Southern Coast – Juan Dolio, Guayacanes, Boca Chica
Southern coast – Juan Dolio, Guayacanes, Boca Chica
Southern coast – Juan Dolio, Guayacanes, Boca Chica
Juan Dolio
This former fishing village is located 50 km from the capital of the Dominican Republic – Santo Dominga. As such, Juan Dolio do not have bigger square or busy city center. In addition to several hotel complexes, many private villas – even the Villa of the President of the Dominican Republic are located there. For sure, you will not miss a wide range of restaurants and bars which are open days and nights. You can also find several smaller shopping centers with a wide choice of gift and souvenirs. The whole seashore of Juan Dolio is surrounded by a coral reef – so the water shoes are recommend. Nearby, you can find two excelent 18-hole golf courses – Guavaberry and Metro Club Countryare.
Guayacanes
Guayacanes is a real Dominican – fisherman’s village that still keeps its classic face. Here you won’t enjoy only the exotic Caribbean environment, but you also have a unique opportunity to get to know the life of Dominican’s more closely – peaceful, balanced, without stress and worry. In GUuayacanes village you will have a chance to see the colorful, simply furnished cottages as well as the luxury villas of rich Dominicans or expacts who have found their second home here. You can also find some local shops – kolmádo, two discos, a bakery, a primary school and a local “clinic”. If you decide to visit this typical Dominican village, be prepared to meet dozens of local children running around. It is certainly not a bad idea to take some candies with you, for which they will even pose you for the photo : o)
Boca Chica
Boca Chica is located close to the capital city of the Dominican Republic and is the busiest city with varied nightlife compared to previous two locations. The beach of this small town is well known for its shallow waters and is therefore called – the largest “bath of the world”. Even though the beach here, as well as the beach in Juan Dolio, is surrounded by a coral barrier, in Boca Chica bay you can not find the sea urchins. Therefor you can enjoy the unbearably warm, crystal clear waters of the bay of Boca Chica without thinking whether you get injured by sea urchins or not. Boca Chica has its own square, dominated by a small chapel. During the Christmas time, it has a beautiful Christmas decoration with bethlehem. On the main street – Duarte street, many tourist shops with a variety of beachwear and gift items are located. And, of course, lots of restaurants, bars, and a variety of nightclubs and discos. In recent years, however, Boca Chica is not recommended to visit.
San Pedro de Macoris
The city which is located 15 km from Juan Dolio, was founded at the end of the 18th century mainly by immigrants from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Gradually, San Pedro de Macoris became the home of Spaniards, Italians, Arabs, Germans and Frenchmen who founded huge cane plantations that are still characteristic of the area. A special group of immigrants – called Cocolos were people coming from the neighboring islands of Little Antiles. Those were specially brought here as a work force for sugar cane plantations. The biggest boom for the cane market was during World War I.
During that period the price of this commodity drove to record highs. The most important outlet was the United States and the city was a huge influx of dollars. This period is often referred to as “the dance of the millions”. Many beautiful Victorian and neo-classical houses in the city center ware build by the owners of sugar cane plantation. The magnificent beauty of these buildings was unfortunately marked by the ravages of time, and the current economic situation of the country does not allow their reconstruction, which would return the unusual touch in the city center. Today San Pedro is known for the baseball stadium, which is the largest in the country and for prestigious private university whose facuty of medicine is attended mainly by foreign students.
