If you’ve spent time in the Dominican Republic, you’ll no doubt have fond memories of sipping cocktails on white sand beaches lapped by crystal-clear turquoise water. But if you haven’t drunk coffee on the beach yet, try it! There’s never been a better place to get fueled by Dominican coffee than the beach.
The Dominican Republic is one of the few islands in the Caribbean that produces coffee. Dominican coffee is exceptional, and you can get it at a fraction of the price you’d pay at home. Even a simple cup of black coffee served in a mismatched mug and plate (not saucer) is pure goodness. It costs $1. However, the view is priceless.
Given a choice at this beautiful beach, what would you choose?
A hot cup of coffee, a beer or a cocktail? We picked coffee – the official non-alcoholic drink of the Dominican Republic. Even at 2,000 feet above sea level, our drink of choice was coffee.
In Cabarete beaches, coffee is on all menus alongside cocktails and seafood. After a meal, sit back, relax, have a cup of coffee and feel sand massaging your feet.
Cabarete is a seaside town known widely as the adventure capital of the Dominican Republic. It’s the place where kite surfers and windsurfers congregate. The town is free of Starbucks and chain restaurants.
If you like a place with European flair, there is Belgian Bakery. At the Belgian Bakery, they serve Belgian waffles, pastries, coffee and Dominican breakfast in the morning. The same European goodness for Dominican prices.
Just a 10-minute walk from Belgian Bakery is Vagamundo Coffee & Waffles, a hidden gem, a place with calm atmosphere. This low-key outpost is next to Millennium Resort and Spa, and steps away from the beach.
Some resorts in Puerto Plata offer candlelight dinners at the beach. End your candlelight dinner with a cup of coffee and listen to the gentle waves lapping the shore.
In the morning, you can choose to have breakfast at the beach or an ocean view restaurant. Try the Dominican Desayuno Dominicano completo. This breakfast dish consists of mangu (mashed plantains), fried cheese, eggs, salami, and onions. And you’ll have to order a pot of Dominican coffee for a perfect breakfast.
Here is a sample of desayuno Dominicano completo at Casa Colonial Resort in Playa Dorada Puerto Plata.
At Parque Central (Central Park) in the historic town of Puerto Plata, you’ll find several coffee shops. Reposteria Austriaca, an Austrian cafe takes Bitcoin if you’re running out of cash.
Coffee was introduced to the Dominican Republic in 1735, and by the early 19th century, 30% of the country’s economy was attributed to the production of coffee. Dominican coffee plantations are in the mountains, and according to Espresso and Coffee Guide, the seven distinct coffee growing regions are Cibao, Barahona, Noroeste, Neyba, Sierra Sur, Sierra Occidental and Sierra Central.
All supermarkets, retail shops, and duty-free stores are well stocked with Cafe Santo Domingo, Cafe Pilon, Cafe Dominicano and Induban Gourmet coffee. They are all made by the same coffee company, Industrias Banilejas CxA, the DR’s leading coffee producer in the Dominican Republic since 1945.
Have you tried Dominican coffee? For a taste of Dominican coffee without the need to fly there, check out Amazon.com’s Cafe Santo Domingo coffee.
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