Barahona and the Doable South

[imsteiner]

Thank you to all the people who responded to my post. It is great to get the most up to date info. A few things are still fuzzy, so please bear with me for a few more questions.
I actually fly into Punta Cana. Got a great deal coming through Toronto so I had to take it. I will try to see quite a bit of the country but I look forward to the S.W the most. During my travels I always try to find those hidden gems.
So, I had to laugh when someone said that there is absolutely nothing at Bahia de las Aguilas, for me that it the point! Walking up and down that beach (after hopefully driving in) is the perfect day for me and my wife. There arent many places like that left in the world where you can be all by yourself. That is why im keen on being there for a day or two.
So let me get this straight, Hoyo Pelampito is the road from route 44 that leads to the beach? If so , how long is it? Can i rent a regular car and drive in most of the way and walk down to the beach?
Ive seen photos that you have to drive down a steep bit to get to the beach (road). Can we walk in from some point? or is the only option to drive all the way in. Can we drive to Cabo Roho and walk from there? And finally is Cabo Roho where the boat leaves from to get to Bahia?
Sorry for all the specific questions, I know that my Spanish is limited to deal with the locals. However everybody elses advice about accomodations and attractions was exactly what i was looking for. I can already tell that the South West will be the best part of my Dominican holiday! thanks again, C

[drloca]

The boat to BDLA leaves from La Cueva.

So you will be picking up your rental vehicle in PUJ, correct?

[PGerace]

The drive from Punta Cana to Bahia de Las Aguilas will take you up to 11 hrs!
Punta Cana to Santo Domingo is 4 hrs, SD to Barahona is 4 hrs, and Barahona to BDLA is 2.5 hrs.
Yes, the beach of BDLA is gorgeous (see attached photo) and deserted but I hope you leave time to explore the east coast of Punta Cana, Miches, and the Samana Peninsula as those beaches are also really nice.
I would recommend a separate trip/flight into SD or Barahona since there is much to explore in the Southwest.

Good luck.
Paul Gerace

[minerva_feliz]

I just wanted to make sure that you knew there was "nothing" at Bahia since you said you wanted to spend a few days there (atypical) and hadn't been to the DR before. If that's what you're looking for, great, you'll find it at Bahia, and that's what most folks love about going there.

As was pointed out, it is REALLY far from Punta Cana to Barahona and Bahia. If you like driving at want to check out the scenery, great. But I recommend a stopover in Santo Domingo to rest and see a few things there.

The boats for Bahia leave from a place called "la Cueva", which is near Cabo Rojo. Pelampito is NOT the road that goes out to la Cueva to get to Bahia de las Aguilas. It is another place that you could go to. You will see the road, it is about 20 min. before you get into Pedernales and there is a sign on the left. There are also signs that tell you where to turn on that road. It is kind of far, as the road is pretty bumpy, maybe 30-45 min? A regular car CAN get you back to where the boats are at la Cueva. The boats should be around $RD 1500 round trip, pay after they bring you back to your car. I would not recommend that you walk from where you park your car to the beach, as it is about 5 km hike through desert-like conditions, with no shade. I have done it, not a fun time if you have the money to spare unless you enjoy long walks through the desert vs. on the beach. Unfortunately, it's just worth it to pay that much for the boat to go out there. The coastline scenery on the boat is great. Even if you have a 4x4 to drive out there, someone mentioned they got stuck on the big hill, and having to pay several times more than the boat would have cost to be pulled out.