Things To Do in Boca Chica
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Boca Chica Attractions
Playa Boca Chica
This is the town's only attraction and, presumably if this beach didn't exist, there would be no Boca Chica. Long a favorite of Santo Domingo's city dwellers before its discovery by foreigners, Playa Boca Chica is one of the grand beaches of the Caribbean, very wide with white or golden sands set against a backdrop of coconut palms with the inevitable beach bars, restaurants, and fast-food stands. The beach is fronted by the amazingly shallow Bahía Andrés. Unlike the north coast, with its turbulent waters, this is the most tranquil beach in the country.
The beach is a whirlwind of activity day and night, with an international crowd staking a claim on a "place in the sun." They are not always allowed to rest in peace, as vendors ply the beach hawking fruit or souvenirs. As mariachi bands entertain (wanting a tip, of course), young boys seek out gay tourists (and the occasional woman), and young girls ply their trade with older men desiring sex with a teenager.
Lying only 9m (30 ft.) from the shore is a little uninhabited island covered with shrub that you can wade over to. But once you get here, there's nothing to see.
The general public enters the beach on Avenida Duarte. Near the main entrance here you'll see a number of wooden hovels hawking fried fish and yaniqueque, the pizza-size rounds of flavored batter. If you're seeking less crowded conditions, you can walk west along the beach as the tourist facilities gradually disappear. The drawback here is that the waters this far west are often muddy.
Boca Chica Shopping
We suggest you confine your serious shopping to Santo Domingo. However, we did discover an intriguing little jewelry store: Amber, at the Oasis Hamaca Beach Hotel, Calle Duarte 1 (tel. 809/523-4611). It sells jewelry made with semiprecious stones, along with a selection of amber and both white and yellow gold items.
Boca Chica Nightlife
Many people like to enjoy the beach at night, but the only part that's safe is the strip east of Don Juan Beach Resort. Here revelers sip rum punches and listen to merengue until around midnight. Muggings elsewhere on the beach are commonplace, especially to those who go for moonlit strolls.
Much of the beach at night is a hot cruising ground, with young men bargaining with older men over the cost of their "services." Hooker bars are plentiful along Avenida Duarte, as men pursue for-sale chicas. In fact, one local paper referred to the street at night as a "gringo brothel."
Many of the after-dark diversions center around "The Disco" at Oasis Hamaca Beach Hotel, Calle Duarte, corner of Corales (tel. 809/523-4611). The dance club here is the most formal -- and the safest -- at the resort. Sometimes the music is live, at other times recorded, but expect a lot of merengue and salsa, enjoyed by patrons from 18 to their early 30s. The dance club is open to guests of this all-inclusive hotel. But for a nonguest to gain entrance, he or she must purchase a night pass for RD$700. The pass is a good deal in that it entitles you to a lavish dinner, plus all the liquor or beer you want for the evening.
The Oasis Hamaca is also the site of the major casino in the area, which is open daily 5pm to 4am. Guests pay no cover to enter. The usual games of chance include poker, blackjack, roulette, and other games. You're provided with a welcome drink. Patrons must be 18 years of age to enter.
