Dominican Republic: the Caribbean without Instagram
Imagine that you could virtually design a vacation spot; one where you reset the system and then return to reality as if reborn. Imagine that some of the variants to choose were the weather, the temperature, the landscape and the room where to get up every morning. Then fantasize about white sand beaches, warm waters and bottoms like a mirror ; with which the swimsuit and the flip-flops are his inseparable travel companions and the thermometer dances eternally between 20 and 30 degrees. No more no less. Now think about the hotel. Big and with a thousand and one entertainment options so you don't have to go out or small and intimate, and practically isolated, for the same thing... but always with the same backdrop: some rum advertisement beaches whose colors –of course– also can saturate volonté.
Now dress up your personal paradise by including all the accessories you like best in your shopping cart: a kayak, a kite, a reserved table right on the sand, some cocktails or a party until dawn. processing. Congratulations. Are you in Punta Cana.
The shelter of the palm trees
Thus, broadly speaking, it was how in the 70s the most touristic area of the country was born and developed, on a coastline of fifty kilometers on the Costa del Coco , east of the Dominican Republic. Although on that occasion it was not virtually, but real, and step by step: a long-distance race, whose goal was the construction of a vacation destination with everything necessary for a single purpose: surrender to hedonism. Until then, this was nothing more than some fishing villages, thick jungles surrounding totally virgin beaches, something that had not been given too much importance. Entrepreneurs Theodore Kheel and Frank Rainieri were the promoters of the complex, but those who made their name dance by word of mouth throughout the world would later be Oscar de la Renta and Julio Iglesias, who built their own mansion in Los Corales, the most exclusive area of Punta Cana.
That all hotels are wristbands, that there is nothing to do apart from going to the beach and toasting on a sun lounger, that it is impossible to find haute cuisine are some of the false myths that have persecuted him. .. And that we proceed to disassemble.
Let's dismantle the myths about Punta Cana
PUNTA CANA, THE PIONEER
When Leonel Fernández was president of the country, he traveled to the Summit of Presidents of Chile where a journalist asked him at the press conference if he was the president of the Republic of Punta Cana. The anecdote, in addition to being funny, serves to reflect the power of destiny as external image. And it is that, although Punta Cana is almost a country brand and is often used to refer to the entire coastline. But actually it comprises 50 kilometers of beaches , each with its own name –from north to south: Arena Gorda Beach, Bávaro Beach, Ubero Alto Beach, Macao Beach, El Cortecito Beach, Cabeza de Toro, Cabo del Engaño, Punta Cana Beach and Juanillo Beach–, and his own personality.
At the easternmost point of the country, Punta Cana is the most exclusive of them all: It brings together the best golf courses and the most luxurious hotels, such as Tortuga Bay –the 15 villas with a sophisticated tropical air designed by Oscar de la Renta–; the Zoetry, a super luxury all-inclusive, and the small Sivory, where one of the best restaurants on the island is located. The beaches that have made Punta Cana famous are the main attraction of its clients , the most desired views from the windows, and the recurring scenario for almost any activity.
But let's not fool ourselves although here there is all the sun and beach you want, more movement is possible than looking for the horizontal under a palapa. Protected like a jewel, the Ecological Park of Punta Cana is a sample of what the area was and (hopefully) will be for many years : a reserve of 8 km of sandbanks and protected coastlines where 80 types of birds, 160 insects and 500 plants live. To get to know them there are guided circuits between the trails of the Indigenous Eyes Reserve (as the Taínos called the twelve freshwater lagoons), horseback riding through serene beach and family activities such as visiting the petting farm or the rhinoceros iguana conservation project. The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation is the promoter of the project , also involved in reef conservation.
The dream of Oscar de la Renta
CAP CANA, THE FAVORITE OF LATIN CELEBRITIES
When Punta Cana was already a more than consolidated destination, curling the curl came just a decade ago with the creation of Cap Cana , the favorite refuge of Latin celebrities such as Luis Miguel, Benicio del Toro, Juanes, Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra or Ricky Martin. The new complex, which benefited from the existing infrastructure and the international airport, is a luxury mega resort with almost six kilometers of beaches, virgin and wonderful , and a whole display of luxury services around it: a recreational marina with 130 berths (in fact this is one of the world's fishing hotspots), surrounded by boutiques and restaurants, and a golf course – Sword Point –, with eight of its holes facing the sea, designed by what was probably the best golfer in history, Jack Nicklaus.
