Cueva del Edén: A Secret Garden and Cave in Santo Domingo
- Jessica Vides
- 22 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you’re visiting Santo Domingo — or if you live here and somehow haven’t heard of this place yet — put this on your list.
Cueva del Edén (Eden's Cave) in Santo Domingo is one of those places that makes you stop and say, how is this here? Tucked away in Santo Domingo Este (East side of the city), just 25 minutes from the airport, sits a lush, peaceful oasis hidden in the middle of a neighborhood. We know “hidden gem” is an overused phrase… but in this case, it’s 100% accurate.
We’ve lived in the Dominican Republic for 11 years, and this is exactly the kind of place we’re always excited to find — authentic, rooted in culture, and completely unexpected.
What is Cueva del Edén in Santo Domingo?
Cueva del Edén is part of a much larger property known as Praedium Garden Events — but what happens here goes far beyond a typical venue.
This is a place where you can:
Dine poolside while enjoying elevated Dominican cuisine
Relax and swim in the pool surrounded by lush greenery
Swim and explore a natural cave located on the property
Walk the gardens and discover local flora, fruit trees, and plants
Take part in hands-on cultural experiences that show how the Taíno people — the original inhabitants of Hispaniola — lived, cooked, and ate
Stay overnight in one of their unique tiny houses tucked into the property (more on that below)
Whether you’re coming for one experience or planning to spend the entire day here, this is a place worth exploring. It’s relaxing, educational, and completely unexpected — especially considering it's in the middle of a neghborhood in Santo Domingo.
How Cueva del Edén Came to Be
Cueva del Edén is part of land that has been in Jenny Rosa’s family for decades. What was once simply known as “el campo” slowly evolved over time, as her family built it up little by little — first as a place to gather, then eventually as event spaces.
Within the property, there was an area that remained largely untouched, including the caves. Jenny saw potential there.
What began as a personal passion project turned into years of thoughtful work restoring and cultivating the land around the caves. Rather than building over it, she focused on working with what was already there — the trees, fruit, natural formations, and the stories tied to the land.
Her vision was never just tourism. She wanted to create a space that reflected how the Taíno people, the original inhabitants of Hispaniola, lived — through food, traditional cooking methods, cacao, coffee, clay, and a deep connection to nature.
Today, Cueva del Edén brings that vision to life, offering locals and visitors a calm, beautiful space to relax, learn, and experience Dominican culture in a way that feels genuine and rooted.
Caves Beneath Santo Domingo
If you’ve been to Los Tres Ojos, you already know — much of Santo Domingo sits on top of a network of caves.
Cueva del Edén has its own small, private cave, and yes — you can swim in it. While it’s much smaller than Los Tres Ojos, that’s what makes it special — no crowds, no chaos, just a calm, refreshing space to enjoy.
⚠️ Heads up: To reach the cave, you’ll walk down a steep, spiral staircase. This isn’t ideal for those with mobility issues, and children should be supervised closely. At the bottom, there’s a small tiled platform with chairs to sit and relax, but surfaces can be slippery. Water shoes or sturdy sandals are a great idea.
What It Feels Like
What makes the experience even better (and realxing) is that the restaurant is built around the pool. You sit poolside, surrounded by greenery, enjoying your meal — it’s casual, beautiful, and incredibly relaxing. It doesn’t feel like a traditional restaurant at all; it feels like you’re spending the day at a countryside retreat.
This place feels like:
A countryside retreat
A history lesson without feeling like one
A break from the noise of Santo Domingo
A reminder of how connected Dominican culture is to the land
This is a perfect alternative to a beach day, especially if you’re short on time or staying in Santo Domingo.
How to Get There (Important!)
Cueva del Eden is located in Santo Domingo Este (East side). There are two ways to enter:
Praedium Events Main Entrance | Click here for location
Enter through the main entrance for Praedium Garden Events on Calle las Damas near Hipódromo. There is a reception area there. Tell the person at the entrance that you’re going to Cueva del Edén Restaurant.
From there, you will be escorted down the property (there are quite a few stairs) , passing the event spaces, until you reach the restaurant, pool, and caves.
Alternate Entrance | Click here for location
There’s also a second entrance on Calle 6ta that brings you closer to Cueva del Eden. There may not be anyone there at the gate, but if you walk in and follow the path to the left, you will find the pool area.
