Playa Caleton

There are nothing but pretty areas in this part of the Dominican Republic. These three are worth visiting:

BUENA VISTA SUR

Buena Vista Sur is a neighborhood in La Romana near Batey Buena Vista. The area is brimming with pristine beaches and attractions that would entice any luxury traveler. Those who enjoy a round of golf have the Iberostar Golf Course nearby, while shoppers can spend hours at the Palma Real Shopping Village. Sail away for the day to Dolphin Island or explore Bavaro Lagoon.

COSTAMAR

With its peaceful bay and delightful almond trees, Costamar is an ideal place to spend a lazy afternoon. There are a number of amenities in the area such as food stands brimming with fresh, local delicacies from the sea. Locals like to play their merengue music on weekends, and beachgoers appreciate the entertainment.

Playa Caleton

Playa Caleton has one of the nicest beaches in the Dominican Republic. The waters are clear and calm and so are ideal for children as well. Locals are friendly and happy to help in any ways they can. The food is stupendous with loads of fresh fish and other sea delicacies. Vacationers who want the best accommodations while in the Dominican might choose to stay at Ani Dominican Republic. It is one of the top luxury retreats Playa Caleton has to offer. Visitors will feel like they’re on a private island. Views include the sea, beaches, coves and distant mountains. A sprawling slice of heaven, the estate can accommodate up to 28 guests who will be privy to all the amenities on offer including a lovely outdoor infinity pool. Besides its 14 luscious bedrooms, the home offers a bar, café, cinema room, spa lounge, a gym and tennis courts. It is a veritable oasis.

RIO DULCE

Batey Río Dulce in La Romana is a lovely scenic area like most of the vacation spots in the Dominican Republic. While being here, visitors might want to pay a visit to some of the following locations: La Romana, Salvaleon de Higueey, Santa Cruz de El Seibo, San Pedro de Macoris and Hato Mayor del Rey. It’s relatively close to La Romana International Airport. Those who would like to take in a baseball game are close to the country’s Estadio Francisco Micheli stadium, home of the Dominican professional baseball team. These three eateries give travelers wonderful, and often unique, dinner choices:

CAFÉ DE PARIS

This little French-cuisine inspired gem is the ideal place to have a delectable meal. Right across from the Gri-Gri Lagoon, it’s just a wee walk away from some of the best beaches in the area. Arguably, Café de Paris makes the best margaritas on the island. The French owner and chef is well-known locally for his dishes which have been described as awesomely delicious.

LAS PUERTAS DEL PARAÍSO

Diners have a vast choice between French, European, Caribbean or Cajun/Creole cuisine at Las Puertas del Paraiso. Guests will find the warm service welcoming. The owners have put a great effort into establishing a relaxed ambiance. The food is delightful and satisfying and guests keep going back for the ceviche, Mahi tartare and the seared Japanese-style tuna.

TERRAZA LAGUNA

This vegetarian-friendly eatery offers an eclectic mix of different cuisine styles. Guests can get everything from pizza with fresh vegetables or fresh seafood of the day with choice sides. The ambiance is lovely and diners can choose to take their meals in a large open air setting or inside. The service is quick and very friendly. Keep in mind, however, that Terraza Laguna does not accept credit cards.

There is no shortage of events and festivals in which visitors can partake. These three sound like fun:

CABARETE KITE FESTIVAL

The Cabarete Kite Festival is a celebration of watersports, ocean awareness, and entrepreneurship. The week is filled with kiteboarding, networking, surf sessions, and sunset music on the beach. Special guests share their knowledge on topics such as health and wellness, technology, sports, AI, and ocean conservation. To make it a real kitesurfing holiday, sign up for some lessons at the Laurel Eastman Kiteboarding School.

CASA DE CAMPO OPEN

Casa de Campo is a world-class golf resort with some of the best courses and tournaments going, one of which is the Casa de Campo Open. The championship is held on all three of the resort’s courses: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and the Links. The format is a 54-hole Individual Stroke Play competition using the Stableford scoring system. Men and women compete in flights by index and age.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CARNIVAL

February is Carnival month in the Dominican with Feb. 27 – Dominican Independence Day – having the most festivities. Carnival is celebrated with colorful parades, food, and other fun activities. Locals take to the streets gussied up in flamboyant costumes, masks and mystical characters that pay homage to Dominican folklore, traditions and beliefs.

