1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Nearby Playa Ancón is easily the finest beach along Cuba’s southern shore, a ribbon of white sand and blue-green waters with excellent diving. The 240-room Hotel Brisas is the best choice for those who prefer to stay by the beach, and it’s just a scooter ride away from this town stuck in time.

  Trinidad’s Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco rises above a cityscape of Colonial architecture.

  VISITOR INFO: www.gocuba.com. MUSEO ROMANTICO: Tel 53-41-99-4363. IBEROSTAR GRAND HOTEL: Tel 53-41-99-6070; www.iberostar.com. Cost: from $170 (off-peak), from $220 (peak). PALADAR SOL Y SON: dinner $20. HOTEL BRISAS TRINIDAD DEL MAR: Tel 53-41-99-6500; www.dtcuba.com. Cost: from $120, all-inclusive. CASAS PARTICULARES: www.casaparticular.info. BEST TIMES: Jan for Semana de la Cultura (Culture Week); week before Easter for Semana Santa; end of Jun for Carnival-like Fiestas Sanjuaneras.

  An Enclave of Culture in the ABC Islands

  CURAÇAO

  Lesser Antilles

  The three tiny islands known as the ABCs have a common Dutch heritage but couldn’t be more different: Aruba is a party and beach destination; Bonaire (see p. 1068) a laid-back diving mecca; and the largest, Curaçao, the trio’s sophisticated cultural enclave.

  Beachside R&R is the Caribbean’s stock-in-trade these days, but its less sunny history is told at Museum Kura Hulanda, the finest in the Caribbean and known for its superb but chilling displays about the slave trade. Having vanquished the native Caribs, Europeans established vast sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries and imported African slaves to work the fields. Curaçao was arid and unsuitable for agriculture, but its development as the Caribbean’s busiest slave-trading depot began soon after the Dutch West India Company eyed its deep, protected harbors and claimed the island in 1643. The company sent rising star Peter Stuyvesant to be its governor long before he ever set foot in Manhattan. The Dutch traders built Curaçao into a prosperous financial center and trading port, a status it still enjoys.

  The vision of Dutch businessman Jacob Gelt Dekker, Museum Kura Hulanda (“Dutch Courtyard” in Papiamentu, the ABCs’ Creole tongue) is a 16,000-square-foot museum in Willemstad, housed in 16 restored Dutch Colonial homes gathered around a central courtyard where slaves were once sold. Along with a life-size reconstruction of a slave ship’s hold, the museum has significant collections of pre-Columbian gold, Mesopotamian relics, Antillean art, and West African artifacts that explore the island’s many cultural influences. It sparked the rebirth of the neighborhood’s 65 historic buildings, which have been transformed into a living, breathing 18th-century village, with small shops, cafés, excellent restaurants such as the Astrolab Observatory, and the luxurious Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino. With 80 individually decorated rooms, the hotel is effortlessly integrated into this quiet corner of cobblestoned streets and lush tropical trees.

  A cosmopolitan and charming city with polycultural riches, including the oldest active Jewish synagogue in the western hemisphere (the congregation has been here since 1651; the synagogue since 1732), Willemstad’s greatest attribute is its Dutch-in-the-Caribbean culture. Its pastel-colored Colonial architecture (think Amsterdam gone tropical) along the Handelskade provides one of the most stunning and photographed waterfronts in the Caribbean. And its floating market is always bustling with merchants who sell their fresh seafood and produce from small fishing boats that have sailed in from Venezuela, just 44 miles south of here.

  Curaçao offers more than culture and history. Its dozens of beaches, mostly scattered along the southwestern coast, are known for their calm, translucent waters, and the marine life ringing the island is rich and spectacular. Excellent snorkeling (including sunken ships and gardens of hard and soft coral) can be found in the Curaçao Underwater Marine Park, which stretches for 12 miles along the southern coastline. At the remote westernmost tip of the island, the sumptuous Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club, another Dekker property, is perched on rugged cliffs overlooking Curaçao’s prime diving sites (there are 65 around the island, with the Superior Producer shipwreck site being the most popular) and promising sunsets that enhance the island’s spectrum of colors.

  Boutiques, galleries, and cafés inhabit the vividly colored 18th-century Dutch buildings of the Handelskade.

