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When you choose your next beach escape, odds are you'll be looking where to spend blissful beach days in Mexico or the Caribbean.
One Caribbean nation that has soared to new heights in terms of tourism is the Dominican Republic.
Even the country's cultural cities have become more popular, like Santiago de los Caballeros and the sprawling capital, Santo Domingo.
Near both cultural hubs are some of the most pristine beach resort towns you'll find along Caribbean shores.
One that is super easy to reach and continues to thrive is La Romana, home to lavish resorts and stunning beaches.
Move Aside Punta Cana! La Romana Is The Place To Be
As someone who just spent 5 days at a luxe resort in Punta Cana, I can easily compare apples to apples since I also spent some time in La Romana.
If you've done any vacation planning along the East Coast or Caribbean, surely you know it's sargassum season.
Sargassum is an unsightly brown algae that invades coastlines for miles and miles ruining your postcard-worthy photo-ops.
Punta Cana, including world-renowned Bavaro Beach, was teeming with icky piles of sargassum baking in the sun, creating not only an eyesore, but an unpleasant odor and constant annoyances trying to swim in the crystal clear waters.
Taking a day trip to La Romana was like flipping a switch from an okay beach vacation to the dreamy paradise you envision when splurging on a Caribbean getaway.
Perfect Conditions For The Ultimate Beach Escape
Not a flake of sargassum was spotted when I swam in various spots throughout the La Romana region.
Setting sail on a Catamaran from Bayahibe, there were stops away from shore to swim and snorkel.
Water conditions were absolutely perfect with warm temperatures and limpid visibility – no seaweed or trash in sight.
Like Zac Brown said, the ‘Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair', the only worry here is stepping on Starfish as they're a very protected and encouraged by tour guides not to touch.
The only portion not suitable for water activity are the ports of Bayahibe and Isla Saona, where the water is still very clear, but you will need flip-flops to avoid cutting your feet on jagged rocks.
Stunning Tropical Islands
Within close distance from the small resort town of La Romana lies a pair of stunning islands – Isla Saona, and Isla Catalina.
While I can't speak to personal experience with the latter, tourists have left rave reviews with comments like, ‘Saona Island gets all the cred but this was an awesome excursion'.
Home to gorgeous beaches clear waters for snorkeling and diving, this short journey to the island is definitely worth checking out.
I went to Isla Saona. Beyond simply relaxing with endless poolside pinã coladas, this jaw-dropping island was the highlight of my Dominican vacation.
You are instantly welcomed by towering palm trees and sandy pathways giving access to what feels like secret beaches, and it was some of the clearest water I've ever swam in.
No sargassum, jellyfish, garbage, stingrays – nope, just picture-perfect blue waters and white sand.
La Romana's Lavish Resorts
Punta Cana is great, but everyone wants to be here.
The same way Cancun is an awesome vacation spot since everyone knows about, that's not to say you won't have an awesome time in Puerto Escondido.
The same goes for Punta Cana and La Romana. The latter is a very popular resort town but doesn't hold the same recognition.
Vacationers can come here expecting to have the time of their lives the same as you would in Punta Cana, but the experience may be even better.
With high-end all-inclusive resorts such as Hilton, Dreams, and Iberostar, you can't go wrong, especially since the beaches don't find themselves in the path of massive seaweed invasions.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
jennifer kirkman
Thursday 4th of July 2024
You should also write an article about Cabarete, on the North Shore. a mecca for water sports.