Beaches, Culture & Colonial History
in the Dominican Republic

Las Terrenas & the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo

Leave the All-Inclusive Resorts Behind and Experience the True Beauty and Colonial History of the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a haven for beach-loving travelers. With over 11 million visitors per year (over half from the USA), its reputation as a favorite sunspot is well-earned. Unfortunately, the vast majority of travelers never experience the true country, overcrowded resort beaches, partaking of bland resort buffets, and limiting the locals they meet to those serving drinks at poolside bars. As always, an UnTour of the Dominican Republic is different, crafted with a focus on finding the real beauty of a place and its people. In the DR, we make sure you have access to some of the most pristine beaches in the world, plugging in to local life in a small town that has not been overrun with resorts. Throughout your Dominican Republic trip, we procure unique opportunities to experience local culture, colonial history, and culinary delights.

Here you can enjoy the best of the Dominican Republic – laid back beach vibes, as well as vibrant city life with its deep colonial architecture and history. Having been there, our specialists tailor your trip to your individual travel style. Want to spend your entire trip on the beach? Let’s make sure you get enough time on the sand. Want to walk amongst the rich history and colonial buildings on a Santo Domingo tour? Let our UnGuides find you places not to be missed. In addition to your own exploring, we’ve also included a few specially curated Dominican Republic cultural activities – just enough to give you more stories to take home, but still allowing enough time on your own to move at your own pace.

Las Terrenas is the perfect beach town where the vibrant local scene and the breathtaking nature of the Samana Peninsula create an amazing vacation experience. Coupling this with the opportunity to explore the romantic cobblestone streets, renowned culinary scene, and historical and cultural significance of the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo (capital city and the oldest European city in the Americas), is the icing on the cake of a truly immersive and relaxing trip to this fascinating island.

This UnTour includes 5+ days at an apartment or home in Las Terrenas Beach and 3+ days in a historical boutique in the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo. As always, the trip includes the support from our UnTours specialists and your in-country UnGuide.

What's included

5+ days in carefully vetted apartment or villa accommodations in Las Terrenas Beach and 3+ days in boutique hotel accommodations in the Zona Colonial section of Santo Domingo
Suggestions for booking your international flight from the U.S. to Santo Domingo (SDQ) or we can purchase tickets on your behalf. (Click for more information on UnTours' air policies.)
Private transfer from the airport to your initial destination, over two your second destination, and back to the airport again.
A welcome session in each destination by our superb on-site staff (UnGuide) with current information on local events, tours, and activities.
Exclusive local information on our UnTours travel app for your mobile phone to have all of our recommendations at your fingertips before and throughout your trip -researched and written by UnGuides on the ground in the Dominican Republic and full of the best restaurants, sightseeing, and other suggestions.
Included activity: Whale watching boat trip with local lunch by the beach in Las Terrenas.
Included activity: Private Caribbean dance lesson in Las Terrenas.
Included activity: A unique personalized walking tour of the Zona Colonial.
A stash of groceries upon your arrival in Las Terrenas, so you don’t need to shop right away.
Pre-trip planning advice from our staff, available by phone or email right up until you leave.
Ongoing support from our UnGuides once you arrive in the Dominican Republic. Help available when you need it.

Airport arrival and quick transfer to the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo

Bienvenido/a a la Republica Dominicana! Welcome to the Dominican Republic! Your private driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in the historic Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. It’s around a 40 minute drive during which you can look to your left to see the Caribbean Sea waves crashing onto the cliffs. If you look to your right, you will get your first glimpse of the vibrant city of Santo Domingo. Driving is not quite as tranquil as in the USA, but you’ll get used to it!

Your hotel (whichever one you choose) is a historic and beautifully preserved building located in the heart of the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone). The “curb appeal” is just perfect, as you step out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalks lined by buildings from the colonial era in this UNESCO world heritage site.

You’ll probably only be here for a few days, but you can still unpack and get comfy. Your UnGuide, Shaina, will meet you later in the day – or perhaps the next morning – for your orientation session over coffee or drinks in a historic cafe.

Exploring the Zona Colonial

After a restful night’s sleep, you’ll awake to the day (or a few days) of exploring the Zona Colonial.

Apart from the historical beauty of this neighborhood, you’ll have your pick from some amazing restaurants, cafes, and bars. As the culinary center of the Dominican Republic, there are numerous top-class restaurants to choose from. Our special recommendations can be found in our app that shares all of our top choices for food, drink, dancing, museums, and more.

Transfer to Las Terrenas Beach

Once you’ve wrapped up your Santo Domingo city tour, it’s time to head to the beach!

Your private driver will pick you up from the hotel and transport you to Las Terrenas beach, about a 2.5-hour drive away. During the drive, you’ll get to experience more of the authentic Dominican Republic, with beautiful mountains, quaint villages, and the quiet countryside—an essential part of any well-rounded Dominican Republic itinerary.

Arriving into Las Terrenas is a real treat. The final 30 minutes of the drive include sweeping views of the Caribbean coast and the stunning mountains. You won’t want to sleep through this scenic stretch! Your UnGuide will meet you for an orientation session shortly after you arrive, or the following morning. Until then, it’s not hard to navigate—Las Terrenas is a walkable beach town. The beach is within walking distance of all of our lodging options in the area. Hit the coastline and turn left along the brick-paved beach road to find the quieter and more beautiful sections, or stop for drinks or snacks at the handful of restaurants and food shacks along the way.

Hike the El Limon Waterfall and visit a local mountain community

Our usual included UnTour activity is a hike to the majestic El Limón Waterfall, one of the top nature attractions in the Dominican Republic. The hike and waterfall themselves are truly special, but we add our unique UnTours flavor to the trip by including a visit to a traditional Dominican village to learn more about the rural lifestyle and to sample some tasty local treats and freshly brewed Dominican coffee.

Enjoy one of the most picturesque beaches in the Caribbean

The rest of your week is easy. Wake up, drink some amazing local coffee, go for a morning walk on the beach, eat, relax, and maybe pop into town for some shopping or a meal. You can walk to town, but there are ample taxis or motorcycle taxis to call on if you’d prefer a ride.

Departure day

It will be the departure day, and your UnGuide will assist with anything that you need for the check out and your private driver will return you to the Santo Domingo airport.

Hasta pronto amigos y amigas! See you soon, and safe travels!

Available Accommodations

The comfortable, well-appointed accommodations for this island adventure are a great place to unpack, relax and get to know your destination and the people who call it home. During the shorter stay in the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo, you will stay in one of our specially curated, historic hotels. While at Las Terrenas beach, the following accommodations are on offer:

Villa Ballenas

4 Bedroom Villa in Las Terrenas Beach, Dominican Republic

Elena 1

1 Bedroom Apartment in Las Terrenas Beach, Dominican Republic