  VISITOR INFO: www.curacao.com. MUSEUM KURA HULANDA: Tel 5999-434-7765; www.kurahulanda.com. HOTEL KURA HULANDA SPA & CASINO: Tel 877-264-3106 or 5999-434-7700; www.kurahulanda.com. Cost: from $180 (off-peak), from $370 (peak). LODGE KURA HULANDA & BEACH CLUB: Tel 877-264-3106 or 5999-839-3600; www.kurahulanda.com. Cost: from $155 (off-peak), from $360 (peak). BEST TIMES: Oct–Apr for nicest weather; Jan 1–Ash Wednesday for Carnival; Easter Monday for Seu Folklore Parade; May for International Jazz Festival and Dive Festival; late Aug for Salsa Festival.

  A Lush Oasis for Eco-Adventurers

  MORNE TROIS PITONS NATIONAL PARK

  Dominica, Lesser Antilles

  Wild and primeval, Dominica is likely the only landfall Columbus would recognize from 1493, when he landed here on a Sunday (hence the island’s name). Lush and rugged Dominica claims nine potentially active volcanoes (more than any other Caribbean island), which may not be spewing lava but are heating up boiling lakes and sulfur springs. It is the Caribbean of centuries ago, with the purest population of indigenous Caribs (more accurately called Kalinago). With mountain defenses, they held out the longest against the world’s colonizing powers and still reside in the Kalinago Territory on the island’s northeast side.

  Untrammeled and with few beaches to tout, Dominica draws naturalists and ecotourists to explore Morne Trois Pitons National Park—an ungovernable refuge of huge ferns, ancient trees, wild orchids, and bright anthuriums—named for the three-pronged mountain at its center. Much of Dominica’s fame as the Caribbean’s “Nature Island” derives from this 25-square-mile slice of wilderness that looks and feels more like Hawaii than the Caribbean.

  Waterfalls (like the one feeding the Emerald Pool grotto) hide among verdant peaks. Those who want a little less Shangri-la and a little more sulfur can make the strenuous 8-hour trek to Boiling Lake, the earth’s second-largest flooded fumarole, through the Valley of Desolation’s steaming vents and boiling mud.

  Far easier is the 15-minute stroll to Trafalgar Falls, a remarkable 200-foot twin cataract, from Papillote Wilderness Retreat, an ecotourism pioneer on the park’s borders. Take a dip in a cool mountain river, tour the 12-acre botanical garden of bromeliads and begonias, and dine at the retreat’s unfussy, thatch-roofed terrace restaurant.

  At Champagne, a dive and snorkel spot just off the beach near the capital, Rouseau, volcanic gases are released from the ocean floor, creating an intoxicating and sensuous blend of warm bubbles. Top wildlife encounters include leatherback turtles laying their eggs and year-round sightings of sperm whales socializing, mating, and playing.

  Not known for being high-end, Dominica is edging toward sophistication. On its remote southeast coast, the eco-sensitive Jungle Bay Resort & Spa’s 35 cottages perched on wooden posts are stylish treehouses for adults, with stream-fed outdoor showers. Diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and waterfall treks fill the day. The starstruck can bask in the glow at Silks, a boutique hotel in a former rum distillery where Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom stayed while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

  VISITOR INFO: www.discoverdominica.com. KALINAGO BARANA AUTE: Tel 767-445-7979; www.kalinagobaranaaute.com. PAPILLOTE WILDERNESS RETREAT: Tel 767-448-2287; www.papillote.dm. Cost: from $115. When: closed Sep–Oct. JUNGLE BAY: Tel 767-446-1789; www.junglebaydominica.com. Cost: from $195 SILKS: Tel 767-445-8846; www.silkshotel.com. Cost: from $120. BEST TIMES: Dec–May for dry season; late Oct for World Creole Music Festival.

  World-Class Courses Designed by the Masters

  THE REPUBLIC OF GOLF

  Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles

  Bermuda, move over. The Dominican Republic has claimed the title as the finest golfing destination in the region. In the last decade world-class g
olf courses have opened up across the island, following the 7,000-acre trailblazing resort Casa de Campo, famous for its three 18-hole, Pete Dye–designed courses. The best known is Teeth of the Dog, a windy masterpiece that skirts the sea, whereas the inland Links Course and Dye Fore are more forgiving. Home to the prestigious Golf Academy run by David Leadbetter, Casa de Campo also boasts a polo and equestrian center, a spa with invigorating plunge pools, and Altos de Chavón, a painstaking re-creation of a 16th-century hill town that houses a colony of artists and artisans.