⚠️ Heads up: Both roads are an adventure — potholes, uneven terrain, hills. Take it slow. Totally doable, just don’t rush it.
Visiting Options & Prices (RD$)
You have a few ways to enjoy Cueva del Edén:
🌿 Day Pass/Pasadía – RD$1,500 per person ($24 USD)
Includes:
Appetizer
Plato fuerte (from a selected menu)
One non-alcoholic drink
Access to the pool and cave
🍽️ Restaurant Minimum – RD$1,500 per person
Same access as the pasadía, but you order freely from the menu instead of the fixed option. This gives you access to swim in the pool and cave.
🍴 Restaurant Only
You can also just order from the menu and spend less — without pool or cave access.
⭐ The Experience Package (Highly Recommended)
RD$2,460 per person ($39 USD)
This includes:
Everything in the pasadía
Two cultural experiences of your choice
A guided tour of the property
You can choose from:
Cacao / Chocolate experience
Coffee experience
Casabe (yuca) experience (more on that below)
Pottery — learning how the Taíno worked with clay
Our Casabe Experience
We’ve eaten casabe before — usually picked up at the supermarket — but this was a completely different experience and honestly, a completely different food.
It starts with yuca, and we were taught how to peel it using a shell (yes, an actual shell — just as the Taíno would have done). From there, the yuca is grated using a more modern grater, but the process and intention remain rooted in tradition.
Next, we picked fresh herbs straight from the garden — oregano and a small hot pepper — and learned how to mix everything together in a traditional pilón. Finally, it was cooked over an open fire.
And when we tell you it was delicious — we mean it. It may not sound like much on paper, but the experience of learning, cooking, and tasting it yourself makes all the difference. We loved every part of it.
During these experiences, you will walk the grounds, see fruit trees, other caves on the property, and learn how food and culture are deeply tied to Dominican history.
You can easily spend hours here without feeling rushed.
The Food (So Good)
The food deserves its own section.
This is Dominican food at its finest — homemade, thoughtful, and full of flavor. Food made with love, not shortcuts. Come for breakfast, lunch or maybe just an appetizer and cocktail or coffee.
And the cocktails? Excellent. The piña colada is especially refreshing and perfect after a swim.
Sometimes we don’t think Dominicans realize what they truly have here — and Jenny is incredibly passionate about sharing the best of it with visitors.
When to Go
Open daily, including holidays
Approximate hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
👉 Our tip: Go on a weekday if you can. It’s quieter, more intimate, and you may feel like you have the place to yourself.
A Unique Place to Stay in Santo Domingo Este
Cueva del Edén also offers a few one-of-a-kind places to stay for travelers looking for something different. The accommodations are simple, eco-focused, and built using recycled materials.
Options include a tiny plywood house with a small private bathroom, a minimalist A-frame cabin with space just for a bed and a shared bathroom nearby, and a more traditional room built over the cave entrance with a queen bed, private bathroom, and A/C.
Tiny House | A-frame Tiny Cabins | Modern Room
Staying overnight gives you access to the pool and cave, a peaceful evening atmosphere, occasional bonfires, and breakfast included. Guests often say it feels like being transported to el campo — without leaving the city.
This isn’t luxury, but it is safe, unique, and memorable — perfect if you’re looking to connect with nature in an unexpected place.
👉 Our tip: Bring mosquito repellant, and think twice about booking these tiny houses in the summer months.
Why Cueva del Edén Belongs on Your Santo Domingo List
Yes — Santo Domingo has incredible fine dining, nightlife, and historic sites.
But if you’re looking for something:
Authentic
Cultural
Active yet relaxing
Deeply Dominican
Cueva del Edén needs to be on your list.
This is exactly the kind of place we seek out now that we’re living in the city — and we’ll absolutely be coming back.
If you have a group and also want to plan an event in the city, this could be your place.
Contact them for more info and to book a reservation:
Cueva del Eden | WhatsApp: 809-697-0089
We’ll keep sharing places like this across the country — there’s so much more to explore. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next post.
And if you’re interested in a custom-planned trip to the Dominican Republic, we’d love to help you plan it. You can learn more about that here.
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