Boca Chica
Encyclopedia
Boca Chica is a municipality
(municipio
) of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic
. Within the municipality there is one municipal district
(distritos municipal): La Caleta.
As of the 2002 census the municipality had 99,508 inhabitants, 46,385 living in the city itself and 53,123 in its rural district
s (Secciones).
For comparison with other municipalities and municipal districts see the list of municipalities and municipal districts of the Dominican Republic.
It has a popular beach
with the same name, located about 30 kilometers east of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the south shore of the island of Hispaniola
.
, who established sugar plantations there in the early twentieth century. Vicini was very fond of the place but the golden era of Boca Chica was in the 1950s, when dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
ordered the construction of a modern hotel named "Hotel Hamaca", which subsequently became something of an icon. The hotel got all the more famous because it was there that Trujillo granted asylum to Fulgencio Batista
after the Cuban Revolution
.
The Hamaca was closed almost immediately after Trujillo was killed in May 1961, and it remained closed and abandoned for more than twenty years. It was reopened in the early 1990s.
During the 1950s and the 1960s, prominent families of the Dominican Republic built several summer properties along the beach only accessible by private transportation.
After the 1970s, the beach became more and more popular and public transportation helped to make Boca Chica a very populated beach; it was no longer secluded and quiet, as it had been during the '50s and '60s.
s.
Boca Chica beach has immaculate fine sand. You can walk in the water and the depth will barely change, the water will be to your waist (or a little bit over) all the time. It's the most family friendly of all the Dominican Republic beaches.
There are lots of bars, restaurants, pizza stands, very tacky souvenirs stalls and loud music all day long; all this along the beach sand very close to the shore.
In recent years, the town has become overwhelmed with tourists from North America and Europe, especially during the months of December through April. It is one of the better places to enjoy swimming in the warm Caribbean waters. The town of Boca Chica, after dark has a notorious reputation. Later in the evening, the family friendly town transforms itself into a town of party bars and prostitution. However, the notorious reputation is ill deserved when compared to other "hot spots" in the area.
Municipalities of the Dominican Republic
The provinces of the Dominican Republic are divided into two or more municipalities with the exception of the Distrito Nacional which consist of only one municipality Santo Domingo...
(municipio
Municipio
Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...
) of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. Within the municipality there is one municipal district
Municipal district
A municipal district is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
(distritos municipal): La Caleta.
As of the 2002 census the municipality had 99,508 inhabitants, 46,385 living in the city itself and 53,123 in its rural district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s (Secciones).
For comparison with other municipalities and municipal districts see the list of municipalities and municipal districts of the Dominican Republic.
It has a popular beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
with the same name, located about 30 kilometers east of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the south shore of the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
.
History
Boca Chica was originally developed by Juan Bautista Vicini BurgosJuan Bautista Vicini Burgos
Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos was a Dominican political figure. He served as the president of the Dominican Republic between 1922 and 1924 under the U.S. military occupation.-Early life:...
, who established sugar plantations there in the early twentieth century. Vicini was very fond of the place but the golden era of Boca Chica was in the 1950s, when dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina , nicknamed El Jefe , ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. He officially served as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952, otherwise ruling as an unelected military strongman...
ordered the construction of a modern hotel named "Hotel Hamaca", which subsequently became something of an icon. The hotel got all the more famous because it was there that Trujillo granted asylum to Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
after the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
.
The Hamaca was closed almost immediately after Trujillo was killed in May 1961, and it remained closed and abandoned for more than twenty years. It was reopened in the early 1990s.
During the 1950s and the 1960s, prominent families of the Dominican Republic built several summer properties along the beach only accessible by private transportation.
After the 1970s, the beach became more and more popular and public transportation helped to make Boca Chica a very populated beach; it was no longer secluded and quiet, as it had been during the '50s and '60s.
Characteristics
The short distance from the capital city of the Dominican Republic, the crystalline waters and the white sands, turned Boca Chica into the most crowded beach of the Dominican Republic, especially on weekends and holidays because is 19 miles (30 km) away from Santo Domingo. Boca Chica has two small islands, Los Pinos and La Matica, and two marinaMarina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
s.
Boca Chica beach has immaculate fine sand. You can walk in the water and the depth will barely change, the water will be to your waist (or a little bit over) all the time. It's the most family friendly of all the Dominican Republic beaches.
There are lots of bars, restaurants, pizza stands, very tacky souvenirs stalls and loud music all day long; all this along the beach sand very close to the shore.
In recent years, the town has become overwhelmed with tourists from North America and Europe, especially during the months of December through April. It is one of the better places to enjoy swimming in the warm Caribbean waters. The town of Boca Chica, after dark has a notorious reputation. Later in the evening, the family friendly town transforms itself into a town of party bars and prostitution. However, the notorious reputation is ill deserved when compared to other "hot spots" in the area.