Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
BAHÍA DE LAS ÁGUILAS
Bahía de Las Águilas is the kind of beach that fantasies are made of. This pristine utopia is located in
the extremely remote southwestern corner of the DR, but those who do make it are rewarded with
10km of nearly deserted beach, forming a gentle arc between two prominent capes.
To get there, take the paved (and signed) road to Cabo Rojo, about 12km east of Pedernales. You'll
reach the port of Cabo Rojo after 6km. Continue following the signs to Bahía de Las Águilas (the road
turns nasty after Cabo Rojo but it's manageable - slowly - in a normal car) to a tiny fishing commu-
nity called Las Cuevas 6km after that. Note the namesake cave in the middle of the settlement - fish-
ing folk used to live inside it. There are two ways to get to Las Águilas from here. One is to have a
really good 4WD (and a driver with significant off-road experience) and attempt to drive there on a
steep, pockmarked track through the coastal cactus forest. The far more spectacular alternative is to go
by boat. Sailing past these gorgeous cliffs, with cacti clinging to the craggy edges and sea-diving pel-
icans nearby, might just be the perfect introduction to this beautiful beach.
The gorgeously located restaurant
Rancho Tipico
( 809-753-8058;
cuevasdelas-
aguilas@hotmail.com
;
Las Cuevas; mains RD$250-850; 10am-6pm) in Las Cuevas offers tours.
Prices are as follows: for groups of one to five, RD$200 per boat; six to eight, RD$350 per person;
nine to 10, RD$325 per person; 11 to 15, RD$275 per person; 16 to 20, RD$275 per person and so on.
The owner also rents snorkeling kits for RD$300. It also serves excellent food, specializing in seafood
and fantastic
mofongos
(try the
pulpo
) and sits on the edge of aquatic perfection, vying with El Cabito
in Las Galeras for the most stunning setting in all of the DR.
You can also negotiate with guides/boatsmen that gather around the national park ranger station just
off the parking lot in Las Cuevas and milling about the small pier a few meters past Rancho Tipico.
Snorkeling gear is included in their prices, but they don't always have it, so bring your own if you can.
If you arrive here solo, the best option is to form a group with others to share the boat ride - easier at
weekends when it's busy.
With all choices, you'll also need to pay the national park entrance fee (RD$100).
Ecotour Barahona (
Click here
) runs a day trip here (US$119). It organizes all the logistics, picks
you up and drops you off at your hotel, supplies lunch, and can show you where the best corals are to
go snorkeling.
There's a very small shelter with bathrooms on the beach, and a small lookout tower, but otherwise
no facilities. Camping is permitted.
Sleeping & Eating
Given the overall sense of isolation in this part of the country, it makes sense that most of
the hotels along the Barahona-Paraíso coastal highway also have their own restaurants,
which are generally excellent and open to nonguests.
Hotelito Oasi Italiana
HOTEL
$
