Ultimate Guide to Boca Chica

Google Maps Link - all of our group recommended hotels, bars, restaurants and points of interest.

BOCA CHICA IMOL RANKINGS

Difficulty Level 7/10

GFE Level 2/10

Concerns: Petty theft, political/police corruption, poverty level, inadequate infrastructure , annoying vendors.

Why we come here: Beautiful water, palm trees and only ten minutes from Santo Domingo International Airport. Haitian and Dominican women prowl the streets at night looking for foreign men to entertain. Boca Chica “could be” an absolute paradise.

Logistics

The best thing about Boca Chica is its close proximity to Santo Domingo's International Airport, just a ten minute drive. Uber is available at the airport and we strongly suggest that you use it.

Don’t forget to fill out your Dominican E-ticket before going to the airport. You need to do this for both arrival and departure.

Much of the information contained in our Ultimate Guide to Sosua carries over to Boca Chica. Especially the segments on safety, logistics, security and dealing with the girls. It is strongly recommended that you watch that video and read the intel as a supplement to this page.

Boca Chica is a small town, our area of operation is just a three block stretch of Duarte Street (the main boulevard). At night they shut the road down to traffic and allow the bars and restaurants to put tables and chairs out. Sounds like fun and it is fun…but just be warned this city is shell of its former self and we definitely don't recommend it for a long stay vacation. Boca Chica is best used as an entry or exit point when traveling to the Dominican Republic.

ATM's, banks and a few currency exchange booths can be found on Duarte Street. Use only the ATM's attached to physical banks. Banco Popular has a branch directly on Duarte.

The highlights for this city can be summarized very quickly. (1) Duarte Street - gets closed to traffic at 8pm every night allowing all of the restaurants / bars to put tables and chairs out in the street. Obviously there are freelancers roaming up and down the street all night. Don't expect any supermodels. (2) Pequena Suiza is a damn good restaurant which serves up one of the best steaks in the DR. - located on Duarte. (3) The beach in Boca Chica has been constantly eroding and in some spots barely has enough sand to sit on. But the water is absolutely gorgeous and you can literally wade out fifty yards and still be in waist deep water. - Be warned, the beach is absolutely packed with Dominicans on Sundays and Holidays.

There is an Ole grocery store and several smaller “colmados” all within walking distance of the hotels. - Use our google maps link above for reference.

Sosua to Boca Chica

Tagging a night in Boca Chica onto the front or tail end of a Sosua trip makes good sense for anyone traveling into the DR via SDQ. The easiest and most economical method for transport from Boca to Sosua is to use Uber and Caribe Tours. Order the Uber from Boca and go directly to the Caribe Tours station near Zone Colonial (Av. Leopoldo Navarro Esq, Santo Domingo ) in Santo Domingo - approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic. Walk into the terminal and look for the window labeled “SOSUA” - purchase a ticket. Note: there are no advance purchasing options for Caribe Tours. They run at least one per hour from 7am until 7pm. (Grab the express bus if it is an option). The entire journey will take 4-6 hours.

Hotels

As stated in the video, we push most guys towards the Boat House. It is our base of operations when we visit Boca Chica and an institution among local expats. Ocean front secured compound with affordable guest friendly rooms. Security guard on duty 24hrs. There is an eclectic mix of expats hanging out at the beachfront bar every afternoon. They can either be very entertaining or very annoying depending on which one is sitting next to you. If you plan on staying for an extended period ask about purchasing a drink card.

Other options include Hotel Garrant, Hotel Vincentia and Frio Hot Hotel. All can be booked via Agoda.

Batey House Boutique is the nicest hotel in town but it is not guest friendly.

There are several All-Inclusive resorts located in Boca Chica. Avoid them at all cost. They cater to European and Russian tourist who get lured in by the low prices and beautiful pictures. Take our advice, steer clear of the All Inclusive resorts.

AirBnB and short term rentals can be found online, just do some due diligence and research the property before reserving.

Massage Shops

There are a couple of massage parlors in town, none of them are nice and none of them offer a real legit massage. Both operate as low quality brothels but we felt it was our duty to report on them. One can be found across the street and up the alley from The Boat House. There is no name and it's not located on the map, just walk out the Boat House gate, turn right, walk twenty paces, cross the street and go up the path leading between the buildings. This should be a daytime adventure only.

The second massage shop is much easier to find. Just walk down Duarte Street towards the park. It is located in the building directly across from the bank. The girls sitting out front will proposition you as you walk by.

Pro Tip: Dominican Sunday in Boca Chica results in the town and its beach exploding with people, traffic, noise and unfortunately garbage. Plan accordingly.

The Ladies of Boca Chica

Like shooting fish in a barrel - pull up a stool at Amigos Bar anytime after 3pm, order a beer and look completely lost. Within moments the sharks will be circling looking for an easy kill. Don’t make eye contact unless you are ready to be propositioned. The girls in Boca Chica are aggressive and not shy about their profession.

Later in the evening feel free to shift down to any of the smaller bars on the same block. The Piano Bar just two blocks down from Amigos can be hit or miss but it’s definitely worth poking your head in after 9pm. You can have a lot of fun in here on the right night.

Short time 2.000 pesos, Long time 3,500. That’s the baseline in Boca Chica. Don’t expect stunners or GFE from any of these girls. Most are going to turn and burn the second the job is done.

Keep your valuables locked in the safe.

Pro Tip: Watch your bar bill closely in Boca Chica. “Erroneous” charges have been known to occur

Summary

This is one of our shortest “Ultimate Guides” and for good reason. Boca Chica is point and click easy. Stay at one of the hotels we listed, enjoy the beach during the day, post up at Amigos or Piano Bar in the evening.

Last note. While doing research on Boca Chica you will inevitably come across intel referring to the “gate” and other gentleman type establishments “brothels”. That is old intel, those establishments have been closed for years.

Boca Chica despite its blemishes is actually a fairly safe place to roam. You won’t have any problems if you stay within the areas we outlined. Walking outside of that small district, especially later at night is not advisable. As with everything in the Dominican Republic, an ounce of prevention goes a long ways.