YES PAPA! Rooms at 100m from the beach!

Yes Papa is in a great spot, a block from the ocean and close to two restaurants, a sushi bar, supermarkets, liquor stores, coffee shops, a dive shop, boat trips, pizza places, moto rentals, and the best grilled chicken in Las Galeras. In the afternoon, the ground floor garden bar brings together locals and guests. It’s a nice place to chat with the owners about places to visit, with no loud music, and it has a hostel-like gathering feel. The new owners are a fun couple from Key West, Florida, good conversationalists, and speaking English was a bonus for me. They bought the place about five months ago and have done an incredible job refurbishing and updating it. The rooms are really cool and have their own bathrooms. At night you can hear the tide breaking on the reef. Las Galeras is a small fishing village at the end of the road, simple and a little behind the times. Many of the best local finds and places to eat aren’t on Google, so it helps to have a well-connected host. For travelers who aren’t too fussy, the air-conditioned direct bus from Santo Domingo airport is a good option. It drops you less than 100 feet from this cute rental and currently costs 500 pesos. Even in September, the off season, Yes Papa was always at full capacity. I’d strongly suggest booking directly with them in advance.

The hosts were attentive and made sure I had what I needed, giving the place a comfortable, homey feel. It’s in an authentic, green setting within walking distance of the beach. I slept well, had a great holiday, and would happily stay again. Excellent hospitality.

The courtyard garden is lovely, and the recently renovated bar makes a nice spot to meet other travelers. Several beaches, restaurants, and stores are all within walking distance.

I stayed only one night because I didn’t really have a choice. The owners did help with the small repairs needed to make the room usable, but even the room at colibris, which seemed to be the best option, was less than decent. There was no toilet door or hot water, the front window wouldn’t close, and only one of the four windows had a mosquito net, which was full of holes. Pharaoh ants were inside, and the unbalanced fan looked like it could decapitate someone. The next day, the owner casually came up to us in the street and said we might have taken the towels. Maybe we would have, if there had been any to begin with.