Guides
The practical guides for a stay at Penthouse Pallazzo: arriving, the neighborhood, beaches and day trips, eating and drinking.
The Colonial City
Los Tres Ojos: Santo Domingo's Cave Lakes Guide
How to visit Los Tres Ojos, Santo Domingo's limestone cave lakes: the four lagoons, the hand-pulled raft, costs, timing, and getting there without a car.
Santo Domingo Itinerary: 3 Perfect Days
An hour-by-hour Santo Domingo itinerary from a Zona Colonial base: three days on foot and by Uber, rain-day swaps, and how to stretch it to a week.
Santo Domingo Landmarks: Cathedral, Alcázar and More
The great Santo Domingo landmarks in one walk: the first cathedral, Alcázar de Colón, Fortaleza Ozama, the Panteón and the ruins, with times and a route.
25 Best Things to Do in Santo Domingo (Ranked)
The 25 best things to do in Santo Domingo, ranked and grouped by half-day, with honest picks, real drive times, and what to skip in the Colonial City.
Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo: The Complete Guide
The complete guide to Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo: the streets, plazas, cafes and safety, plus why the walled old town is the smartest base in the DR.
Beaches & Coast
Bahía de las Águilas: The Wild Southwest Beach
Bahía de las Águilas is the DR's most pristine beach. Here's how the trip really works, the boat from Las Cuevas, and why to base yourself in Barahona.
The Best Beaches in the Dominican Republic
An honest, ranked guide to the best beaches in the Dominican Republic, from wild Playa Rincón to Bahía de las Águilas, and how to reach each without a car.
Boca Chica Beach and Juan Dolio: The Closest Beaches
Boca Chica beach and Juan Dolio are Santo Domingo's closest coast escapes. How to get there without a car, what to eat, and honest expectations.
Las Galeras, Samaná: A Travel Guide
Las Galeras is the anti-Punta Cana: the sleepy Samaná village with Playa Rincón, boat-only beaches, and real Dominican life. How to visit without a car.
Las Terrenas: Beaches, Food and the Expat Coast
Las Terrenas is Samaná's French-Italian beach town: Playa Cosón, Playa Bonita, the Pueblo de los Pescadores, and El Limón waterfall. Who it suits and how to go.
Playa Rincón: One of the Caribbean's Best Beaches
Playa Rincón is one of the Caribbean's best beaches: 3 km of empty palm-backed sand near Las Galeras. How to get there by boat or 4x4, and when to go.
Punta Cana Beaches: An Honest Guide
A straight-talking guide to Punta Cana beaches, Bávaro to Juanillo, what is genuinely good, the sargassum truth, and who this coast is really for.
The Samaná Peninsula: A Complete Guide
The Samaná Peninsula, from whale season to Playa Rincón and El Limón. How to base yourself, get there without a rental car, and plan 3 to 5 days.
Sosúa Beach and Town: An Honest Guide
An honest guide to Sosúa beach on the DR's north coast: the calm snorkeling bay, the 1940 Jewish refugee history, nearby Cabarete, and how to base here.
Beaches and day trips from the Colonial Zone
The closest blue water, the cave lakes twenty minutes away, and how to do each trip without renting a car.
Eating and drinking within 500 meters
More than 60 restaurants sit within a short walk of the house. How to eat like the neighborhood does — from la bandera at noon to plaza tables at night.
Getting to Santo Domingo and getting around
From SDQ airport to the Colonial Zone door, and how to move around the city — on foot, by app, and the one thing the house advises against.
The Zona Colonial, block by block
A resident's-eye guide to the oldest European district in the Americas — the landmarks worth your time, the streets worth getting lost in, and how the neighborhood actually feels.