AROUND SANTO DOMINGO Not Definedbyforeigners’ Needsandtastes Butbythelives Ofordinarypeople
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© Lonely Planet Publications 104 Around Santo Domingo One of the pleasures of city living is leaving it. And like residents of large cities the world over, residents of Santo Domingo regularly feel the urge to flee the traffic, pollution and chaos of the capital city’s streets for stress-free weekend escapes. Boca Chica, within com- muting distance not far to the east and just past the airport, isn’t far enough removed from the urban milieu – despite the white sand, bathtub-calm waters and seaside restaurants. When the sun goes down, so do the town’s inhibitions, and its seedy side – still alive after many years – becomes hard not to notice. Only a little further east is Juan Dolio, more relaxing and comfortable and blessed with a long stretch of soft white sand and several resorts just outside town. For a chance to experience Dominican life in the streets outside of Santo Domingo, head to San Pedro de Macorís, a baseball player–producing factory only AROUND SANTO DOMINGO AROUND SANTO DOMINGO a short drive further east. Basically an extension of Santo Domingo’s creeping sprawl to the west, San Cristobal is noteworthy as the birthplace of dictator Rafael Trujillo and the gateway to an anthropologi- cal reserve with Taíno cave paintings. For those traveling to the southwestern part of the country, Baní makes a convenient stop. Known as the birthplace of Generalísimo Máximo Gómez y Báez, leader of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain, Baní is also the turnoff to reach the dunes around Las Salinas or to start the climb north to the mountain village of San José de Ocoa. This route west of the city passes through a textured DR, one not defined by foreigners’ needs and tastes but by the lives of ordinary people. HIGHLIGHTS Relax on the soft white sand and mellow seas of Juan Dolio ( p110 ), the best beach resort near Santo Domingo Cheer for the home team at Estadio Tetelo Vargas ( p112 ) in San Pedro de Macorís, the baseball capital of the country San Pedro de Macoris Slide around the wind-blown sand hills of San José de Ocoa Reserva Antropológica Juan the Dunas de las Calderas ( p115 ) near Las El Pomier Dolio Salinas Dunas de las Calderas Explore the mountain scenery around San José de Ocoa ( p116 ) Marvel at the hundreds of Taíno cave paint- ings at Reserva Antropológica El Pomier ( p114 ), outside San Cristobal lonelyplanet.com EAST OF SANTO DOMINGO •• Parque Nacional Submarino La Caleta 105 GETTING THERE & AROUND on, albeit with a healthy trade in sex tourism. Because several of the destinations in this It held a certain amount of cachet when the chapter are best visited as a day or overnight moneyed class built vacation homes here dur- trip, a rental car is the most convenient op- ing Trujillo’s regime, and in the 1960s when a tion and allows you flexibility. This is espe- few bayside hotels were built, and even again cially recommended if you’re traveling west in the early 1990s during another construc- of Santo Domingo, because many of the sights tion boom, . These days, however, aside from otherwise would involve multiple trips on its proximity to the capital and the airport, multiple versions of public transportation – there’s not a lot to recommend it; after all it’s the effort and trouble would be of question- not much further to nicer resorts to the east. It AROUND SANTO DOMINGO able value. That being said, it’s easy to reach does, however, have a long white, sandy beach all of the towns by gua-gua (local bus) or taxi with waters so calm and shallow it resembles (the latter option is pricey). a lagoon. Orientation EAST OF SANTO Boca Chica comprises a 10-by-15-block area between Hwy 3 and Bahía de Andrés. From DOMINGO the highway there are three main avenues – 24 de Junio, Juan Bautista Vicini and Caracol – Cross Río Ozama, the eastern border of the that lead downhill to the oceanfront streets of Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo, and the Av San Rafael and Av Duarte. It’s only 8km to claustrophobia fades, the horizon opens and Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas and you remember that you’re in the Caribbean. 