Gay.com > Travel > Dominican Republic: The Caribbean's offbeat gay-friendly getaway

By Rita Cook From modern hotels on antiquated cobblestone streets to the Malecón (boardwalk) that wraps around the coast, the Dominican Republic is a surprisingly fun place for gay and lesbian visitors looking to get away. While not St. Barts, with its welcome live-and-let-live attitude, the Dominic

Dominican Republic: The Caribbean's offbeat gay-friendly getaway

By Rita Cook

From modern hotels on antiquated cobblestone streets to the Malecón (boardwalk) that wraps around the coast, the Dominican Republic is a surprisingly fun place for gay and lesbian visitors looking to get away. While not St. Barts, with its welcome live-and-let-live attitude, the Dominican Republic is still home to open-minded locals who enjoy making tourists from all walks of life feel welcome.

The Dominican Republic -- D.R. to friends -- makes up half of Hispaniola, the second-largest island in the Caribbean. It is also the perfect destination to enjoy everything from relaxing with a good book to extreme sports such as canyoning or windsurfing to taking a step back in time in the capital of Santo Domingo.

While the Dominican Republic is a large country, Santo Domingo is where you'll find most of the gay-friendly establishments. It's true you won't see gay and lesbian couples walking down the street holding hands in this city, but you will certainly still feel comfortable at the gay-friendly bars, restaurants and hotels in the city's colonial zone.

Once the scene of conquistadors like Juan Ponce de León and grand hotels from another era, the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo is still of historical importance and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.

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