Santo Domingo Province Diving

Scuba diving in the Santo Domingo province entails beautiful reefs, fascinating caves and encrusted shipwrecks all overflowing with intense tropical marine life. With bountiful unique dive sites, this historical region is perfect for all skill levels.

 

Diving in the Santo Domingo Province

Santo Domingo Province and Boca Chica boast some of the top dive sites in the Dominican Republic, thanks to a sheltered bay and thriving Underwater National Park. To further add, plenty of historical wrecks rest within divers’ curious reach here, as this region was once a large historical trading and commercial center in the Caribbean. 

Santo Domingo diving offers a variety something all levels. La Caleta National Park promises healthy coral reefs, deep wrecks, natural caves and caverns that teem with life, from tropical reef fish, turtles and reef sharks, to adorable macro species.

Calm currents and shallow depths in this area mean that beginners can relish the excellent underwater world here, along with seasoned underwater explorers. In addition to checking out the numerous shipwrecks, those with experience should venture south, where drift diving is often enjoyed. Technical divers have the chance to discover nearby freshwater caves.

Shore diving is possible near Boca Chica, though most diving occurs by boat. Dive sites are usually only a short boat ride away, with many operating using speedboats. A few operators use catamarans which benefit from a more stable journey. 

Dive centers and dive resorts are plentiful, particularly in the tourist hotspot of Ensanche Julieta, and cater to all budgets. Most operators offer dive courses from beginner up to professional and technical levels, with a multitude of appropriate training sites easily accessible. 

Scuba diving in Santo Domingo province is great year-round, with temperatures ranging from 24°C-28°C. December to May sees the dry season, while June to November is considered the rainy season.

Best places to dive

Some of the most famous sites around Santo Domingo include wrecks such as the Capitán Alsina and Don Quico which go down to 40 meters. and Tanía and Roca Cueva caves.

Inside La Caleta Underwater National Park there are lots of colorful reef dives to enjoy, in addition to three historical shipwrecks, El Hickory, El Limon and The UFO, which have all been vastly overtaken by marine life very quickly.

At only 8 meters, La Sirena Cave is often cited among the world’s best cave sites. Tanía and Roca Cueva caves are also recommended for advanced divers.