Driving Directions POP to Santiago

[yelkcub]

I'll be spending one week at the Hotel Aloha Sol in Santiago in June. Since I will be arriving at POP it's my intention to rent a car. Can anyone help with directions to the hotel from the airport in Puerto Plata?

Many thanks!

Robin

[J D Sauser]

• Leave STI Airport.
• Coming onto the Hwy, turn right (Westbound) towards "Santigo/Centro Ciudad" (Do NOT go in direction of Santo Domingo or La Vega!).
• Coming into town following that Hwy, keep straight in direction "Santigo/Centro Ciudad". You should see the Monumento landmark, a tower (picture below) approaching in front of you.
• You will get on a roundabout, go around it 3/4 turn (to 9:00 o'clock form where you are coming from) and exit left of where you are coming from (Southbound). The road will lead around a park and the monument and continue Westbound right into Calle del Sol.

Your hotel is on Calle del Sol just a couple of blocks down further West from the Monumento. If my memory serves me well, Calle Cuba is a nearby intersection. There is also a "Plaza Lama" department store across the road.

If you use google earth you can copy and paste below coordinates into your "Fly to"-window and click on the magnifying glass:

1. The roundabout. You are coming from the East and go South: 19°27'0.85"N, 70°41'26.32"W
2. The Monumento: 19°27'2.95"N, 70°41'41.30"W
3. Hotel Aloha Sol (approximate location along Calle del Sol): 19°27'1.43"N, 70°42'0.21"W

Hope this is of help... J-D.

[J D Sauser]

Sorry. I misread. Wrong Airport.

Leaving from POP:

• Leave Airport and turn right (West Bound) onto the Hwy in direction of Puerto Plata.
• Arriving into Puerto Plata you will reach a large roundabout, exit that one at 11:00 o'clock from where you are coming from and continue on this road thru Puerto Plata.
• Go all the way straight on the Hwy exiting Puerto Plata for about 45km, thru various small villages and passing thru the country's only tunnel, until you reach a big intersection (Navarette). Turn left (Eastbound) onto the four lane Hwy into Santiago.
• Drive into Santiago, you will first get onto a small roundabout with two Toyota dealerships to the left of it. Pass that roundabout almost straight exiting at 11:00 o'clock form where you are coming from.
• Stay onto that road way into town.
• There will be an expressway overpass with a National Super Market to your left. You can take that one.
• Shortly there after you will see a big over pass intersection crossing. This is the road that comes from your left from Santo Doming (and STI Airport) and goes to your right toward the Monumento! You want to stick right so that you can make it up onto that intersection and NOT continue straight underneath it!
• As soon as you are onto the intersection, turn right (Westbound) towards the Monumento... this will lead you onto the roundabout mentioned on above post/ Go around it 3/4 turn (to 9:00 o'clock form where you are coming from) and exit left of where you are coming from (Southbound). The road will lead around a park and the monument and continue Westbound right into Calle del Sol.Your hotel is on Calle del Sol just a couple of blocks down further West from the Monumento. If my memory serves me well, Calle Cuba is a nearby intersection. There is also a "Plaza Lama" department store across the road.

If you use google earth you can copy and paste below coordinates into your "Fly to"-window and click on the magnifying glass:

1. The overpass intersection you need to get onto: 19°26'59.93"N, 70°41'12.75"W
2. The roundabout. You are coming from the East and go South: 19°27'0.85"N, 70°41'26.32"W
3. The Monumento: 19°27'2.95"N, 70°41'41.30"W
4. Hotel Aloha Sol (approximate location along Calle del Sol): 19°27'1.43"N, 70°42'0.21"W

I hope I got it right this time around .

... J-D.

[yelkcub]

Great! Thanks so much for the info.

Robin

[Hillbilly]

Or, you could take a taxi to one of the bus services, take a bus--Metro--to Santiago and then a taxi to the Hotel. Cheaper, safer, and less hassle.
then, if you must, you could rent a car...

HB

[yelkcub]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

Or, you could take a taxi to one of the bus services, take a bus--Metro--to Santiago and then a taxi to the Hotel. Cheaper, safer, and less hassle.
then, if you must, you could rent a car...

HB

Actually, I've decided to use "Dominican Airport Transfers" who are charging me $95 (US) from POP to the Hotel Aloha Sol and then picking me up again after 1 week in Santiago (June 21) to bring me back to POP airport where I have reserved a car for my second week.

My first week in Santiago will be to connect with 2 boys that I sponsor through Children's International (really looking forward to this). They are arranging for me to see their facilities as well as visiting with the two families. One of the boys will be having his 11th birthday while I am there. Then my second week will be spent in Cabarete and with a car for the week I'm going to get out and explore as much as I can.

Robin

[Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by J D Sauser

Sorry. I misread. Wrong Airport.

Leaving from POP:

• Leave Airport and turn right (West Bound) onto the Hwy in direction of Puerto Plata.
• Arriving into Puerto Plata you will reach a large roundabout, exit that one at 11:00 o'clock from where you are coming from and continue on this road thru Puerto Plata.
• Go all the way straight on the Hwy exiting Puerto Plata for about 45km, thru various small villages and passing thru the country's only tunnel, until you reach a big intersection (Navarette). Turn left (Eastbound) onto the four lane Hwy into Santiago.
• Drive into Santiago, you will first get onto a small roundabout with two Toyota dealerships to the left of it. Pass that roundabout almost straight exiting at 11:00 o'clock form where you are coming from.
• Stay onto that road way into town.
• There will be an expressway overpass with a National Super Market to your left. You can take that one.
• Shortly there after you will see a big over pass intersection crossing. This is the road that comes from your left from Santo Doming (and STI Airport) and goes to your right toward the Monumento! You want to stick right so that you can make it up onto that intersection and NOT continue straight underneath it!
• As soon as you are onto the intersection, turn right (Westbound) towards the Monumento... this will lead you onto the roundabout mentioned on above post/ Go around it 3/4 turn (to 9:00 o'clock form where you are coming from) and exit left of where you are coming from (Southbound). The road will lead around a park and the monument and continue Westbound right into Calle del Sol.Your hotel is on Calle del Sol just a couple of blocks down further West from the Monumento. If my memory serves me well, Calle Cuba is a nearby intersection. There is also a "Plaza Lama" department store across the road.

