Santo Domingo is an interesting spot. Not anywhere as nice as major cities in Mexico or Brazil but still has some charm. Casinos in every hotel, if you like to gamble
I’d also mention to go to the Santa Maria cathedral if you’re into history, oldest cathedral in the Americas.
Some other cool colonial era stuff going on in that area, spend 2-4 hours during the day walking around. After all, Santo Domingo was the place where Columbus first landed.
Laurel and SBG are 2 spots where well off locals like to go eat. Not sure if they’re still open, haven’t been since covid
Western Santo Domingo has traditionally been the more wealthier side of the city. Northern and Eastern Santo Domingo are a mix between dangerous neighborhoods and not-so-dangerous neighborhoods.
La Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo is where the city started and the government has turned it into a safe spot for nightlife and restaurants. I’d recommend people check out “Pate Palo European Brasserie” and “Maraca”
Nightlife in the western part of the city is mid. Nightlife in the eastern part of the city is active but extremely dangerous, so wouldn’t recommend.
Beaches near Santo Domingo are tourist traps. Juan Dolió beach is nice but it’s 1.5 hours (no traffic) from the city.
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West Santo Domingo is interesting. The government wants to make the area into a high end area like the nice parts of Mexico City. And there is potential, since lots of people speak English, there is cheap labor to serve high end clientele, and there are investors willing to put money into the area to develop it (cartels laundering money, European/American property developers & Chinese investment).
Santo Domingo is only becoming wealthier. It’s one of the fastest growing economies in latin america, and despite the corruption, it’s one of most politically stable and business friendly countries in the region. Plus Dominican Americans in the US have very close ties to the country, so they continue to send money to support family and invest into the country.
The country is also a major hub for call centers, manufacturing, and exporting agricultural goods. The government is doubling down on its ties to the U.S. too.
There are a lot of reasons to think Santo Domingo will be a dynamic and much more fun city in a decade.
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I think the real gems of the country is in the interior, specifically in el cibao, the mountainous region
Fun fact: wealthy Dominicans don’t have beach homes, they have weekend homes in the mountains.
Other cities I’d recommend. Jarabacoa, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, las terrenas and Santiago.
Jarabacoa is the place where wealthy Dominicans vacation . This is where my favorite restaurant on the island is, [REDACTED].
Puerto Plata has great dominican food, History, decent nightlife, relatively safe
Cabarete is a surfer town where lots of eat, pray, love types go and visit. But it’s also a very chill and safe town. If you don’t want to visit a resort , and want to experience the island in a (relatively) safe and intimate way, this would be good place to visit.
Las terrenas is where retired Europeans go to live a peaceful island life. You’ll find some European style restaurants and cafes in this area. This area also has some of the nicest beaches on the island. This area of the island has become very popular in recent years.
Santiago is the second largest city on the island, it’s also the cultural heartland of the country. The city also exploded in the last few decades so it’s relatively newer than Santo Domingo. Many foreign companies are based on Santiago. It has a good food scene and good nightlife.
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I’ve been fortunate to explore the island, and have learned to like the culture and see lots of potential for the island long term.
I grew up in Santo Domingo, and I couldn’t agree more with the BTB view of the city. Unfortunately, Dominicans are not friendly with strangers or anybody outside of their social circle. So if you are looking for a part scene and mingle with locals, good luck with that. If you are looking to chill and have fun, Punta Cana is a much better option.
The Italian Food part is interesting...
For any of the BowTiedBum crew looking for a cheap family getaway in Winter...
The Hyatt in Cap Cana is a great all-inclusive option if you're just trying to chill and get some sun...
Can easily transfer your Chase points for a free week.
Santo Domingo is an interesting spot. Not anywhere as nice as major cities in Mexico or Brazil but still has some charm. Casinos in every hotel, if you like to gamble
I’d also mention to go to the Santa Maria cathedral if you’re into history, oldest cathedral in the Americas.
Some other cool colonial era stuff going on in that area, spend 2-4 hours during the day walking around. After all, Santo Domingo was the place where Columbus first landed.
Laurel and SBG are 2 spots where well off locals like to go eat. Not sure if they’re still open, haven’t been since covid
Western Santo Domingo has traditionally been the more wealthier side of the city. Northern and Eastern Santo Domingo are a mix between dangerous neighborhoods and not-so-dangerous neighborhoods.
La Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo is where the city started and the government has turned it into a safe spot for nightlife and restaurants. I’d recommend people check out “Pate Palo European Brasserie” and “Maraca”
Nightlife in the western part of the city is mid. Nightlife in the eastern part of the city is active but extremely dangerous, so wouldn’t recommend.
Beaches near Santo Domingo are tourist traps. Juan Dolió beach is nice but it’s 1.5 hours (no traffic) from the city.
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West Santo Domingo is interesting. The government wants to make the area into a high end area like the nice parts of Mexico City. And there is potential, since lots of people speak English, there is cheap labor to serve high end clientele, and there are investors willing to put money into the area to develop it (cartels laundering money, European/American property developers & Chinese investment).
Santo Domingo is only becoming wealthier. It’s one of the fastest growing economies in latin america, and despite the corruption, it’s one of most politically stable and business friendly countries in the region. Plus Dominican Americans in the US have very close ties to the country, so they continue to send money to support family and invest into the country.
The country is also a major hub for call centers, manufacturing, and exporting agricultural goods. The government is doubling down on its ties to the U.S. too.
There are a lot of reasons to think Santo Domingo will be a dynamic and much more fun city in a decade.
-----------
I think the real gems of the country is in the interior, specifically in el cibao, the mountainous region
Fun fact: wealthy Dominicans don’t have beach homes, they have weekend homes in the mountains.
Other cities I’d recommend. Jarabacoa, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, las terrenas and Santiago.
Jarabacoa is the place where wealthy Dominicans vacation . This is where my favorite restaurant on the island is, [REDACTED].
Puerto Plata has great dominican food, History, decent nightlife, relatively safe
Cabarete is a surfer town where lots of eat, pray, love types go and visit. But it’s also a very chill and safe town. If you don’t want to visit a resort , and want to experience the island in a (relatively) safe and intimate way, this would be good place to visit.
Las terrenas is where retired Europeans go to live a peaceful island life. You’ll find some European style restaurants and cafes in this area. This area also has some of the nicest beaches on the island. This area of the island has become very popular in recent years.
Santiago is the second largest city on the island, it’s also the cultural heartland of the country. The city also exploded in the last few decades so it’s relatively newer than Santo Domingo. Many foreign companies are based on Santiago. It has a good food scene and good nightlife.
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I’ve been fortunate to explore the island, and have learned to like the culture and see lots of potential for the island long term.
I grew up in Santo Domingo, and I couldn’t agree more with the BTB view of the city. Unfortunately, Dominicans are not friendly with strangers or anybody outside of their social circle. So if you are looking for a part scene and mingle with locals, good luck with that. If you are looking to chill and have fun, Punta Cana is a much better option.
Yeah Punta Cana is basically just a beach resort and not really even a city though, strange dynamics for the country in general