Guide to Bayahibe Region

Beaches

Close your eyes. Now imagine the dreamiest beaches you can possibly dream up. If you're seeing dazzling white sands fringed by drooping coconut palms and electric-blue seas, you're spot on. Because that's exactly what the beaches in the La Romana region look like. No wonder the area's called 'Costa Caribe'. It couldn't look or feel more like a Caribbean picture-postcard if it tried. Add the sizzling sunshine, great watersports and bath-warm sea temperatures and it's heaven on earth. Take Bayahibe beach for instance. Merging into neighbouring Dominicus beach, this six-mile stretch of sands is edged with resort hotels and cheery beach bars. Shake off your flip-flops, unroll that towel and empty your mind of stresses. Skim the waves on a jet-ski or kayak. Or don a wetsuit or snorkel for a serious scuba or snorkelling session. The offshore reefs are jam-packed with luminousl fish and marine creatures. To the west, Juan Dolio's got more of the same. Deep, snow-white sands as soft and fluffy as a shag-pile rug. Tall, nodding palms one way and aquamarine waters the other. And exciting watersports like windsurfing and sailboats. Just offshore, a sheltering coral reef awaits divers and snorkellers. The coral beds are teeming with candy-coloured fish, drifting lobsters, flame-red starfish and exotic sponges swaying with the tide. Go and see it – it's like the Piccadilly Circus of the marine world.

Eating out

• If you've come here expecting spicy Caribbean cuisine, you're in for a surprise. The food's more Spanish-Creole in style – largely due to the country's long years under Spanish rule. Think plenty of paella-style dishes, tasty meat stews and lightly spiced dishes with lashings of coconut cream. One of the best-loved meals is 'la banderas'. A hunger-busting platter of rice, beans, meat and vegetables, it matches the colours of the national flag. It's usually served with fried 'tostones' – plantains - and makes a great lunchtime filler. Another must-try is 'sancocho'. This hearty Spanish-style stew is made with chunks of meat, tender root vegetables, pumpkin and avocado. And don't leave without tasting coconut-flavoured dishes like 'pescado con coco'. A combo of fresh kingfish or mullet in coconut milk, it's best enjoyed barefoot on the beach. Save some space for the other seafood, too - spiny lobster, crab and squid are all popular choices. Then let yourself loose on desserts like 'aqua de coco' – coconut and fresh fruit smothered in super-sweet sugar cane juice. The ice-cream's really good here, too. Head to one of the many parlours for tingly tropical sherbet, macadamia and rum-infused scoops. And if you don't want to eat just local food, don't despair. Inside the hotels and out, Bayahibe and Juan Dolio are brim-full of international restaurants. Steakhouses. Pizzerias. Chinese. Tex-Mex. They're all here. And if you want to spread your net further, stick around in Santo Domingo and Altos de Chavon, where some top-notch French, seafood and Dominican eateries await. Last up, make sure you try the local drinks like crisp Presidente beer or a straw-punched green coconut. The local rum deserves a look-in here, too. It's cheap, good quality and absolutely everywhere. Try it in a cuba libre – mixed with Coke or Sprite. Or enjoy a rum cocktail or two. Pina coladas straight from paradise. Divine-tasting daquiris. And banana mamas – blinding blends of rum, banana and coconut cream.
  
  
• Yssamar, Bayahibe – This simple cafe on Bayahibe beach serves fantastic, fresh-from-the-net seafood all day, till late.
  
  
• La Bahia, Santo Domingo – Succulent lobster. Kingfish in coconut. And red snapper. This unpretentious seafood eatery serves some of the finest and freshest in the country.
  
  
• El Meson de la Cava, Santo Domingo – Foot-tapping Latino jazz serenades you at this subterranean, stalactite-filled restaurant while you feast on specialities like sauteed shrimp and thick gazpacho.
  
  
• Casa del Rio, Altos de Chavon – Hailed as the best restaurant in the Caribbean, it's bistro-fusion dishes all the way at Casa del Rio. Better still, they all come with jaw-dropping views over the Chavon Valley.
  
