Day trip to Boca de Yuma

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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The first time I visited this fishing village, off the road between La Romana and Higuey, was in December 1998. Three months earlier, hurricane Georges had all but flattened the area, and the town was still recovering. The small seafront hotels had been damaged and were not open, but we were allowed to stay in one of the rooms in the ruins of the hotel, with no electricity, no water, and a noisy mosquito battalion. The hotel is right next to Hoyo Zumbador, the natural 'swimming pool' created by rocks enclosing a perfect square section of the seafront.

There are a number of things to see and do in and around Boca de Yuma.

Boat trips: The fishermen will take you across the river to Playa Blanca, a small white sand beach that they keep clear of rubbish. (I remember that in 1998 it was covered in flotsam and jetsam). They will also take you up the Yuma river, which is lined by steep cliffs covered in rainforest vegetation.

Freshly caught fish: There are several small locally-run fish restaurants. None of them accept credit cards and there is no ATM in town, not even in the nearby town of San Rafael de Yuma a few kilometres before Boca de Yuma. The nearest banks would be in La Romana or Higuey. Just outside San Rafael is the Casa Museo Ponce de Le?n.

Cueva de Berna - an impressive cave even without the stalactites and stalagmites - they all appear to have been plundered or vandalised.

We had lunch at a new restaurant built on the site of the abandoned hotel I mentioned earlier. It is called El Arponero and the owner is Italian. Highly recommended for quality food, service, setting, decor and hygiene, with a very special mention for the owner's hospitality and flexibility: no credit cards are accepted but he gave us bank account details so we could deposit the money on Monday.

For photos, see their Facebook page and website:
Restaurante El Arponero - Boca de Yuma, Higuey Santo Domingo Republica Dominicana - Restaurante con especialidad en pescado y marisco, frente al mar cerca del Hoyo Zumbador
https://www.facebook.com/elarponero
(809) 493-5522
 

caribmike

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Jul 9, 2009
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Some pics from there:

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tht

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Oct 10, 2002
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Boca de Yuma is nice, I go there quite often. I'm surprised the place is not better known. Coming from La Romana the shortest way is turn off to Bayahibe, turn left towards Benerito and take the old road. The last ATM is Banco Popular at La Romana airport.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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looks great. do they have numero de comprobante fiscal? and is there a botellero in town?
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I was told by someone in the tour organizing business that the area is kinda nasty.

Not true?
 

Chirimoya

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looks great. do they have numero de comprobante fiscal? and is there a botellero in town?
Who, Ponce de Le?n? :)

cobraboy said:
I was told by someone in the tour organizing business that the area is kinda nasty.

Not true?
If they mean unsafe, not at all. The locals are very friendly and there is very little hustling - the boat and restaurant owners approached us but not at all aggressively or persistently. If they mean rough round the edges, most of the eateries are quite basic but there are a couple of more upscale restaurants like El Arponero. I noticed another one called El Pirata or similar which also looked OK.
 

cobraboy

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If they mean unsafe, not at all. The locals are very friendly and there is very little hustling - the boat and restaurant owners approached us but not at all aggressively or persistently. If they mean rough round the edges, most of the eateries are quite basic but there are a couple of more upscale restaurants like El Arponero. I noticed another one called El Pirata or similar which also looked OK.
He meant dirty water and nasty beaches.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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He meant dirty water and nasty beaches.
I didn't see it for myself but the boat owners told us they kept the nearby beach clean. The rivermouth and the sea did have some rubbish floating about, yes. When we go back for the boat trip I'll update this report.