Higuey to Las Galeras

Can anyone tell me the best way to drive this route?

Tom,

Driving from Higuey to Las Galeras is the same as driving from Punta Cana to Samana (See Jim Hinsch's question below). Higuey is the capital of La Altagracia province. Punta Cana is a *beach* (not even a town or a city) located in the province.

Maybe some day Dom Rep will have a nontreacherous road connecting La Altagracia to Sabana de la Mar...some day.

Now, this seems to me like something you would know Tom. Are you "DCing" us again, LOL! Yes, it does seem like this is quite a recurring question nowadays. Perhaps we should refer posters to the archives? :-)

Regards,
Natasha

WAY DESDCRIPTION FROM SANTO DOMINGO PEAJE NORTH GOING TO SAMANA.
AT THE ABOVE MENTIONED PEAJE PUT YOUR KM READER TO 0!AT KM 58 OR 62 YOU REACH PIEDRA BLANCA.AS ROADMARK TAKE THE ESSO STATION ON THE LEFT HANDSIDE WHICH IS THE HEIGHT TO TURN RIGHT IN TO DIRECTION OF MAIMON-COTUI.
KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU REACH MAIMON AND MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON THE FIRST INTERSECTION AND KEEP GOING STRAIGHT UNTIL COTUI.AT THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE OF COTUI YOU MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND GO TO THE 2ND TRAFFICLIGHT.GASSTATION SHOULD BE ON YOUR LEFTHANDSIDE.
DON'T MAKE A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN ONLY 45 AND LET THE FERRETERIA ON YOUR LEFTHANDSIDE.
A FEW KM AFTER COTUI YOU PASS OVER BRIDGE SPANNING A RIVER.KEEP GOING UNTIL THE GASSTATION TEXACO I BELIEVE AND TURN RIGHT.
YOU WILL NOW BE PASSING THROUGH RICEFIELDS GOING STRAIGHT TO PIMENTEL.
ENTERING PIMENTEL KEEP GOING PASSING BY THE POLICE DEPT. CROSSING THE INTERSECTION UNTIL YOU REACH THE MAINHIGHWAY.MAKE A SHARP RIGHT TURN AND KEEP GOING TO HATILLO.GO UP THE HILL KEEPING LEFT NOT RIGHT.ONCE AGAIN A POLICE STATION ON YOUR LEFT HANDSIDE BUT PRETTY HIDDEN.YOU WILL KNOW AS SOON AS YOU HIT THE SLEEPING POLICEMAN.
FROM HERE YOU KEEP GOING STRAIGHT TO NAGUA.DEPENDING ON THE MAP YOU HAVE YOU WANT TO TURN RIGHT PASSING TO VILLAS RIVAS BUT THAT'S A DEAD END.
COMING INTO NAGUA YOU KEEP GOING UNTIL THE WAY IS SPLIT BY A TRIANGUALR PARK.TURN RIGHT AND ON THE NEXT STREET AGAIN RIGHT WHICH BRINGS YOU ON THE WAY TO SAMANA.FROM HERE YOU HAVE ABOUT 80 KM TO SAMANA.
COMING INTO SAMANA KEEP GOING STRAIGHT AND LEAVE THE PORT/BAY ON YOUR RIGHT HANDSIDE AND TAKE THE ROAD UP THE HILL WHERE YOU MAKE ANOTHER RIGHT TURN UNTIL YOU COME TO LAS GALERAS.

IS THIS DESCRIPTION ANY HELPFUL?I PROPABLY TAKE THIS ROUTE NEXT WEEK SO I WILL REFRESH MY MEMORY A BIT.

DRIVING TIME FROM THE PEAJE TO SAMANA ABOUT 5-6 HOURS.MY BEST TIME SO FAR :AROUND 3 HOURS.ONLY FLYING IS MORE FUN

Most of Big Daddy's route is good, except I'm going to suggest not to take the Maimon-Couti-Pimetel cutoff. This shortcut used to be worth taking, but now everybody takes it and the traffic has become dangerous.
Instead of cutting off at Piedra Blanca, keep going north past Bonao and take the San Francisco de Macoris cutoff. Go 10 miles to SFM and proceed through the city and head for Nagua. You will pass the intersection at Pimentel where Big Daddy's instructions pick up again and continue on to Samana.
As there is a lot of construction along the harbor, you may have to take the detour going out of Samana on your way to Las Galeras.
The detour route: Once in Samana and past the only traffic light, go around the 2nd traffic circle so that you can make a left turn and exit from where you entered (270 degrees around). Then go to the 2nd left on the exit road and turn left. This road winds around past the cemetary and up behind Samana, then past the fort/prison and intersects where the harbor road comes up to the top of the hill that Big Daddy describes. He has you turning right for Las Galeras and going this way you will go straight ahead (the intersection is a "T" with the verticle part being the road down the hill to the harbor and you are traveling across the top). Las Galeras is 18 miles/27 KM from here.

Tom, I was thinking about doing that drive also, but was wondering if I should get polio and malaria shots before I leave???

this route passing through san franzisco is about 60 km longer.
but san franzisco is a nice place and worthwhile passing through.
in regards to the "heavy traffic".it will take you about 3-4 hours getting to nagua which is about 180 km from santo domingo. this means average 40-50 km/h and therefore really of no importance.

Yes the SFM route is longer, but with the amount of traffic now using the shortcut route (that usually slows you down), the time difference is not that great. The big advantage is the quality of the roads and their safety factor: 4-lane, divided autopista and mostly straight, flat 2 lane country highway versus a somewhat mountainous, twisting road not as well maintained. The last time I drove the shortcut route about a year ago, I almost dropped an axle when my Cherokee just about got lost in a pothole.

It depends on if you wish to bring Canadian or US currency

Better for safety reasons.

I have been on most of Big Daddy's route and it is difficult at best althought if you have the time, it is very interesting..

As far as time goes, They are probably about the same or it even might be faster thru SFM, since the Duarte Highway is so fast and the road into SFM is like an arrow...

HB

What is the best mosquito repellant to take on this route?