33km to Santo Domingo, both to the west. The highway hugs the coast for some time with promising views but then retreats inland Information once again, passing service stations and shops INTERNET ACCESS & TELEPHONE hugging the roadside until the turnoff for the Codetel Centro de Comunicaciones (Av San Rafael beach resorts of Boca Chica and Juan Dolio a near Av Caracol; h8am-10pm) International telephone little further on. service; the main entrance is on Av Duarte. QK Internet Center (Av Duarte near Calle Sánchez; PARQUE NACIONAL SUBMARINO LA h9am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun) Inexpensive CALETA international telephone rates and decent internet rates, In the past this underwater park was a park too (per hour US$2.80). in name only; little was done to protect the 12 Safe Power Contact (SPC; Av Juan Bautista Vicini; sq km of underwater acreage in front of the h9am-10pm) Only a block south of Av Las Américas, this Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas. As small shop has several computers in good condition with a result of lax controls and the damage from high-speed internet (per hour US$1); cheap international Hurricane Jean in 2004, the number of coral calling rates as well. and fish species here is very low. Only recently has the Ministry of Environment teamed up MEDICAL SERVICES with Reef Check, a non-profit environmental Farmacia Boca Chica (%809-523-4708; Av Duarte organization, to try to halt the damage and re- near Av Juan Bautista Vicini; h8:30am-9pm Mon-Sat, store the marine life. It is also the resting place 8:30am-8pm Sun) of the Hickory, a salvage ship that was scuttled in 1984, the year the park was founded (see MONEY boxed text, p107 ) and now a popular dive site. Banco Popular (cnr Av Duarte & Av Juan Bautista Vicini; If you’re interested in diving here, contact one h8am-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sun) Opposite the of the dive shops in Boca Chica (see p107 ) or southwest corner of Parque Central. One ATM. any of the resorts in Juan Dolio. BanReservas (cnr Av San Rafael & Calle Juanico García; BOCA CHICA h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) pop 58,200 POST Boca Chica is a survivor. After weathering de- velopment boom–bust cycles and being over- Post office (Av Duarte near Av Juan Bautista Vicini; shadowed by resorts further east, it staggers h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) AROUND SANTO DOMINGO 106 0 20 km AROUND SANTO DOMINGO 0 12 miles EAST OF SANTO DOMINGO ••AroundSantoDomingo EAST OFSANTO 70º30'W To La Vega (25km); Presa de 70º00'W 69º30'W Río Yabón Santiago (50km) Hatillo Sánchez Parque Bonao Ramirez Hatillo Sabana Grande de Boyá Nacional ὅ 17 Los Haitises 23 San Rafael Sabana Presa Río ὅ de Payabo Yuna Alto Si e rra Sabana de Barriolo Piedra Blanca 71 d e Y Yuna 13 a m a s La MONTE á Hato Vega Monseñor 103 To Higüey 13 PLATA Mayor Nouel (45km) Yamasá La Guia 1 23 Bayaguana El Puerto HATO 4 MAYOR a Monte n a á Plata b u a g S ὅ a Los R o a í R M Algarrobos í í R o m Villa Altagracia o La Jina o o G í N R h u 4 ὅ R i a a í z San o a Distrito n Las Parras M Cristobal o Nacional u I R San m Los Llanos g o La 23 u í í Felipe a a El Coabal o Victoria Platanitos R m J a o Presa del a m San Pedro i Hatillo Villa za de Macorís San José Jigüey- n La O Guerra Aguacate a 1 Mella San Quisqueya Ramón de Ocoa Isabela ío Los R Isidro La Santana Medina Alcarrizos El Toro 4 La Yeguada Balsa 18º30'N 41 Los Montes 18º30'N R Hato Damas Manoguayabe La Jina ío To La Romana Reserva 4 (11km) To Azua (5km) O Los Ranchitos 3 Tintero c Antropológica Andres Juan o SANTO Boca Chica 3 a Presa de El Pomier La Caleta Dolio Azua Haina DOMINGO SAN PEDRO ὅ Peravia Valdesia 2 3 DE MACORÍS SAN CRISTOBAL Bajos de Haina Parque Playa 2 Nacional Boca Guayacanes Hatillo Cabo Bahía Bahía Río Baní Las Nigua Submarino Chica de Gallardas La Caleta Cauceda de Andrés Boca de Nigua Ocoa Las Carreras 2 Yaguate Palmar Najayo Abajo BANÍ de Ocoa Najayo SantanaὅJuanὅ Nizao Barón Bahía Matanzas Playa de Palenque de las Playa ὅὅὅ lonelyplanet.com Calderas Playa de Punta Dunas de las Nizao Palenque Punta Salinas Las Calderas Baní C A R I B B E A N S E A Salinas Punta Santanilla 70º30'W 70º00'W 69º30'W Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels EAST OF SANTO DOMINGO •• Boca Chica 107 Sights coral heads. The water is warm – averaging The thing about the beach at Boca Chica is 25°C – and the visibility ranges between 5m that it’s in Boca Chica. This means that de- and 28m, depending on the season. Dive trips spite the powdery white sand and tranquil to a nearby cave are also offered, as are trips to waters, it’s unlikely to be a relaxing experi- the waters near Bayahibe and Isla Catalina. ence. Flanked by Av Caracol and Av 24 de There are two reputable dive shops in town – Junio, Playa Boca Chica is lined with coconut Treasure Divers (%809-523-5320; www.treasurediv palms and food stands, restaurants and bars.