Juan Dolio holidays

A shoreline heaped with icing-sugar sand and a laidback Caribbean vibe are the blueprint on holidays to Juan Dolio.

Caribbean calm

Juan Dolio is so laidback it’s horizontal – that’s mostly thanks to a super-sized stretch of sand that yawns along the palm-fringed coast. Behind the beach, modern resorts, dive shops and luxury apartment buildings are scattered along the coast. Your nine-to-five here is spent working on a tan, while evenings are for eating with a tropical sea breeze, and there’s also an 18-hole golf course for fairway fans. For a little dose of colourful Caribbean flair, nearby Guayacanes Beach is a real catch, where seafood is hauled in from traditional canoes and fried up right on the waterfront.

Life’s a beach

Playa Juan Dolio is primed for a day spent soaking up the Caribbean sun, with lashings of soft white sand backed by coconut palms. A sprinkling of beach bars keep the drinks flowing as you dip in and out of the bath-warm sea. A few minutes’ drive away, Playa Hemingway is another popular slice of sand, crowned with a swish beach club, while next-door Playa Real has gentle swells that are popular with surfers.

Dominican daytrips

While Juan Dolio may be chilled out, it shares a coastline with some of the Dominican Republic’s most culture-packed hotspots. You can be in the island capital Santo Domingo in just under an hour by car. Thought to be one of the oldest cities in the Americas, it’s cobblestone streets are lined with candy-coloured colonial buildings and cafés that hum with live music. An hour and a half in the other direction, and you’re in La Romana, known for its replica Mediterranean village and art workshops. Nearby beaches like Bayahibe add a splash of turquoise for those who want to round off the day with sand between their toes.