Province · Costa Leste: Punta Cana e La Romana

San Pedro de Macorís

San Pedro de Macorís is the province of the beaches of Juan Dolio and Guayacanes, of a town of large houses from the sugar era and of baseball players, and of the guloyas, a dance declared a World Heritage intangible tradition.

In the photo: Juan Dolio Beach (San Pedro de Macorís)

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The province

Get to know San Pedro de Macorís

San Pedro de Macorís lies on the south coast, between Santo Domingo and La Romana. The capital, of the same name, reached its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when sugar mills attracted immigrants from Cuba, Europe, the Middle East and the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean. From that period remain large houses, the fire station and the cathedral of San Pedro Apóstol on the banks of the Higuamo river.

The descendants of workers who came from the English-speaking islands, called cocolos, created the guloyas, a danced street theatre with masks, ribbons and drums that takes to the streets at Christmas and in late June for the feast of San Pedro. The tradition was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The city is also famous for having produced dozens of baseball players who reached the United States Major Leagues, and the sport is a local passion, with a stadium and fields everywhere.

For travelers, the guide lists in the province the town of Juan Dolio, within the Santo Domingo destination: a long, calm stretch of beach with reefs near the sand, about an hour from the capital. Beside it lies Guayacanes, a fishing village with a gentle beach.

Destinations

1 destination in San Pedro de Macorís

1 city

Santo Domingo

Cities

1 cities in San Pedro de Macorís in the guide

San Pedro de Macorís

Juan Dolio

Juan Dolio is a stretch of beach several kilometers long on the south coast, about an hour from Santo Domingo, with apartment buildings, beachfront hotels and a calmer pace than Boca Chica. The sand is narrow in some sections and the sea has reefs close to shore, good for snorkeling. It is quiet during the week; on weekends it draws people from the capital.

When to go

From December to April it usually rains less and the waters at Juan Dolio are clearer. In late June, the feast of San Pedro brings the guloyas to the streets; they also parade at Christmas. The hurricane season runs from June to November, with heavier downpours from August to October on the south coast.

Getting there

Las Américas Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo is about 25 km from Juan Dolio and 50 km from the city of San Pedro de Macorís via the eastern highway. Buses between Santo Domingo and La Romana pass through the province. La Romana Airport (LRM) is about 40 minutes from the capital.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about San Pedro de Macorís

What to do in San Pedro de Macorís?

Beach at Juan Dolio and Guayacanes, a walk among the old mansions in the town center and by the cathedral on the banks of the Higuamo river, and, on certain dates, the guloyas parades.

What are the guloyas?

Dance and street-theatre groups of the cocolos, descendants of immigrants from the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, featuring masks, ribbons and drums. The tradition is an intangible cultural heritage of humanity recognized by UNESCO.

Is Juan Dolio close to Santo Domingo?

It is about an hour from the Colonial Zone and half an hour from Las Américas Airport.

Why is San Pedro de Macorís associated with baseball?

Because the city produced dozens of players who reached the United States Major Leagues, and the sport is the great local passion.

Tap a province to see its destinations. Limites: Oficina Nacional de Estadística / OCHA-HDX / geoBoundaries (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.