When Tyler was asked to lead a dental mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I immediately started looking into if I could tag along the weekend before he started. We are not big into large over-crowded resorts, so I was thrilled when my search for a hotel stumbled upon El Encuentro Surf Lodge.
We needed to stay on the more local north side of the island since Tyler’s clinic would be mid-island in Santiago De Los Caballeros. The surf lodge is a boutique eco-focused hotel with a short 5 minute stroll to the most poular surf beach on the island.
The superior studio space offers a king size bed with extra space for relaxing on the L-sofa and also has a small kitchenette! Breakfast is included in the room price and served until 2:00 pm — truly something I looked forward to every day. The food was so, so fresh and healthy! They also serve lunch and dinner but we usually ate a late breakfast and then enjoyed dinner elsewhere in the evenings. The owner Lina, is incredible and so attentive — be sure to spend some time getting to know her as she has great recommendations and is trilingual!
Playa Encuentro had a few permanent vendor stalls we couldn’t wait to try. Point Break was always especially crowded with people ordering arepas. We tried the gouda & avocado and the chicken & avocado arepas. SO GOOD and so very inexpensive!
Food & Drink
- Cebia Cafe & Pizzeria – delivery for a night in or by the pool
- Chez Arsenio – walking distance from the surf lodge
- La Mesa Taina – for great sushi on the beach
- Bliss Restaurant Lounge Bar Pool – fancy dinner in town
- The Surf Lodge -includes an incredible breakfast but also serves lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the day for an additional cost.
Explore
While we stayed mostly around the Lodge, Playa Encuentro is just a 5 minute walk from the lodge. Great surfing spot! There was even a local surfing competition going on the weekend we were there.
Highly recommend taking a cab to La Mesa Taina on Kite Beach to watch the kite boarders while enjoying some great food. Be sure to pack your adventure shoes and take the walk back along the beach which will reveal private coves and stunning overlooks. Only make the walk in the daylight!
