Sun, beautiful tropical waters, and excellent deep-sea fishing – the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic has it all! With Mardi Gras season over, Sheila and I headed to the DR end of the island of Hispaniola to celebrate Valentine’s Day and leave the cold and rainy weather behind.

 

The all-inclusive resort of Sanctuary Cap Cana has it all: five great restaurants, four large pools with impeccable waterside beverage service, comfortable rooms, and all the sunshine you want. We were joined by good friends, Dr. Tim Nichols and his spouse, Suzy, who had initiated the idea of an island trip. Roses were presented to the ladies that evening as we entered the best of the on-property restaurants for our Valentines dinner, and the champagne flowed freely. A memorable and remarkable night!

 

We spent time in all four pools during our five days there, with most of it near the swim-up bar. We met a variety of people from all over the world, drawn to the location for the same reasons we were there. Everyone was tired of Winter and anxious for the warmer weather to begin. We were not disappointed.

 

A highlight of the trip was the deep-sea fishing. We hired a driver and motored just over 40 miles westward to the port town of Bayahibe where we boarded a charter boat and set out to test our skill (and luck!). The captain headed south on the Caribbean Sea, and we trolled along a drop-off a mile offshore of the Island of Saona. The action started slow but then rapidly picked up – Suzy, founder of the Reel Ladies Sportfishing Team here in PCB, hooked a large Wahoo and had a blast fighting it and bringing it on board. Simultaneously, I hooked a medium sized Blackfin Tuna and brought it in. Shortly thereafter, Sheila boated another Blackfin, and Tim landed a large Barracuda. A lot of fun, excitement, and laughter all day long.

 

We gave the boat captain and his mate the Wahoo and Barracuda – we suspect they sold them later that day to a local restaurant where all the locals enjoyed some fine eating. The Tuna were iced and brought back to our resort, where we delivered them to the seafood restaurant for preparation. That evening we dined on our delicious fish served in an open-air restaurant overlooking the sea, a delightful setting to enjoy our catch. Clear skies, a full moon, and great company – it doesn’t get much better than this!

 

Punta Cana is 1,400 miles or so from here and is worth considering as a spot for a relaxing vacation trip. The highways and roads in the DR are modern and well maintained, and this part of the country is very safe for visitors, unlike neighboring Haiti, which occupies the western third of Hispaniola. There are multiple resorts in the Punta Cana area, catering to the needs of many different world travelers. Visit it if you get the chance!