This is part 2 of a 3 part series on all-inclusive properties I stayed at while in the Dominican Republic. Now Larimar is very close to the airport, just North of it, and in an area of Punta Cana called Bavaro. My first impression of the property was very favorable as we were greeted by a beautiful troop of dancers and immediately handed tropical drinks in pineapple’s. So I’m easy to please, at least you know up front. Scantily clad people and alcohol are not a new marketing tactic and work on more than just me. No judging. Fun side note for all you buckeye fans. I missed an amazing opportunity to pull of a killer O-H-I-O photo with a shirtless painted up King Triton that had Ohio spelled out on his chest. I was not interested enough in him to push through the throngs of lady travel agents pawing him and getting selfies to think of the idea until it was too late.
The grounds and landscaping were beautiful. There are a lot of pools, including adults only pool, and plenty of beach space. With this property as well as many others there are limited ocean view rooms. Don’t let that discourage you. The tropical or garden views are incredible, especially since every time you turn around you are looking at an amazing pool or other water feature.
The beach was beautiful. The staff did a good job of clearing seaweed which can be a big challenge on this side of the island. The first night there was a beach wedding and a rainbow appeared. I know rain on the wedding day means good fortune or wealth, not sure what a rainbow signifies. Pretty sure it means they are going to win the lotto. There were a lot of palapas on the beach with beach chairs and it never seemed crowded out there. In fact other than a large gathering around some of the pool bars, the resort never seemed crowded even though it was at near capacity. There is also a small bar at the beach where the drinks are included so kudos to the hotel for that.
I did go out into the water and snorkeled. Very clear, but a little disappointing in that there were no fish. I don’t mean I only saw a few hiding in the sea grass, I mean I swam around for 20 minutes and did not see a single living thing other than a few other people. For the divers reading this I spoke with a couple who dove this side of the island and they basically said it was a dead reef. Good diving on the other side, but not here.
There is a Casino on site and also a Kids Club. The kids club was a bit smaller and more dated than some of the other locations. There is also a teen club. My impression though is that this is more of a property for adults.
While here I did attempt to go off property to get souvenirs for my kiddos. One of the nice travel ladies on our tour has children and decided to go with me. We were instructed by the staff that a “market” was just up the beach and was safe to go to. It was not a nice market. You enter into a very dark building that would quite possible be condemned anywhere in the US. To my companion’s credit she went in although she was clutching her purse to her chest the entire time and I believe anything short of a battalion of marines would not have caused her to relax. We went through a number of shops. All of them had high pressure sales people. The quality of the items was not good and everything was way overpriced. Bottom line, don’t waste your time here.
If you would like to see pictures of Now Larimar check out my photo album on facebook by following this link Now Larimar.