The Semana Santa is a time of great celebration in the Dominican Republic. It is like our Easter and It is strongly felt throughout the entire island ., From the capital Santo Domingo to every little town you will see people partying in the streets all week long.
You will hear music coming from every little colmado, on every corner of every street. The party starts early in the week up until Good Friday when all the music stops and starts again on Saturday at midnight and continues all through Sunday. These last 2 days of the week are the most intense and you will surely see strange things happen during this time.
They create actual market places where they get together to celebrate by eating and drinking beer . They also spend their days at the beach or river also eating and drinking. Those who do not drink alcohol here are the Evangelical Christians. They are very religious and they do not drink , they spend their time praying and attending church. You will find many small Evangelical churches throughout the Dominican Republic.
Although, in the capital, Santo Domingo, they organize many musical events especially in the last days of the week with local artists many people from the city move to the sea areas for Semana Santa. The beaches in fact are stormed by Dominicans and this year Las Terrenas had a great influx of people from other cities.
Things to be aware of during the Semana Santa
During this period you may want to pay a bit more attention than usual. It is easy to encounter people that have had a bit too much to drink so weather you are in a car or scooter or even walking pay attention. It is not difficult to see a car that ends up on a sidewalk or against a palm tree.
Specifically, in Las Terrenas each year during this period there is a space dedicated to celebrating Semana Santa on a beach called Punta Popi. There you will find stalls selling everything from food and drinks to souvenirs of all kinds.