“The Real” Santo Domingo
Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
There’s nothing better than seeing the authenticity of a city. The best way is by staying with locals.
I decided to visit Santo Domingo because a close friend moved there. I was ecstatic to live with locals. I love my hotels and AirBnb’s but nothing beats authenticity. She lived in the cutest condo with beautiful marble floors and the perfect amount of space for her husband and 2 little boys. Her housekeeper and brother made the best homemade arroz con gandules, concon, tres golpes, papaya smoothies, and locrio. God, I was in food heaven!
The food experience didn’t end in her home. She took us to the best restaurants with the best drinks and freshest food with an explosion of flavors. MoriSoñando and Maraca were my favorites. The decor, the menu options, and customer service were exceptional. I highly recommend.
I didn’t think that the capital of the Dominican Republic would have any tourist attractions. Silly me. Los Tres Ojos National Park was beautiful. Who doesn’t love a crystal clear cenote? The only thing I wanted to do was jump in it but that was a no-go considering swimming in its lakes has been prohibited for years. If you can stand to look and not touch, it’s a great park to visit.
Although Santo Domingo isn’t particularly famous for its beaches, I very much enjoyed swimming at Boca Chica. El Pelicano Beach Club was a beautiful and quiet place to enjoy sun and conversation. Well it was quiet before we arrived. But once my friend invited her brother, step mother, aunt, her step mother’s friend, plus my partner and I, we were a loud and hilarious crew. Luckily the place was empty so no patrons were disturbed as we joyfully yelled across our beach beds and food filled tables cracking jokes and telling stories.
Now, what’s any late night in the Dominican Republic without dancing? Museo del Ron and Mix Restaurant & Bar had the music on full blast the nights we visited! Museo del Ron seemed like it was a meeting point for professional bachata, merengue, and salsa dancers. It’s actually maddening to see regular people glide across the dance floor as if each of them were responsible for creating these dances. While I have to make sure I don’t get too fancy or I’ll miss a step. Mix Restaurant & Bar had a combination of their traditional music, rap, and hip-hop. That was definitely up my alley considering I typically like a mixture of both when I go out to dance. There was a huge pool in the middle of the restaurant/bar with a swim-up bar. If I were dressed appropriately or had a few more margaritas I may have considered jumping in. Maybe next time.
Overall my 4-day stay in Santo Domingo was full of laughs, catching up, reminiscing, and meeting some really important people in my friend’s life. Knowing her for 10 years and finally visiting her after 3 years of being apart was the icing on top of what I’ve been calling my 2024 world tour.
My takeaway from this vacation? Maybe I don’t have one. I just enjoyed life.
P.S. If you ever get the chance, try Mamajuana. It has now been added to my list of favorite drinks. A concoction of rum, red wine, and honey with tree bark and herbs, it’s a strong sweet alcoholic treat that I brought home 2 bottles of. Don’t judge me…