And, to complete the offer, the premiere of the polo fields in Los Establos , the equestrian city of Cap Cana with riding areas, training school and green spaces connected by trails, will not wait. The accommodation options are concentrated in several dozen bungalows, two hotels – the spectacular Eden Roc, with its Mediterranean-style villas, and the Sanctuary Cap Cana –; and the Al Sol Luxury Villas and Al Sol del Mar apartments.
As if that were not enough, very close to Cap Cana, in Caletón, is the Caletón Club and Villas, a members' club, open to Eden Roc guests, with six beachfront bungalows and 16 villas with private pools and views of the beach or golf course. Its restaurant, La Palapa, serves the freshest fish in the area and it has impressive views of the sea, of this Caribbean that does not need Instagram filters to impress.
34 cabins in the middle of Cap Cana
GETTING TO KNOW BAVARO
Originally conceived as a dormitory town to house the workers of the Punta Cana tourist complex, With time and hotel expansion to the north of Punta Cana, Bávaro has become a tourist destination in itself. In this faction of the beach is where most of the hotels are (many of them with Spanish investment, such as H10, Iberostar, Meliá, Barceló, Palladium or Bahía Príncipe...), services, restaurants, nightclubs and shops. These are the best options to live day to day:
Where to sleep :
Ocean Blue and Sand. This hotel from the Spanish chain H10 lacks nothing; a spectacular location –on the beachfront–, a varied gastronomic offer updated with the new restaurant Blue Moon , which offers romantic French-inspired dinners, and even a corner specializing in tea and coffee; and very complete services for any client – the spa (its best treatments are the massages facing the sea ), the children's club, a bowling club (it is the only one with a bolero) and the diving club. The Privilege Exclusive Rooms program goes one step further and offers a more personalized service.
Hard Rock Cafe Hotel. Luxury hotel complex with nine restaurants ranging from pasta to sushi. It also offers a varied set of recreational activities , spa, nightclub, casino and even spectacular concerts and live DJ... The idea here is that the client feels like a real rock star, pampered and pleased even in the greatest eccentricity.
A compendium of recreational activities and endless restaurants
Where to eat :
Captain Cook the Little Cut. Outdoor beach bar that, despite being located next to the hotel complexes of Punta Cana, It has a lot of crazy flavor l. You can walk along the beach or in taxi boat (they provide free service). The great specialty of the Fuentes family is the seafood grill with lobster, accompanied by chips and spicy mahi mahi , but also chicken, pork and even paella. It is one of Oscar de la Renta's favourites.
Jalapeno (Breeze Square) . Mexican restaurant with excellent guacamole to accompany enchiladas and tacos. JellyFish. Beach club with chill out decoration, cushions on the sand, tents, umbrellas... and spectacular views of the Caribbean. Their specialty is local fish and shellfish , especially lobster and clams. It is perfect for a drink with friends or for a romantic evening.
Gourmet Restaurant. Modern and minimalist decoration for a restaurant serving Mediterranean food inside the Karibo boutique hotel. It has a relaxing pool so that the wait between courses is more pleasant.
The Trunk Beach Los Corales. Alona and Ignacio guarantee excellent treatment and magnificent food. They offer a single menu made with the fish and shellfish of the day, as well as paellas and fideuás. Frequented by the local population.
A beach club that captivates. And who warns...
ALTERNATIVES FOR THE MOST ACTIVE
To alternate the tossing and turning on the hotel lounger with a bit of action, from Punta Cana you can undertake some excursions and activities . Without a doubt, the queen of them all is Saône Island , an island of 110 km2 that is part of the National Park of the East, with its virgin beaches and without buildings, to spend the day. The small fishing village of Mano Juan preserves caves with Taíno rock art and rich springs. Marinarium offers different types of ecotours : kayak, glass bottom boat, scuba dive, snorkel or swim with nurse sharks, tropical fish or rays...
For its part, in the Scape Park adventure park you can learn about the Dominican flora and fauna, through two routes, the one that reaches the Hoyo Azul lagoon , and the one that goes to the Iguabonita cave , where interesting rock formations and some Taino remains can be seen. Also, from here, you can do fishing trips, diving, snorkeling, catamaran rides by the beach Juanillo , or take surf and paddle surf lessons.
Report published in the Condé Nast Traveler monograph 'Dominican Republic', number 79 .
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