Luperon: The Grime, the Beauty, the Culture

We absolutely loved Luperon, but for very different reasons than the Bahamas. In fact, the two couldn’t be more different. The Bahamas had stunning beaches, turquoise clear water, and isolation. Luperon’s water was filthy, but the green country side was magnificent, the town was lively, the food was delicious and inexpensive, and it was full of puppies. Here’s a rundown of our time in Luperon: the grime, the beauty, the culture.

The Grime

The first mooring ball we picked up in the anchorage was covered in scum. As I lifted it out of the water with a boat hook, a family of crabs came rushing out. Disgusted, I released the mooring ball and told Rob we needed to find another that was maintained. Surely that ball couldn’t be in service. But the second ball turned out to be equally grotesque. I slipped our line into the loop, or so I thought. The loop wasn’t intact and we floated away. Well, the third time’s a charm. We secured Kairos to the third mooring ball we picked up and it too was covered in sludge. One thing was clear, the water was filthy.

We heard about a stomach bug that goes around Luperon and I’m certain it’s because of the water. The anchorage is calm and well protected from storms. Many people leave their boats in the anchorage during hurricane season. What makes it a great hurricane hole also limits the amount of current in the anchorage. Because of the reduced water flow, the stagnant water collects grime and bacteria. We washed our hands after each dinghy ride. The water is the one thing we really disliked about Luperon.

As gross as the water was in the light, at night it transformed into a magical light show. The bioluminescence glow surrounded our dinghy and lit up when agitated. When using our saltwater head at night, the toilet appeared to be full of lighting bugs. Though disgusting, the bioluminescence water was a beautiful sight at night.

The Beauty

Okay, so the anchorage water was grimy, but the landscape was gorgeous. The country side was lush and green. We were delighted to see mountains on the horizon again. Rocky cliffs with crashing waves surrounded the anchorage. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful country and we were in awe of its beauty during our entire stay.

Just north of town is a pristine beach along the coast. Luperon Beach is covered in white sand and the clear blue water is very different than the anchorage water. It’s a beautiful beach and it’s obvious why this location was once an all-inclusive resort.

The Luperon Beach Resort was comprised of 662 rooms, 6 pools, tennis courts, disco, gym, multiple restaurants and bars, and horse stables. The once magnificent resort has drastically deteriorated over the last four years since it closed. The accommodations have been stripped of all valuables and the resort land is now grazed by cows. We can see why someone would want to share this paradise with others, so it’s very sad to see the enormous resort abandoned (well, expect for the cows).

Luperon Beach Resort Before….

Luperon Beach Resort Now….

The Culture

As much as we loved the landscape, we adored the people and food of the Dominican Republic even more. The Dominican Republic culture is lively, vibrant, and colorful. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Everyone wears a smile.

Most people speak Spanish, so Rob’s been dusting off his Spanish speaking skills. He knows enough to get by and after only two weeks in the DR he’s able to carry on conversations. As for me, “el pollo frito por favor” is about the extent of my vocabulary.

General elections will be held on May 15^th in the DR and you can’t look in any direction without spotting election posters. Campaign trucks drive the streets with enormous speakers in the bed blasting loud music and exciting crowds. Motorcycle parades would gather to celebrate and rally behind a candidate. It was wonderful to see the Dominican people so enthusiastic about their politics.

We love eating cheap street food and the DR did not disappoint. After a 22 hour passage, we were sleep deprived and hungry. Our first stop was the chicken shack. There was no menu, only a plate of the day that could be ordered. We shared a meal called “The Dominican Flag”, which consisted of fried chicken, beans, rice, and cabbage salad. This meal cost 125 pesos ($2.75 USD). After 2 months in the Bahamas, where everything is expensive, this was amazing. It turned out to be the best fried chicken we’ve ever had. We visited the chicken shack 4 more times during our 9 day visit.

If kind faces, vibrant music, and cheap and delicious food are not enough reasons to love Luperon, it was also full of dogs. If you don’t like dogs, then Luperon is not the place for you. You’ll see two or three dogs on every street corner. The dogs are sweet and well behaved. They are only looking for attention and any leftover food scraps you might be willing to share. I’m certain that most Luperon dogs survive on chicken bones alone. Each dog has its own territory it stalks. Buttercup was one of our favorite pups. She hung out at Wendy’s Bar most of the time. She would meet us at the dinghy dock and walk around town with us. One night she followed us to dinner and slept at our feet while we ate. If we didn’t already have two pups on board, I’m sure we would have left Luperon with a boat full of Dominican dogs or at least little Buttercup.

Luperon may have dirty streets, grimy anchorage water, and poor infrastructure, but the people, food, music, and lush landscape more than make up for these deficiencies. We are very glad we had the opportunity to experience the Dominican Republic. We are envious of the simplicity of life in the DR and we understand why some cruisers choose to live there year round. It’s not for everyone, but Luperon charmed our socks off (or would have, if we wore socks).