“We’re the cure for the all-inclusive blues,” laughs Tim Moller, owner of Hotel La Catalina in Cabrera, Dominican Republic – and he’s right.
If you’re tired of boring buffets and crowded dining rooms, don’t particularly care for late-night floor shows and long for a Caribbean getaway that will actually be restful, this is the destination for you.
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Rest & relaxation at Hotel La Catalina in Cabrera
At night, instead of the unappealing sounds of those who’ve overindulged at the all-inclusive bar, you’ll drift off to the soft breezes in the palm trees outside your room and you won’t need an alarm clock or a wake-up call to rouse you in the morning at this family-run hotel – the roosters and the cows from the farm next door will take care of that. Good thing, because there isn’t a clock in your room – or a phone. There’s a television if you really feel the need to stay in touch with the outside world but why would you bother? The view of the ocean from your balcony will be so spectacular that you’ll forget everything else as you breathe in the fresh ocean air and begin to really relax.
Playa Grande Beach. Although there’s a sparkling pool on the property, one of the great selling points of this hotel is its proximity to Playa Grande, recently named one of the top ten beaches in the Caribbean. There’s a hotel shuttle that runs several times a day to make getting there easy. Remarkably, for all its beauty, Playa Grande is relatively uncrowded – you can easily find yourself a little spot to play Robinson Crusoe and pretend you’re the only one there. Although there are beach salespeople – as on any beach, almost anywhere in the inhabited parts of the globe – they are remarkably relaxed in their approach. If you’d like to buy, they’ll happily pull out every necklace and bracelet in their arsenal, but if you’d prefer to sunbathe minus the retail opportunity, they won’t press. Food is available from a little beachside grouping of wooden kiosks, all of which seem to offer the same choices – fish, chicken and fried plantain. It’s not fancy, but it’s good and the beer and pop are cold. (Note: Don’t buy the water unless you check first that the caps haven’t been resealed. The water might not agree with your digestive system.)
Tons of natural attractions. While Cabrera isn’t a tourist hotspot, there are definitely things to do. Ask at the Hotel Catalina’s front desk and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to go horseback riding or take an eco-tour of the area. Either are good bets because the landscape surrounding Cabrera is so lush that it was actually used as the set for the movie “Jurassic Park.” You almost expect to see a raptor crashing through the dense greenery! If you’re a bit adventurous, take a motorcycle taxi to a nearby hillside any evening to see hundreds of long-legged, white egrets fly in to roost on a single acre of land. No one really knows why that particular spot is their favourite, but they come every night. Whether you’re a dedicated bird-watcher or simply a fan of natural wonders in general, this flapping, fluttering display is something to see.
Dance the night away with locals. And at night? Enjoy home-cooked food at La Catalina, where they’ve been practicing the philosophy of the 100-mile diet for years, not because it’s trendy but because they like the local farmers and fishermen! After dinner, wind down in the bar where you’ll find a friendly crowd of guests mingling with La Catalina’s small group of condominium owners (the property features traditional hotel rooms and privately owned, fully-equipped condos, all of which are for rent). If it’s a Friday night, they’ll have a band playing salsa, merengue and bacchata music and if one of the locals asks you to dance, say yes. It appears to be a municipal law in Cabrera that every resident must know how to dance well – and be able to teach left-footed tourists to follow along!
Far from the tourist craziness of Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, Cabrera is a entryway into a more genuine experience of the Dominican Republic, its people and its culture. Check out your piece of Caribbean heaven at www.lacatalina.com.
Liz Fleming is an award-winning Canadian travel journalist who specializes in adventure, health and wellness and learning travel. For more from Liz, go to: Liz Fleming’s Travel Tales