The Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is lovely, to say the least. It is the city of Firsts for the Americas– first city of the New World (founded by Christopher Columbus’ brother Bartholomew), home of the first university, first cathedral, first monastery, and more. It offers visitors and amazing walk through history, which you can read about here.
But if you are anything like me, after your brain has soaked up all it can handle in historical beauty, you may be in the mood for some relaxation in nature. You undoubtedly know that the Dominican Republic is famous for its aqua blue ocean and white sand beaches. But, with limited time as a tourist, which Santo Domingo beach should you visit?
If you have more time, you might want to head to the better-known Punta Cana or Samana areas. But if you only have one or two days to spare, you ultimately have three main option- Juan Dolio, Boca Chica, or Saona Island.
Below I will break down the pros and cons of each to help you choose the perfect Santo Domingo beach day for your trip.
Juan Dolio
From Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio beach is under an hour by car, heading east past Las Americas airport and Guayacanes village. Uber is a pretty reasonable option to use- from the Colonial Zone, it will cost around $20USD for a 45-minute drive to get there, all depending on traffic, of course.
Juan Dolio is a small six-mile stretch of white sand, green palm trees, and clear blue water. While I was there, most beach-goers were locals, so I was able to chat with some of them and get a feel for the area. I was visiting the Dominican Republic solo, and I walked over two miles of the street area and about 1 mile on the beach alone, both in the morning as well as at sundown. Nobody hassled me in the slightest, other than a few random catcalls. I can not comment about walking Juan Dolio alone at night, as I went to bed earlier most nights to be awake for sunrise activities. (To learn more about me and traveling the world solo, click here.)The east side of Juan Doilio seemed more lively while the farther west I walked, it was more quiet and peaceful. The eastern edge of the beach town had loud music playing from restaurants and bars and lots of activity as well as street food carts present. To the west this all disappeared.
There are two reasons I chose to stay at Juan Dolio over other Santo Domingo beach options. First, the area is more locally populated, with a few small hotels and Airbnb’s rather than the large resorts you find in Punt Cana, for example. The photo below is from my beachfront Airbnb rental, owned by a local, and I had a lovely stay here.
The second reason is that Juan Dolio has far fewer beach touts selling items up and down the beach. This is true, by the way- I was approached only one time. If you are interested in souvenirs, I don’t mean to knock this practice; however I was simply looking to relax on the beach after my hectic days in Santo Domingo.
Boca Chica
Your second Santo Domingo beach option is Boca Chica. Boca Chica is closer to the Colonial Zone than Juan Dolio, the drive coming in closer to 30 minutes. The waters are just as stunning as described in Juan Dolio.
I’ll be perfectly honest, I did not spend any overnight time in Boca Chica. I spoke to a lot of locals in Santo Domingo before deciding which beach would work best for me, and every single one of them said that Boca Chica is not as nice as Juan Dolio. I do agree- Juan Dolio was cleaner, prettier, and more quiet. Boca Chica is a bit more crowded, with a bit more of a party atmosphere.
Boca Chica seemed to be the more well known beach in the area. However, remember the beach tours I mentioned above? Be prepared to be approached by them all day long here. Again, if you are souvenir shopping, maybe that’s okay. But since I was looking for a quiet beach trip, this didn’t work for me.
The upside to Boca Chica is that there are more hotels, resorts, and Airbnb’s available. It all really depends on what you are looking for.
Saona Island
Saona Island is a beautiful island off of the mainland, and closer to the eastern tip near Punta Cana. If you thought Juan Dolio waters were clear, these waters will leave you absolutely stunned. so crystal clear that you can see everything as far out as you can walk or swim. I visited in February, during the off season, and the waters will still warm enough to swim very comfortably.
The island itself is easy to explore by foot. There are plenty of palm trees with hammocks hanging as well as beach chairs for everyone to lounge. Massages and jewelry will be offered for purchase over and over again if you use the beach chairs. They are directly in front of where the boats drop off passengers, you can’t miss them- but walk a short way down the beach and you will find the solitude you crave.
Today, only about 300 people live on Saona Island, and I have to say, that sounds like a dream!
It is fairly easy to book a day tour which will pick you up from your hotel area, take you out to the island by catamaran, include a lunch buffet and time in the sun, and then return you to your hotel by speedboat and shuttle. The boat trip also includes a stop at the shallow Natural Pool area in the ocean, where you can see and touch giant starfish- just don’t take them out of the water please! This can kill them, which makes both me and the ocean sad.
You can book them through Viator before you go, or through a local tour operator once you are in the DR. You can leave from either the Colonial Zone or Juan Dolio / Boca Chica for varying prices (it depends upon your pickup area and operator). I’ve seen prices range from $49-$175, to give you an idea of the range you may come across.
So which Santo Domingo Beach Trip Should You Choose?
Here is my best recommendation, if you are staying in the Colonial Zone.
If you have only one day to spare at the beach:
- Choose between either a day at Juan Dolio OR a day trip to Saona Island
If you have three days to spare at the beach:
- Stay two or three nights at Juan Dolio, and take a day-trip to Saona Island if time and budget allows. Airbnb is probably the best option for Juan Dolio rentals. Not bad!
Whatever you choose, I’m sure you will have a wonderful time!