City overview
The Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti and offers more variety than anywhere else in the Caribbean, from Punta Cana's resorts to colonial Santo Domingo and the laid-back north coast around Puerto Plata. Jewish infrastructure here is the best in the region, entirely built by Chabad of the Dominican Republic under Rabbi Shimon Pelman, who also serves as shochet. Santo Domingo has a daily and Shabbos minyan, a mikvah, and Rimon Kosher Market — a full kosher supermarket with its own restaurant, a rarity in the Caribbean. A second Chabad centre opened on the north coast in Puerto Plata in 2025 with its own kosher restaurant and Shabbos services. Kosher catering delivers island-wide, including to Punta Cana resorts, though Punta Cana itself has no year-round kosher restaurant, permanent shul, or eruv.
Bávaro Beach
Dominican Republic · Free — all Dominican beaches are public
The long stretch of palm-lined white sand that runs north from Punta Cana, and the beach most visitors to the country actually come for.
Time needed
Half day or more
Hours
Open daily 24 hours
Tips
Calm, shallow, reef-protected water and the reason the east coast holds most of the country's hotel rooms. Every beach in the Dominican Republic is public by law, so the sand in front of the resorts can be walked freely even if the loungers cannot be used. Seaweed can wash up between April and August. There is no kosher food anywhere on this coast, so bring what you need from Chabad.
Neighborhood
Bávaro, Punta Cana
Activity providers
Kosher map of Dominican Republic
Pick a place on the map or search an address or hotel to see what is kosher around it.