  Casa de Campo helped spark the massive development of golf resorts on the easternmost tip of the island, in Punta Cana, renowned for its 20-mile strip of oyster-white sands and turquoise sea along the “Coconut Coast.” The area’s pioneer is the long-established Puntacana Resort & Club, where Pete Dye designed the gorgeous oceanside La Cana Course. The resort is also home to Tom Fazio’s thrilling new Corales Course, which works its way down to the water and an 18th dubbed “the Mother of All Golf Holes.” It also features horseback riding, the especially beautiful Six Senses spa, and access to 3 miles of white beaches. Its Tortuga Bay, an exclusive resort within a resort, has 15 elegant Colonial-Caribbean villas designed by native son Oscar de la Renta. Golfers also gravitate to the nearby major resort of Cap Cana, one of the most ambitious developments in the works, centered around a challenging Jack Nicklaus course, the Punta Espada.

  On the developed North Coast, treat yourself to Playa Grande, one of Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s last executed designs and considered by many to be the Pebble Beach of the Caribbean. With 12 ocean-side holes on a high plateau at the edge of a rain forest, Playa Grande remains surprisingly less known, though it is easily accessible from Puerto Plata, the major resort area an hour to the west. In a region known for large, all-inclusive resorts, the exception is the Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, an impeccable, privately owned all-suites boutique hotel that effortlessly fuses old-world elegance with sophisticated modern style and gracious service.

  VISITOR INFO: www.godominicanrepublic.com. CASA DE CAMPO: Tel 800-877-3643 or 809-523-3333; www.casadecampo.com.do. Cost: from $250 (off-peak), from $495 (peak); greens fees from $85 (off-peak), $130 (peak). PUNTACANA RESORT & CLUB: Tel 888-442-2262 or 809-959-2262 (hotel), 809-959-4653 (golf); www.puntacana.com. Cost: PR&C from $125; Tortuga Bay from $710 (off-peak), from $830 (peak); La Cana greens fees $125 (for guests), $165 (nonguests); Corales greens fees $300 (guests), $380 (nonguests). PUNTA ESPADA AT CAP CANA: 809-227-2262 (for hotel reservations), 809-688-5587 (for golf); www.capcana.com. Cost: from $390 (off-peak), from $525 (peak) per person, all-inclusive; greens fees $195 (guests), $375 (nonguests). PLAYA GRANDE: Tel 809-582-0860; www.playagrande.com. Cost: greens fees from $110. CASA COLONIAL: Tel 866-376-7831 or 809-320-3232; www.casacolonialhotel.com. Cost: from $285 (off-peak), from $350 (peak). BEST TIME: Nov–Apr for good weather.

  Unsurpassed Whale-Watching and (for the Moment) Undiscovered Beaches

  SAMANÁ PENINSULA

  Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles

  Even if it weren’t one of the world’s top breeding grounds for humpback whales, the Samaná Peninsula in northeast DR would still draw travelers for its white sandy beaches and the near absence of resorts along its pristine coastline. Yet it is at its most thrilling from January to March, when more than 10,000 30-ton North Atlantic humpback whales, almost the entire population, migrate here to mate and calve. Courtship inspires the bulls’ breaching, fin slapping, and lob tailing, all attempts to attract a female. You can enjoy the scene from any seaside café in the sleepy town of Samaná, but a day cruise will get you up close to the action.

  Whale-watching boats leave from both Samaná, on the peninsula’s southern coast, and Cayo Levantado, also known as “Bacardi Island” from a 1970s ad campaign that immortalized the idyllic location. Victoria Marine pioneered whale-watching in the area and is still the best tour operator around. There’s less human presence at the Silver Banks Nursery, 100 miles west and 70 miles offshore, one of a very few places in the world where you can snorkel with humpback whales.

  Of Samaná Peninsula’s string of wonderful beaches, its showpiece is El Rincón, more than 2 miles long and backed by stately coconut palms. Located near the town of Las Galeras, it is the perfect place to sunbathe, swim, and lunch on freshly caught fish grilled at a waterside shack. At the peninsula’s farthest point, Playa Frontón may have the best diving and snorkeling on the island, but you’ll have to hire a boat or trek through the jungle to get there.

  Along the north shore, Playa Las Terrenas is a former fishing village turned laid-back small-scale resort town. Its long, sandy sea-front is just the place to hang out, soak up the sun, and then head for some good merengue and one of the legendary mojitos at Syroz Bar. To reach the remote and thundering El Limón waterfalls, head by horseback through fragrant forests up a rocky trail. The sheer 165-foot curtain forms a large swimming hole with cool, crystal-clear water at its base.

