Accommodations and Food

While not a destination city, Higüey [1] has a couple of options for a good night’s sleep. Hotel Santa Clara (Lic Felix Servio Ducoudray 9, tel. 809/554-2040, US$15 d with fan only) has 31 very clean and comfortable, albeit small and simple, rooms (US$22 d with air-conditioning—in Higüey it is a good investment). All rooms have TV and private baths with hot water. There is a small kitchenette on the main floor off the central courtyard where you can make coffee or heat up food. Parking is available across the street.

Hotel Restaurant Don Carlos (Calle Juan Ponce de León at Sánchez, tel. 809/554-2344, US$26–35 d, front desk open 24 hours) has 62 rooms. Although it’s older and, therefore, not as well kept as the Hotel Santa Clara, it is a good bet for availability and has a startlingly splendid restaurant. All rooms have air-conditioning, hot water bathrooms, and cable TV. The hotel consists of two buildings; one is older than the other, and the price difference depends on which side you get. Request a room in the “newer” of the two wings. It is cleaner and definitely less run-down. The Don Carlos has a bar that stays open until 2:30 a.m. and offers light picaderas (appetizers).

Hotel Restaurant Don Carlos (Calle Juan Ponce de León at Sánchez, tel. 809/554-2344, 7 a.m.–11:30 p.m. daily, US$2–18), two blocks behind the basilica, serves traditional Dominican and foreign dishes in a casual environment and has long been popular with travelers and locals alike. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all available. For lunch and dinner, the plate of the day is only US$2, which usually consists of chicken, rice, and beans, or la bandera dominicana (chicken, rice and beans, and fried plantains).

The Dominican fast-food chicken joint Pollo Victorina (Plaza El Naranjo, Av. La Altagracia, tel. 809/554-5616) is not a culinary marvel, but it is an option for a quick, cheap meal on the go. It is conveniently located near Plaza El Naranjo and the basilica.

For a nice meal close to the basilica, try El Meson de Cervantes (Arzobispo Nouel 79, tel. 809/554-2754, 10 a.m.–midnight daily, US$7–15) for some traditional Dominican dishes (their specialty is meat, like beefsteak with onions), but they also have seafood and vegetable dishes. Service is good too.