Sosua is a small beachside town in the Dominican Republic. Historically it was most well known as a refuge for Jewish people escaping Nazi Germany. In more recent years it has become better known for its widespread prostitution. At one point in the early 21st century the place was home to numerous sex clubs and massage parlors. Nearly all of those places were shuttered but sex workers continue to congregate in Sosua. That in turn continues to draw in the customers.
According to the Thomas Reuters Foundation prostitution is legal in the Dominican Republic. Others sources say prostitution is in a grey area since it is not officially legalized or outlawed. Then there is Wikipedia which says that prostitution is legal in the country while pimping and brothel keeping are not.
I am not a lawyer. Nor am I an expert on the intricacies of the laws of the Dominican Republic. I don’t suggest that anyone do anything, legal or otherwise. I simply report on the world as it actually is. And the commercial sex industry in Sosua is quite prominent. Years ago the seaside town of Boca Chica arguably had a larger sex industry. These days that title must surely go to Sosua.
Some of the many women of Sosua have even done porn on the website Toticos. Years ago I interviewed the guy behind Toticos. He gave a lot of insight into the scene in Sosua and life in general. Now I will tell you about the rest.
Freelancers
A few decades ago Sosua was home to strip clubs, bars, night clubs filled with women and massage parlors. Most of that disappeared in an attempt to clean up the city and turn it into a family friendly resort. The actual result was that nearly all prostitution was pushed into unofficial areas like the internet and the street.
When all of the various venues were open and thriving street prostitution had more of the lower end character that it has today in places like New York City or Frankfurt. In the late 1990’s it was nothing to be accosted by street walkers in Sosua offering services for as little as 100 Pesos. At the time that amounted to just a few American dollars. It was maybe 10 percent of what the women working in the clubs and bars wanted.
These days the mix of Dominicanas and Haitian women working the streets and various websites offer sex at a premium. For what amounts to the equivalent of $50 USD to as high as $150 USD these women will visit rooms with guys and offer a blowjob and sex with a condom. The women are not attached to any specific place so they come and go as they please. At the same time there are plenty of reports of things like broken promises and even missing money and goods from rooms. There are two sides to every story but the scene has certainly transformed in Sosua over the last 30 years. Any regular visitor will confirm.
All prostitution in Sosua is geared towards foreigners. There is plenty of local prostitution in the country. Short time hotels, brothels and strip clubs can be found just outside of Sosua. Their typical rates are much lower than what the freelancers in Sosua charged. But they are patronized by local guys.
Adult resorts
Adult resorts have long been popular in the Caribbean. These places are set up like all inclusive holiday getaways. They have everything from secure rooms to bars and private pools. They also have a lot of women around who provide sexual services and company to the guests in exchange for money. As you may guess these places are quite expensive. A person can spend as much as $1525 USD for a mere night at one of these establishments. But other packages are also available.
A few extinct venues like The Palace and Blue Dolphin once acted as a sort of hybrid model. They were hotels with pools, food, staff and everything else a guest might want. They were also regularly visited by vetted freelancers who would go to the rooms of guests on request. These places have since closed or transformed into something else entirely. A place called Passions came complete with a go go bar and massage facilities but that place was closed by the authorities. Now the action is all either in the streets or in the closed off clubs.
There are two main adult results in Sosua today. More precisely they are in the immediate vicinity of Sosua. Blackbeards is located around the Puerto Plata International Airport. It is a self-contained unit in Costambar. Guests who check in can have all of their needs met without ever leaving the place at all. Though I imagine many do venture out at the very least to visit the nearby beach.
Blue Paradise is located in Cabarete. This newer but still well established club was formed by the merger or two other places. This place is arguably a little more upscale than Blackbeards. But it also has higher prices. Blue Paradise also goes to pains to state that they “offer hosting services, not SEX HOLIDAYS companions”. Of course “what consenting adults do in their own time is between them”.
