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Last updated 1 month ago
When choosing your next beach getaway destination, you’ll likely be looking for somewhere to spend blissful beach days in Mexico or the Caribbean.
One Caribbean country that has reached new heights in tourism is the Dominican Republic.
The country’s cultural cities, such as Santiago de los Caballeros and the sprawling capital, Santo Domingo, are also growing in popularity.
Near both cultural centers are some of the Caribbean coast’s most pristine beach resort towns.
Very easy to reach and continuing to thrive is La Romana, with its luxury resorts and beautiful beaches.
Forget Punta Cana! La Romana is the place to go
I just spent five days at a luxury resort in Punta Cana, but also spent a short time in La Romana, so I can easily make a comparison.
If you’ve ever planned a vacation along the East Coast or Caribbean, you’re probably aware that sargassum season is upon us.
Sargassum is an unsightly brown algae that invades miles of coastline and ruins postcard-worthy photo opportunities.
Punta Cana, including its world-famous Bavaro Beach, was filled with mountains of nasty sargassum that baked in the sun, creating not only an eyesore but also an unpleasant odor and a constant nuisance for swimmers in the crystal-clear waters.
Our day trip to La Romana was like flipping the switch from a regular beach getaway to the dreamy paradise we imagine when we splurge on a Caribbean getaway.
Perfect conditions for the ultimate beach escape
When I swam in various locations in the La Romana area, I didn’t find a single speck of sargassum.
We set sail on a catamaran from Bayahibe and spent some time swimming and snorkeling just off shore.
The water was warm, crystal clear, and there was no seaweed or debris to be found – the water conditions were just perfect.
As Zac Brown said, “The only thing I’m worried about in the world is a wave reaching my chair.” Your only worry here is stepping on a starfish. The starfish are heavily protected, and tour guides advise against touching them.
The only places not suitable for water activities are Bayahibe Port and Saona Island, where the water is still very clear but you will need flip flops to avoid cutting your feet on the jagged rocks.
Beautiful tropical islands
Just near the small resort town of La Romana are two beautiful islands: Saona Island and Catalina Island.
I can’t speak from personal experience about the latter, but tourists have raved about it, saying things like, “Saona Island is famous, but this tour was amazing too.”
With beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters perfect for snorkelling and diving, the short trip to the island is well worth the visit.
I went to Saona Island and besides just relaxing by the pool sipping pina coladas, this stunningly beautiful island was the highlight of my Dominican vacation.
I was immediately greeted by towering palm trees and a sandy path leading to what seemed to be a secret beach, with some of the clearest waters I have ever swam in.
No sargassum, jellyfish, trash or stingrays, just picture-perfect blue water and white sand.
La Romana Luxury Resort
Punta Cana is great, but everyone wants to be here.
Everyone knows Cancun is a great vacation spot, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time in Puerto Escondido too.
The same goes for Punta Cana and La Romana, the latter of which is a very popular resort town but doesn’t have the same name recognition.
Vacationers come here expecting to have the time of their lives, just like they did in Punta Cana, but the experience may be even better.
You can’t go wrong with luxury all-inclusive resorts like Hilton, Dreams, Iberostar, etc., especially as their beaches are not in the path of mass seaweed invasion.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author alone and not of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or any other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
