Spring to the Dominican Republic

Arrive at Miami International Airport (MIA) where you’ll meet your Rustic Pathways Flight Leader, who will help get you checked in and through security before traveling with your group to the Dominican Republic. Get acquainted with fellow Rustic travelers before boarding your flight.

Arrive at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo (SDQ) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the base house and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Spend the first part of the day working alongside local farmers and volunteers on projects geared toward the environment or local village infrastructure. These projects vary based on the needs of our partner communities and could include reforestation efforts, building a Black Water Treatment system, or other small-scale construction projects that contribute to communities and sustainable development projects in neighboring communities.

After you’ve wrapped up service for the day, take a hike to a nearby waterfall to cool off. Spend the evening relaxing at the ranch swimming in the pool, playing basketball or ping pong, or relaxing in a hammock one of the common spaces. Soak up the sweet, cool mountain air!

Continue your service work this morning with a different project. Get to know the kids in the community and work alongside neighbors. After lunch, put some finishing touches on your work and head back to the lodge for one last night around the bonfire or playing games with your team in the evening breeze.

Today is an early start as you board a bus bound for Las Galeras, a laid-back beach town on the Samaná Peninsula. Go horseback riding, enjoy lunch by the beach, and then spend this lazy Saturday afternoon as most Dominicans in the area do: enjoying the Caribbean beaches with some cool, fresh coconut water.

Join your group for a post-service debrief in the evening, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.

Enjoy the morning on the beach before heading toward the town of Samaná. Check out this port town and walk across a bridge that connects some of the cays, or small islands. Then hop on a boat across the bay to Sabana de La Mar, where you will stay at an eco-hotel nestled on the borders of Los Haitises National Park. As you cross the bay take in the sights of the park, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, pelicans, and many other aquatic birds that call this vibrant place home.

Spend today working on mangrove restoration and various projects at the National Park, getting your hands dirty with community members who are working to rebuild the estuary and breeding grounds for hundreds of native species. Take a boat through the canals of the Rio Caño Hondo to explore caves and beaches in the area and relax in the shade of the tropical trees in the evening at the eco-lodge.

Head back to the capital for a tour of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the first university, cathedral, and hospital in the Americas. Take a tour of the walled city and learn about the deep history of the first European settlement in the Americas. After touring the Colonial Zone, head over to a special dinner and dance show at a typical Dominican restaurant.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your flight home or to your next Rustic program as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.

If you’re staying in the Dominican Republic, your Program Leaders will take you to your next accommodation to meet your new group. If you’re continuing on to another Rustic Pathways destination, you’ll board a connecting flight to that country.