  From Las Terrenas, head to Playa Bonita, a seemingly unending soft, sandy beach. Keep going and you’ll come to Playa Cosón, an unspoiled and uninterrupted strip of white sand dropping down into a turquoise ocean, with even fewer visitors. This is the surprise location for the Peninsula House, one of the best small luxury properties in the Caribbean. Situated on a 15-acre bluff overlooking the Atlantic, the stately plantation-style inn has six suites whose verandas have sweeping views of the ocean. For gentler prices, Villas Eva Luna is a collection of five Mexican-style casitas and pool, a stone’s throw from the beach.

  VISITOR INFO: www.godominicanrepublic.com. VICTORIA MARINE: Tel 809-538-2492; www.whalesamana.com. THE PENINSULA HOUSE: Tel 809-307-1827; www.thepeninsulahouse.com. Cost: $580; dinner $70. VILLAS EVA LUNA: Tel 809-978-5611; www.villa-evaluna.com. Cost: from $190. BEST TIMES: mid-Jan–mid-Mar for whale-watching; Feb 27 for Independence Day; every weekend in Feb for Carnival; Semana Santa (the week before Easter).

  Spain’s First Foothold in the New World

  ZONA COLONIAL

  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles

  Wander the 500-year-old cobblestone streets of Zona Colonial and you’re traveling in the footsteps of the first explorers to set their sights on the “New World.” In 1492 Christopher Columbus first spotted the island of Hispaniola, now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti (see p. 1087), dubbing it “the fairest ever looked upon by human eyes.” By 1496 his brother, Bartholomew, had founded Santo Domingo where the Ozama River empties into the Caribbean Sea. In 1509 his son Diego became the first viceroy of a colony that would flourish as the main staging ground for Spain’s earliest forays into the Americas.

  Santo Domingo has many of the New World’s “firsts”—the first cathedral, fort, hospital, monastery, nunnery, customs house, university, paved road, even the first sewer system in the Americas. Most of these can be found in the 12-block Zona Colonial, a treasure trove of historic architecture and the heart of Santo Domingo. Climb the crenellated Tower of Homage, part of the Ozama Fortress, built in 1502, and enjoy a sweeping 360-degree view of the city and the sea. Catedral Santa María la Menor boasts vaulted ceilings and 14 interior chapels, while Alcazar de Colón, a palace completed in 1517 as a residence for Columbus’s son, is now a museum displaying possessions of the Columbus family and genuine 16th-century furnishings.

  Spanish expansion came at the expense of the native Taino, who were wiped out by war, slavery, and disease within 30 years. The Tainos’ ancient ways are explored in Museo del Hombre Dominicano, which holds the Caribbean’s finest collection of their artifacts. Located in the modern Plaza de la Cultura, it’s one of four major museums here.

  The vibrant Zona Colonial’s nerve center is the always crowded El Conde café and restaurant. Order a cold Presidente beer or a Morir Soñando (literally, “to die dreaming”), a mix of orange juice, milk, sugar, and chopped ice, and take in the sights of the Parque Colón, a leafy square in the heart of the quarter. Street stalls sell tasty empanadas but for fine dining and live mus
ic you can’t do better than Mesón D’Bari, where grilled crab, spicy shrimp, and live music are the specialties.

  Zona Colonial has loads of nightclubs along the Malecón, a breezy palm-lined seaside boulevard where suave, sexy merengue is on display. Merengue was born in the DR (along with its bluesy country cousin, bachata), and the island’s obsession reaches its height every summer when the Malecón turns into a 4-mile-long dance floor as the country’s best bands play live music during Festival del Merengue. The best place to watch the masters year-round and try out your own moves is Mauna Loa, an opulent Art Deco nightclub from the 1920s.

  A 1502 mansion built (and named) for the Americas’ first governor, the Hostal Nicolas de Ovando is still the nicest in the colonial quarter, with handsome rooms and a tree-shaded swimming pool just 5 minutes from the sea. It’s located right on the historic Calle las Damas (“Street of Ladies”), which was the first paved road in the new world and was named for the elegant ladies of the court who promenaded.

  Catedral de Santa María la Menor is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

  VISITOR INFO: www.godominicanrepublic.com. MUSEO DEL HOMBRE DOMINICANO: Tel 809-687-3623; www.museodelhombredominicano.org.do. MESÓN D’BARI: Tel 809-687-4091. Cost: dinner $30. HOSTAL NICOLAS DE OVANDO: Tel 800-515-5679 or 809-685-9955; www.accorhotels.com. Cost: from $130 (off-peak), from $175 (peak). BEST TIMES: Feb 27 for Independence Day; 1st Sun in Mar for Carnival; last 2 weeks of Mar for musical Son Festival; late Jul–early Aug for Festival del Merengue; Oct for Latin Music Festival; New Year’s Eve along the Malecón.