It will be because of the fascination exerted by its postcard landscapes or by its summer days in the middle of winter or, simply, because life is more beautiful when it is happy and tasty.
It will be for all these attributes that the Dominican Republic registers the highest degree of happiness in Latin America. This is confirmed by a study that evaluates not so much the parameters of well-being as other traits, tendencies and factors more related to the modus vivendi.
Well looked at, perhaps the height of happiness, more than in the CPI or in the basic salary, is on an infinite beach in Punta Cana, that strip of extreme east of the country where tourism sank its teeth just five decades ago . It may be that the maximum well-being is achieved on the shores of these turquoise waters that are among the most beautiful in the Caribbean, on the languid sway of a hammock and with no more effort than sipping on a piña colada.
The Dominican Republic registers the highest degree of happiness in Latin America
For this, there are the luxury complexes with their fabulous all-inclusive packages. Hotels like TRS Turquesa Hotel where, as in a dream, you can find what you need. It’s all a matter, as they say, of asking for that little mouth, which for something even has a personal butler service, 24 hours a day, designed to satisfy the wishes of the guests.
Infinite indulgence
Located on the famous Bávaro Beach, a 20-kilometre stretch of pristine white sand lined with coconut palms and caressed by a crystalline sea, this luxury hotel for adults only is the place where time stops to indulge in pleasure with all five senses. Or what is the same, to that Infinite Indulgence (infinite indulgence) that proclaims its motto.
And the truth is that there is a choice. In its 32 hectares (access to the neighboring hotels of the Palladium Hotels & Resorts group is also allowed) there is room not only for seven swimming pools, tropical gardens, a gym and a wellness center called Zentropia with a hydrotherapy area, steam bath, sauna, bath Turkish and rooms for special treatments. As if that were not enough, it also has a whopping 14 restaurants and 24 bars.
From the jungle to the treasure island
But, although indulgence wins the battle so as not to want to leave the complex, Punta Cana does not end with its infinite beach. There is life beyond tumbling and from the hotel itself you can check it out through some excursions with which you can immerse yourself in all the magic of the tropics.
One of them, wonderful, is the walk through the jungle in the Ojos IndÃgenas ecological reserve. More than 600 hectares of forest in which the twelve lagoons with crystalline waters give the protected park its name: for the aborigines, due to its peculiar shape, it was the eyes of the jungle. There are also springs, bizarre plants and native species of fauna, all crossed by marked trails that can be approached on horseback. And there is no shortage, of course, of freshwater dips.
In Isla Saona it treasures numerous virgin beaches.
But those who want to know the archetype of paradise must go to Isla Saona, the place that could well have inspired the WhatsApp emoticon that we use to show exoticism. There is no greater pleasure than bathing in its warm emerald waters and then looking for shade among the palm trees on its virgin beaches. Little more (and little less) can be done, apart from gorging on tropical cocktails, tasting the freshest lobsters or loosening the hips to the blow of the bachata that is poured at full volume from the beach bars, and that will continue later on board the catamaran on a journey back that, as the canons of the Caribbean dictate, becomes a party.
Lovers of seamless luxury will find their place in Casa de Campo, the tourist center of La Romana
Today Altos del Chavón, which rises above the homonymous river that twists in the middle of the jungle, is not only a mere showcase but a space full of life with an undeniable artistic veneer. A prestigious design school, two museums (amber and archaeological) and a superb Greek-inspired amphitheater with a capacity for 5,000 spectators are a good example of this. The latter, by the way, was inaugurated by Frank Sinatra and has seen stars such as Sting, Elton John and Julio Iglesias parade.
Lovers of uncompromising luxury will find their space in Casa de Campo, the tourist center of La Romana where the highest level facilities rest: golf courses, tennis and polo courts and restaurants that maintain high quality standards. All this in a privileged environment, with exuberant beaches such as Minitas and a charming marina, inspired by the Mediterranean coast, where you can dine under the stars with views of prohibitive yachts.
Altos del Chavón is a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village.
And to top off the plans, a bit of nightlife. Like the one that takes place at Chic Cabaret & Restaurant, which is much more than a dinner show: located within the TRS Turquesa Hotel complex, what we find here, in addition to a gastronomic feast with a gourmet menu and unlimited premium drinks, is a show lasting more than three hours: 30 incombustible artists on stage (singers, dancers and acrobats) manage to conquer the public with their surprising numbers. Afterwards the party continues with a DJ so that the rhythm does not stop in Punta Cana.
