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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
You can dedicate the first day of your trip to the Dominican Republic completely
to the colonial city of Santo Domingo. Refer to my recommendations above for
what to do and where to go. Depending on your arrival time, you can easily spend
two days in the city, as there is so much to explore. Check out this blog post
for further information.
- Parque Mirador Sur
- Parque Duarte
- Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos
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Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
In the morning of the second day of your 1-week trip to the Dominican Republic
you are going to leave Santo Domingo and head towards Jarabacoa.
The city is located in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range at an
altitude of 600 meters and is therefore called the “city of eternal spring”, due
to its slightly milder climate.
Once there, my recommendation is to visit Salto Jimenoa I, a beautiful waterfall
a few kilometers outside of Jarabacoa.
You will have marvelous views of the surrounding mountains during the journey.
The hike to the waterfall is quite steep but well-marked, so it is one of the
easier hiking options in the Dominican Republic.
If you are in decent shape, count with 30 minutes for each way plus time to
relax and swim at the natural swimming pool of the waterfall.
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Punta Rucia, Dominican Republic
After enjoying the mountain views of Jarabacoa, it’s time to head back towards
the ocean. Punta Rucia is your destination for today, a small and quiet fishing
town with the charm of a seaside village like 30 years ago.
Time seems to have forgotten this place which makes it one of the best tourist
attractions in the Dominican Republic.
Depending on your preferences, you can either arrive early to Punta Rucia and
enjoy the afternoon at the beautiful and empty beaches while sipping on a rum
and coke with more rum than coke – that’s how they prepare it in the Dominican
Republic if you are in local areas.
- La Ensenada
- Playa Punta Rusia
- Cayo Arena
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Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Punta Rucia is also home to one of the most scenic attractions in the Dominican
Republic called Cayo Arena. This is a sandbar in the open ocean with a fantastic
reef to snorkel and amazing views for unique and gorgeous photos and it should
be on your 7-days Dominican Republic itinerary.
Cayo Arena can be reached by boat from Punta Rucia. It is absolutely
recommendable to go early morning so that you can enjoy the island on your own.
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Samana, Dominican Republic
Still wondering how to spend one week in the Dominican Republic? Day 6 is
another perfect road-trip day, as you are going to drive along the north coast
and can visit several beautiful spots.
One particularly recommendable place is Laguna Dudu, a freshwater lagoon between
Cabrera and Nagua, which is spanned by a zipline.
To make it exciting, it’s a one-way zipline – once you are heading off, there is
no way back, the only option is to fly until the middle of the lagoon and let
yourself fall – approx. 25 feet into the water. It’s a super exciting activity
and so much fun for everyone, it doesn’t matter if you jump or just watch.
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Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic