which coast is best/worst?

If you want to avoid the most touristy areas, avoid parts of the south coast (Boca Chica/Juan Dolio), parts of the north coast and the east (Punta Cana/Bavaro).

Smaller-scale tourist facilities can be found in areas like the Samana peninsula (Las Galeras), north coast (Cabarete) and the east (Miches). If you want total wilderness, go to the south west where there is minimal or no tourist infrastructure.

Chiri

try to avoid the west coast......

By far - Las Galeras and surrounding areas. Here is a thread by Pib who does it proud. The photos don't show on my screen though.

Chiri

which coast?

alphadogandking said:

Hello All:
We are planning our first DR vacation and wondered what makes one coast better or worse than another. Any thoughts? Also, I'm sure the entire country is very cultural, but have any places become so touristy that we would want avoid them? Thanks, all!

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The older, more run-of-the mill tourist area is the north around Puerto Plata/Sosua but going east starting in Cabarete you can find more small-town, smaller facility type accommodations and the easternmost part, Samana, is very interesting and worthwhile to at least visit on this occasion,
especially Las Terrenas and Las Galeras....going west from Puerto Plata you have mostly all-inclusive resorts that may interest you...

The east coast, Bavaro and Punta Cana, are a bit newer and in some respects a bit more upscale, as is Casa de Campo in La Romana....near Santo Domingo, Boca Chica is just like a huge swimming pool and is nor particularly attractive, especially on weekends, when we locals invade it...Juan Dolio is not a very nice beach and I wouldn't recommend it, really....

The southwest is just too far and hardly any facilities so it's not worth considering...I would recommend the north including Samana....Good Luck!

Chirimoya said:

By far - Las Galeras and surrounding areas. Here is a thread by Pib who does it proud. The photos don't show on my screen though.

Chiri

Click to expand...

No, they don't show on mine neither, why is that? Is it some setting i need to change?

Don't know what the problem is. Here's a link to some other photos of Playa Rincon and Las Galeras.

Chiri

Sharp

sjh said:

try to avoid the west coast......

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One of the best 'smart-***' remarks posted since I've been reading.

Without a doubt, the worst coast is.............

alphadogandking said:

Hello All:
We are planning our first DR vacation and wondered what makes one coast better or worse than another. Any thoughts? Also, I'm sure the entire country is very cultural, but have any places become so touristy that we would want avoid them? Thanks, all!

Click to expand...

The WEST coast. You are on the Haitian border with malaria and bugs and guerillas sneaking about with guns. To avoid "touristy" places stay out of all-inclusive resorts, as you will hang about with 1,000 people who look and act like you and since you can do that where you are now, unless you are Dominican of course. In which case NOT being in an AI will everyone look and act like you.