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The Dominican Debut – Weekend Warrior
- By Michael Lakus
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- Read Time: 6 min
Dominican Retreat
What’s the first location thought of when someone says “Dominican Republic?” Punta Cana? Or maybe Santo Domingo? Well, if the latter is true, then strap in because this gringo is going quick and dirty on the recap of a weekend spent in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Keeping myself honest to the weekend warrior style, here’s a look at a budget vacation in one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities.
As always, below is a quick video edit of most of the locations and experiences if you don’t have time to read the post.
Travel Logistics & Cost Summary
Flights from MCO-SDQ run $200 on Spirit. I was able to use Marriott points for a Sheraton and get a complimentary room upgrade. The hotel staff was super helpful with local spots and cash exchanges. Avis rental was no more than $70 (use a premium credit card to cover insurance). Everything else was relatively inexpensive due to a good exchange rate. Overall, I'd expect less than $400 total for 2-3 days.
Spanish is Spoken!
Keep in mind Santo Domingo is not a typical tourist resort, so be prepared to speak or attempt some Spanish. Most places around Zona Colonial in the city will be more accustomed to English.
Santo Domingo Immersion
For this trip, I was lucky to have Dr. Mila tag along and help plan the majority of places visited. So a big shout out and thank you for that!
First on the list, I must absolutely mention the arrival into Santo Domingo’s airport (SDQ) and renting a car. Not only are you going to probably be speaking Spanish off the rip, but I now understand why the car rental employees meticulously reviewed my soon-to-be ride and pressed hard for including insurance. Dominican driving was wild and cars run on prayers. That actually may be an understatement. I’ve been in places, such as Colombia, where rules seem utterly absent, but this was my first time behind the wheel. With that said, it was honestly a highlight of the trip whippin’ through the heart of Santo Domingo. A must-do at least once!
Having a car also opened up opportunities when you only have a few days. We were definitely able to make the most of it by getting to see different sections of Santo Domingo and even take a day trip outside the city.
Alternative Transportation
Parking a car can be daunting in downtown. Uber was also available and seemed to be pretty active (even after midnight). We used ride sharing at night to avoid parking and rides were very inexpensive ($2 - $3) for 10-20 min.
Zona Colonial
Zona Colonial, or La Zona is the European remnants in Santo Domingo, but now inspired with a Dominican twist. This was definitely the more touristy area in the city, and where the most points of interest are. It was here that Dr. Mila and I walked the colorful streets, obtained some unique Larimar stones and tried some amazing chocolate.
The first point of interest was the Larimar Museum in La Zona. Whenever I’m in a new location, I’ll make an effort to scout out unique gems from that region. Larimar is no exception here. This two story museum had a wide array of stones for purchase and an upstairs museum explaining how Larimar is formed and extracted.
Fun Fact
Larimar is a rare mineral that is only found in the Dominican Republic. It is also one of the only gemstones found in the Caribbean.
Right down the street from the museum was Kahkow, the chocoholics’ haven. For around $15, we received a history tour of cocoa, sampled different chocolates with different percentages of cocoa and saw the chocolate-making process. There were also chocolate-making classes and a gift shop. I had to bring back some cocoa tea.
Jardin Botanico
A little outside the city center to the northwest was where the surprising garden resides. I’m a big time botanical guy, so if a city has botany, I’m there. We were both impressed with the overall grounds and the large variety of plants. It was also amusing that the entrance had ticket prices for “non-locals” that were that special double price. However, the price did include a ride on a train around the grounds, which was 100% needed. The place was huge!
The main highlight of the gardens was the Dominican Japanese garden. I don’t think anyone would expect it, but it’s there, and seems to be quite popular for photo-shoots and more.
Dominican Cuisine and Nightlife
Dominican cuisine shares a lot of similarities with dishes around the Caribbean, but it would be unfair to generalize. Mofongo is definitely a staple meal and the morir soñando is an excellent orange shake-type drink. Otherwise, we stocked up our snack reserve at corner shops whenever possible.
A cafe and restuarant that come to mind are Mamey Librería Café and Peperoni. Mamey is a hipster bookstore / art gallery / live music venue deal. Try the smokey Mamey mezcal with passionfruit. Peperoni was randomly recommended by a guest during an elevator conversation at our hotel, and I’m happy we took it up. This has to be one of the more upscale places on the west side of Santo Domingo that served Dominican classics and beyond. We ordered some delicious teriyaki tuna and pork tomahawk and were even greeted by the manager after our meal.
For nightlife, La Zona had some great spots including Onnos Bar and Parada 77. Both are walking distance from each other. The drinks are standard, but it’s the music and overall atmosphere that make the nightlife so much fun. Lots of singing and dancing for sure!
Boca Chica Beach
Before ending our time in the Dominican Republic, we drove over to Boca Chica to check out the beach. We went to the public beach, which I think was a very different scene than any private section. It’s not that the experience was bad, especially if you go in knowing you’ll be approached a lot to buy something. We walked the beach line, which consists of bars and shacks, and played some games with locals. Overall, I’d have to recommend going to a private beach that is less crowded, cleaner and has more sand out to the water.
Drink Bartering
Credit card payment machines mysteriously stop working. People didn't seem to mind if I negotiated a price for anything. I was also able to pay in USD after I ran out of pesos.
Looking back at the weekend in Santo Domingo, I was glad to see how much we were able to do with only a few days. The Dominican Republic is a diverse island with a mountainous region and rain forest still to explore. So if you happen to be in the Dominican Republic and want to get away from the resorts, Santo Domingo is a great base of operations for those excursions.
Recap of Places
- Santo Domingo – capital city of the Dominican Republic
- Zona Colonial (La Zona) – it’s like Santo Domingo’s “old town” where most of the attractions can be found
- Larimar Museum – where you can learn about and purchase the Larimar gemstone
- Kahkow Experience – includes the history of cocoa, chocolate tasting and making
- Jardin Botanico – expansive botanical garden with a popular Japanese section
- Mamey Librería Café – library, art gallery and live music venue in La Zona
- Peperoni – upscale restaurant with a large menu selection
- Onnos Bar & Parada 77 – two really lively bars for nightlife in La Zona
- Boca Chica – public and private section beaches with a long line of beach bars
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Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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