There are some very impressive up-and-coming as well as well-known artists in the Dominican Republic. A chance to see what they offer can be found at these three popular galleries \

D’ GUILLERMO GALERIA

Travelers who appreciate art and like to take pieces back home with them from where they visit, might want to take a look in the D’Guillermo Galeria. This small gallery houses works primarily from Dominican artists. They are colorful, speak to the culture of the country and, in some cases, bold. The gallery features its permanent works as well as holding shows for artists such as Guillio Perez.

GEORGE ALEXANDER NADER GALLERY

The George Alexander Nader Gallery in Santo Domingo is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of many Latin American artists, such as Darío Ortíz, Heriberto Cogollo, Iván Tovar, and Herán Sosa, among others. The gallery owns an impressive inventory of Latin American art. Nader chose to revamp the original gallery space of the 1970s in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. This space is continuing this legacy and contributes to the promotion of Latin American art. The gallery contributes to the growth and exposure of local artists by endorsing their work and providing a platform for exhibits, the exchange of ideas, and an opportunity to learn from other masters of the trade.

LUCY GARCIA ART GALLERY

This gallery is unlike the traditional spaces of the Dominican art scene. Owner and artist Lucy Garcia says it’s a place where art is considered a vital necessity rather than something simply to collect. Each exhibition strives to create a dialogue about the creative process and the personal meaning each piece brings to the viewer. The Lucy Garcia Art Gallery is one of the most recognized spaces of the local art scene, in which the connection with the outside world is lost, establishing a link with the artists and their individual approaches. As a result, Garcia says the art surpasses the aesthetic.

There is only one major nightlife venue in the Playa Caleton area, and it is more than enough for an enchanting evening or two:

AMANERA

Inside the Amanera Hotel, the lounge bar is the ideal place to unwind and enjoy a cocktail or two. Vacationers may find it hard to leave their Playa Caleton holiday villas, but heading to Amanera for a romantic night just may be what can spark that flame. The lounge is above the restaurant, so diners can choose to head on up to the ocean-spying bar for after-dinner drinks. Those who want a liquid lesson in rum via the cocktail list, will certainly get one since the Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean’s finest and oldest rum producers.

When it’s time to do something different than lying in the sun, consider these four options:

CIGAR SHOPPING

Cigar smoking is very popular in the Dominican Republic, and, along with Cuba, the country is also known for having some of the finest cigars in the world. The number one cigar shop is the Cabinet Tobacco Boutique. The shop has locally-made cigars as well as those from Cuba and Nicaragua. Cigar aficionados can also find smoke accessories on hand such as humidors.

GOLFING

One of the loveliest courses close to Playa Caleton is Playa Grande Golf and Ocean Club. Overlooking the crescent-shaped Playa Grande Beach, the Playa Grande golf course is characterized by long vistas, cliff-side fairways and meticulously contoured greens. Ten holes play directly on the ocean side, the most of any golf course in the Western Hemisphere, giving it an elite distinction within the international golfing community. For avid golfers, what would a Playa Caleton luxury vacation be without taking golf clubs in hand?

GRI-GRI LAGOON

Laguna Gri-Gri is a nature-lover and tropical birdwatcher’s paradise. It gets its name from the area’s abundant Gri-Gri trees. The dense mangrove forest that surrounds and separates it from Corpses and Los Minos beaches houses the sanctuary protecting thousands of birds. Before 1958, the lagoon was just a natural spring hooked up with the sea through a brook. After an earthquake, the subterranean water emerged to create Gri-Gri Lagoon. A walking tour leads tourists through a natural channel to the sea and onto Caleton Beach. Visitors can have a refreshing dip in the pond and visit the swallows’ cave, where thousands of birds nest every year. This leg of the tour is by boat, some of them with crystal floors allowing people to admire every single wonder the sea has to offer.

CUEVA DE LAS GOLONDRINAS

The Cave of Swallows is a mesmerizing natural wonder that most vacationers definitely want to see. It is home to thousands of birds who live in little nests on the cave walls. Tucked along the scraggly Atlantic coastline of Río San Juan, the cave is just a five-minute boat ride from town. Accompanied by the tour captain, guests will admire the coastline’s rocky composition while floating on crystal-clear water. At the exit of the Cueva de las Golondrinas, guests will get the chance to swim in the natural turquoise ocean pool.