Limón, a 40-metre waterfall that can be reached on hor-seback or by foot. Access is organi-sed from any of the paradas along the way, traditional restaurants run by locals with fantas-tic, regional menus. At La Manzana, one of the paradas, cook Nena Alcalá reveals the secret of tradi-tional-style chic-ken: a sugar base and a wood-bur-ning stove. Dominican chic Back in the capital, the Dominican edition of Hola magazine catches your eye amongst all the other publications on sale at the petrol station rest area. Photos of local celebs strolling through the colonial city of Santo Domingo on a Saturday night hint at the gentrification underway here. The beautifully-kept, Spanish and French colonial architecture casitas look good enough to make you want to stay there permanently. Sophistication and simplicity sti-ll blend together here in perfect harmony. You can stay in Oscar de la Renta’s former home, have lunch at an exquisite local eatery with colourful tiled floors just around the corner for the equivalent of five euros, and have a few beers in a colmado at sunset while listening to El pintor Juan Mayí en su taller. ENG // The painter Juan Mayí in his studio.