The Roavi Blog
Stories from people who live there.
Travel tips, city guides, and local insights from the Roavi team.
1173 articles
Travel Guides · Punta Cana
Is Cap Cana Worth Visiting? Yes, for Juanillo Beach, the Marina and Luxury; Cap Cana vs Punta Cana, Honestly
A straight answer: Cap Cana is worth visiting if you want the quiet, expensive end of Punta Cana: Juanillo Beach, the marina, Scape Park and the Hoyo Azul, and resorts a step above Bávaro's. It is not worth it on a budget or for anyone who wants a town, restaurants to walk to or Dominican life; it is a gated development. Cap Cana vs Punta Cana, who it suits, and how to see Juanillo without staying there.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides · Bayahibe
Is Bayahibe Worth Visiting? Yes, for Calm Beaches, the Best Diving in the DR and the Boats to Saona; Who It Isn't For
A straight answer: Bayahibe is worth visiting if you want a small fishing village with calm beaches, the best diving in the Dominican Republic, and the boats to Saona and Catalina at your door, an hour from Punta Cana. It is not for people who want long beaches, nightlife or a strip of resorts. Who it suits, how far from Punta Cana, how long and when.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides · Puerto Plata
Is Sosúa Worth Visiting? Yes, for the Calmest Bay on the North Coast by Day; the Nightlife, Honestly
A straight answer: Sosúa is worth visiting by day for the calmest swimming bay on the Dominican north coast, the snorkelling, the Jewish museum and the beach restaurants, and as a cheap base between Puerto Plata and Cabarete. The honest part: its nightlife district is an adult sex-tourism scene that many visitors want to avoid, and it shapes the town after dark. Who it suits, who should stay in Cabarete instead, and when.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides · Santo Domingo
Is Boca Chica Worth Visiting? As Santo Domingo's Beach on a Weekday, Yes; as a Destination, No
A straight answer: Boca Chica is worth visiting as Santo Domingo's beach, thirty minutes from the city and ten from the airport, for a weekday swim in the shallow lagoon, fried fish and a Dominican Sunday if you want the crowd. It is not worth visiting as a destination: the beach is small, the town has a rough nightlife reputation, and Juan Dolio next door is calmer. Who it suits, when to go and what to skip.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides · Medellín
Is Guatapé Worth Visiting? Yes, the Best Day Trip From Medellín; Day Trip or Overnight, Tour or Bus
A straight answer: Guatapé is worth visiting, and it is the best day trip from Medellín: the 700-step climb up El Peñol for the view over the reservoir, the painted zócalos of the town, a boat on the lake and a trout lunch. Two hours each way by bus. Worth a tour if you want it easy, the bus if you want it cheap, an overnight if you want the town without the day-trippers.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides
Is Salento, Colombia Worth Visiting? Yes, for the Cocora Valley, the Coffee Farms and the Town; How Many Days
A straight answer: Salento is worth visiting, and for most Colombia trips it is the coffee region stop: the Cocora Valley with the tallest palms in the world, coffee farms you can walk to, a painted town with a plaza and a street of restaurants, and jeeps instead of taxis. Two or three days. It is touristy, cool and rainy, and it is not a city. How to get there from Medellín and Bogotá, how long and when.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides
Is Santa Marta Worth Visiting? As the Base for Tayrona, Minca and the Lost City, Yes; the City Itself, Less So
A straight answer: Santa Marta is worth visiting as the base for what is around it, Tayrona National Park, Minca in the hills, Taganga and the Lost City trek, and for a cheaper, less polished coast than Cartagena. The city itself has a small restored centre and a working port, and most people stay a night or two and move on. Who it suits, Santa Marta or Cartagena, how long and when.
Oscar Garcia··2 min read
Travel Guides
Is Colombia Worth Visiting? Yes; Which Cities Are Worth It, Which to Skip, and the Honest Caveats
A straight answer: yes, Colombia is worth visiting, and it is the country most first-time visitors to South America should start with: Medellín's spring weather and cable cars, Cartagena's walled city, Bogotá's museums, the coffee region, Tayrona and the Caribbean, salsa in Cali, and prices that are low for what you get. The caveats: safety needs city rules and current information, distances are long, and the reputation still frightens people who have not been. Which cities, how long and when.
Oscar Garcia··3 min read
Travel Guides · Santo Domingo
Is Santo Domingo Worth Visiting? Yes If You Want a City and the Country; No If You Want a Beach Week
A straight answer: Santo Domingo is worth visiting if you want a real city, the oldest colonial quarter in the Americas, Dominican food, baseball and nightlife, and the country rather than the resort. It is not worth it as a beach holiday, and as a day trip from Punta Cana it is worth it only with an early start. Who it suits, who it doesn't, how long, and how to do it from Punta Cana.
Oscar Garcia··3 min read
Travel Guides · Punta Cana
Is Punta Cana Worth Visiting? Yes for the Beach and the Price; Three Honest Caveats Before You Book
A straight answer: Punta Cana is worth visiting for what it is, one of the best beach-and-resort stretches in the Caribbean at a fair price with easy flights. It is not worth visiting for culture, a town or the Dominican Republic itself, which are elsewhere. The three caveats: sargassum some months, hurricane season, and a resort bubble you have to choose to leave.
Oscar Garcia··3 min read
Travel Guides · Medellín
Is Medellín Worth Visiting? Yes: The Weather, the City, the Cable Cars and the Paisas; Who It Isn't For
A straight answer: Medellín is worth visiting, and for most first-time Colombia trips it is the city to start with: spring weather all year, a metro and cable cars that make it easy, Comuna 13, Guatapé a day away, cafés in Laureles and nights in El Poblado, and paisas who talk to strangers. It is not for people who want a beach, colonial streets or a quiet town. Who it suits, how long, safety honestly, and when.
Oscar Garcia··3 min read
Travel Guides · Cartagena
Is Cartagena, Colombia Worth Visiting? Yes, for Two or Three Days; the Heat, the Hustle and the Beaches, Honestly
A straight answer: Cartagena is worth visiting for the walled city and Getsemaní, the most beautiful colonial streets in South America, and it is best in two or three days. The honest downsides: the heat, the street hustle, the city beaches that are not the postcard, and prices that are Colombia's highest. Who it suits, how long, the islands, safety and when.
Oscar Garcia··3 min read