• Dominican Republic

    Playa Fronton

    After our day trip to Playa Rincon, I was a bit afraid that the other beaches in Las Galeras would be slightly disappointing. Yet, Playa Fronton proved me wrong. Playa Fronton and Playa Rincon are like two sides of paradise. While the beauty of Rincon is characterized by the uninterrupted sections of white sand and clear blue waters, I found Fronton to be impressive in an entirely different way. There was something untamed about the beach that was awe-inspiring and majestic. Playa Fronton is even less well-known than Playa Rincon…

  • Dominican Republic

    Playa Rincon in the Samana Peninsula

    From Santo Domingo, we hopped on a large coach bus and headed across the Dominican Republic to the very tip of the Samana Peninsula–an area that is home to some of the Dominican Republic’s best beaches. The Samana Peninsula is heavily reliant on tourism from January through mid-March, when the giant humpback whales migrate through the Samana Bay in search of warm waters. Unfortunately, we arrived in Samana at the tail end of the whale-watching season and the chances that we would actually see whales were dwindling. So, instead of stopping in the town of Samana…

  • Dominican Republic

    Welcome to the Dominican Republic

    On the 13th, I left Puerto Rico for the Dominican Republic and, with that, left behind any semblance of American Culture. In the Dominican Republic, I quickly realized that, though two territories may be close in proximity, they can be drastically different. Our flight from San Juan to Santo Domingo lasted only one hour, but landing on Dominican territory reinforced the fact that I was no longer in my home country. Our introduction to the Dominican Republic was hectic and a bit terrifying–nothing like the rest of our stay in…

  • Puerto Rico

    Bioluminescent Bay in Fajardo

    The Laguna Grande in Puerto Rico is famous for being one of the only bioluminescent bays in the world. A bioluminescent bay is a body of water that contains millions of dinoflagellates that glow when they are agitated. There are only five known places worldwide where the same type of dinoflagellates live, and three of them are in Puerto Rico. The other two are in Jamaica and the Bahamas. Of the five similar bays, only three remain intact. Due to pollution, industrialization and the destruction of their natural habitat, dinoflagellates…

  • Puerto Rico

    Culebra: Flamenco Beach and Playa Tamarindo

    Beloved the world over for its powdery white sand beaches and low-key pace of life, the island a paradise retreat and one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. Its most notable beach—Playa Flamenco—is often regarded as one of the best in the world. And still, it remains largely unadulterated by development and mass tourism. In a region where unfettered development and over-tourism run ripe, Culebra is a rare and shining exception. There are no big hotels, no golf courses, no rowdy cruise ship ports, and no generic fast food chains.…