVs/quad bikes into the farmlands in the Punta Cana region. We first visited a plantation where we sampled the strong but addicting local coca/coffee and took a shot of the local aphrodisiac and overall wellness drink known as Mama Juana. We then made our way to Macao Beach where we took a quick dip (literally 30 mins) in the water before making our way to a Cenote. Be sure to bring a face covering unless you’re in the mood to literally eat dust! Don’t worry if you forget this though as most of the tour places offer bandannas for purchase at the meeting points.
The Cenote was a blue waterhole that was 25 feet deep located in an underground cave. Access to the Cenote was via stairs leading down into the cave. The stairs ended at what initially appeared to be a dark body of water, however glimmering teal waters could be appreciated once the eye adjusted. One could jump directly from the stairs into the warm waters of the Cenote then climb back out with the assist of ropes located on the side of the stairs. Not a great swimmer? No need to worry as life jackets are available for rent for just 2 USD. We opted not to jump in ourselves to avoid being wet for 3 hours on a tour bus but enjoyed egging others on to do it themselves! If this tour sounds too adventurous then there are plenty of others to choose from, just be sure to venture off resort grounds to see some of the true DR.
We highly recommend taking a midday tour on the third day of your weekend trip this way, like us, you can hit the beach at your resort one final time
We highly recommend taking a midday tour on the third day of your weekend trip this way, like us, you can hit the beach at your resort one final time. If you’ve got some time to hangout before your flight, make sure to check out the VIP lounge at PUJ airport while you wait. The terminal B lounge sports a killer outdoor infinity pool overlooking the runway making for a memorable wrap up of what would by now be a completely awesome weekend trip especially if you’ve been following some of our tips!
If you’re looking for more weekend getaway ideas then click here for inspiration!