  
• Cafe Real, Juan Dolio – Pizzas with a tasty Caribbean twist land on your plate at this friendly haunt near the beachfront. Great value and much-loved by locals and tourists.

Nightlife

• If you're hoping to hit the pillow early every night, then you may prefer somewhere else for your holiday. Because the La Romana region revs up a few notches once the sun goes down. In Bayahibe and Juan Dolio, there's plenty to keep you up late. At most hotels, live merengue and Latino jazz bands take centre-stage, competing with flashy in-house discos. And if you fancy a flutter, chase Lady Luck at one of the popular local or hotel-run casinos. Oh, and there's something else going on. All around you. We're talking a more local kind of nightlife - out on the streets and the sands. Head outside and follow the seductive sounds of Latino music. Soon enough, you'll be in the centre of the action. All around Bayahibe and Juan Dolio, friendly street bars spill out on the roadside, their tables filled with Dominicans downing chilled Presidente, playing dominos, swapping stories and sipping rum cocktails. Along the sands, beach shacks overflow with chattering diners. And occasionally, a crowded open-air disco pumps out Caribbean beats in the glow of flame-lit torches. Got two left feet? No worries. Everywhere, lithe-limbed youngsters leap up to show off their snake-hipped dance moves. Take your cue from their gleefully demonstrated steps and let the intoxicating rhythms take you over. Strictly Come Dancing eat your heart out…
  
  
• Mata Pollo, Juan Dolio – More of a pub than a club, this popular hangout is great for kicking back over drinks and shooting pool, too. Lively and loud.
  
  
• Club Guacara Taina, Santo Domingo – Set in an underground cave, this is one for die-hard clubbers. Ice-cold cocktails, three floors and deafening pop keep everything hot 'til late at weekends.
  
  
• Monte Cristo, Santo Domingo – Always heaving, this popular nightspot packs in the punters with non-stop merengue and salsa. It's on the small side, so go early to claim your floor space.
  
  
• Casino Dominicus, Bayhibe - La Romana – If you're partial to a bet or two, this'll make your heart flutter. A new casino between Bayahibe and La Romana, it's crowded with gaming tables and lays on Las Vegas-style shows for extra glitz.
  
  
• Big Sur, Bayahibe – Groove on the sands to merengue and bachata at this on-off beach disco by the bayside. Everything starts after 10pm.

Shopping

Okay. Shopping's not the obvious pastime in the Dominican Republic. This isn't really the place for swanning around swanky stores – although you'll find a few in Santo Domingo. Outside the capital, it's all a bit more rough and ready. In Bayahibe and Juan Dolio, it's the friendly 'colmados' you'll probably pop into most. Little more than old-fashioned huts, they make their way selling essentials like sun lotion and cold drinks. Souvenir stalls are ten a penny too. Fronted by smiley traders, they're piled with handicrafts, woodcarvings and native drums – although prices can be steep. And in most hotels, you'll find enticing gift shops selling colourful souvenirs and vibrant beachwear. For a wider range of all things arty, head for Altos de Chavon. This recreated village is a handicraft showcase and souvenir heaven. Here, dinky stores and galleries are filled with authentic take-homes like fluorescent paintings, merengue-playing music boxes and hand-painted ceramic Taino dolls. For a serious spree though, it has to be La Romana or Santo Domingo. In La Romana, you'll find countless stores selling hand-rolled Dominican cigars, rich local coffee and every local brand of rum. Check out the official jewellers too. Most specialise in the local amber and larimar jewellery, and they're endorsed by the government, so you'll know you're getting the genuine article. The best keepsake is probably larimar - the light turquoise gemstone that's only found in the Dominican Republic. Don't miss the municipal 'mercado' while you're here either. A ragbag of food, clothes and souvenir stalls it's a sight to behold. As for Santo Domingo, it's laden with shops. Head for the 'Calle Conde' and you'll be greeted by loads of electronic and gift emporiums all keen to part you from your pesos. Or follow the wealthiest shoppers to the smart, department store-packed Avenida Duarte. And whatever you do, go see Santo's main market. This explosion of food and bric-a-brac stalls is made for browsing, with hundreds of merchants hollering out their bargains through a wall of merengue.