If you use google earth you can copy and paste below coordinates into your "Fly to"-window and click on the magnifying glass:

1. The overpass intersection you need to get onto: 19°26'59.93"N, 70°41'12.75"W
2. The roundabout. You are coming from the East and go South: 19°27'0.85"N, 70°41'26.32"W
3. The Monumento: 19°27'2.95"N, 70°41'41.30"W
4. Hotel Aloha Sol (approximate location along Calle del Sol): 19°27'1.43"N, 70°42'0.21"W

I hope I got it right this time around .

... J-D.

WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE:
]As soon as you are onto the intersection, turn right (Westbound) towards the Monumento... this will lead you onto the roundabout mentioned on above post/ Go around it 3/4 turn (to 9:00 o'clock form where you are coming from) and exit left of where you are coming from (Southbound). The road will lead around a park and the monument and continue Westbound right into Calle del Sol.Your hotel is on Calle del Sol just a couple of blocks down further West from the Monumento. If my memory serves me well, Calle Cuba is a nearby intersection. There is also a "Plaza Lama" department store across the road.[/list]

You cannot get to Aloha Sol with these directions. In the first place you do not get to the roundabout after turning right off Estrella Sadhala! You come along a side street that goes past the Hotel Matum and does not allow direct access to the roundabout...Sol is one way going UP the hill.

Here is one way to get there:

As you approach the Monument, stay to the right and continue past the Hotel Matum and the Casino. You will start to go down the hill, with a series of traffic lights. Starting with the one at the top, there are four, I believe--Francia, Duarte, Sabana Larga and San Luis--after the fourth you make the first right, then the next right, and then a third right, and you are now on San Luis Street, going south. You take San Luis three lights to Sol, turn left, and Aloha Sol is on your right.

ALTERNATE ROUTE:

As you come over the elevated portion of Estrella Sadhala, stay to the right.
At the first light, turn right. This is Argentina. Go two lights, and at the second, bear to the left, and go past the foot of the monument. Turn right. At the light you turn right again, and being careful, take the next left and go down Beller Street(about 8 blocks) to San Luis, turn left and then left at the light up Sol Street.

Alternate Route #2

Same as above,(As you come over the elevated portion of Estrella Sadhala, stay to the right.
At the first light, turn right. This is Argentina. Go two lights, and at the second, bear to the left, and go past the foot of the monument. Turn right.) except at the light, instead of turning right, you go left, down Ave. Francia to 16 de Agosto where you turn right, down the hill. When you get to Mella, turn right, and then at the second corner, turn right again. The hotel should be on your right.

NOW do you see why I suggested a taxi--bus--taxi solution???

HB

[yelkcub]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

NOW do you see why I suggested a taxi--bus--taxi solution???

HB

I agree - see my reply above!!

Robin

[J D Sauser]

I am sorry I blundered. Actually I did twice by first doing it out of STI and then only out of POP, which is the reason that led to the bad end result. Y

Yes, Hillbilly is as usual right, the (Duarte) Hwy from Santo Domingo (and thus STI) comes in from an elevated express way, bypassing the Sadhala underpass intersection and runs directly and exclusively into the roundabout... the ramp from Sadhala towards the city goes parallel to the right of it but is forced to bypass the roundabout sharply (not allowing any turns) because of the width of the incoming Hwy in the middle.

I personally would suggest taking the NEXT left (Southbound) after passing the roundabout, crossing over with the Monumento on the driver's immediate right and then, right (Westbound) at the SE-corner of the Monumento onto the street which leads into Calle del Sol.
The same can be achieved crossing over just BELOW (West of) the Monumento.

I think people who don't know a city and with the added stress caused by the sometimes awkward traffic situation there, can't possibly concentrate on street names (and their often missing or warped signs). This is why I chose not to use names and the E. Sadhala way (there are potentially faster alternatives from Puerto Plata), it's straight and leads up to and around easily identifiable land marks like the Santo Domingo (Duarte Hwy) overpasses and El Monumento 19°27'2.95"N, 70°41'41.30"W.

Well, I am glad somebody did catch the mistake before somebody took the road and found himself in a pretty little mess just because a ramp propelled him past a crucial intersection. Again I apologize.

I think, Hillbilly has again a very valid point suggestion public transportation, especially if you are not used to Latin American traffic.

... J-D.

[Hillbilly]

Applause for the poster....And 95 dollars is a great prices for giving you round trip service to POP...

I know the people at Children's International. They do good work. A few years ago I helped another poster, STLouisMike, go and see his kids. He had a birthday party for one and a dinner for another....

You should know that they watch you like a hawk, for obvious reasons. But you can have fun.

There is a place up by the monument, the last one on Sol Street before the roundabout, that catered to the group and was a huge hit with the kids and their families. I'll show it to you when you get here, if you want.

A taxi ride to the Childrens International offices is 100 pesos. FTI.

HB