I am driving south to north and back at least once weekly and the journey provokes emotions in certain parts.
Factors that affect the drive can be simplified by quality of road, scenery if you get time to look around, quality of drivers, rule enforcement and quantity of idiots driving especially on two wheels.
I have time to think and when it comes to driving, I have now formed an opinion of the best places to drive in DR...and the worst.
It may surprise many if I say that in addition to enjoying the drive up the Autopista to the Nagua to Samana road and onwards to either Cabrera and Rio San Juan or Las Terrenas, I find driving in the capital much easier (when not in a traffic jam) than in many other places. Frankly the drivers are better and in many parts now the rules of the road are beginning to be enforced.
Other decent driving experiences for me are after Azua to Barahona and San Juan and for a boring easy drive add to the East Coast from the capital.
When it comes to the worst, there are many, and my current pet hate is anywhere near Moca because of the nuisance the moto drivers cause along with police or military check points.
Most scenic with a decent road could be south of Barahona or north of San Jose de Ocoa until the road deteriorates. Most impressive and decent road perhaps is the toll road to Las Terrenas imo just ahead of the drive through Parque Haitises on Autopista Juan Pablo 2. Piedra Blanca to Rancho Arriba is more impressive than Constanza to Jarabacoa but both lack the really big vistas.
Some drives are great. Some are horrible.
Factors that affect the drive can be simplified by quality of road, scenery if you get time to look around, quality of drivers, rule enforcement and quantity of idiots driving especially on two wheels.
I have time to think and when it comes to driving, I have now formed an opinion of the best places to drive in DR...and the worst.
It may surprise many if I say that in addition to enjoying the drive up the Autopista to the Nagua to Samana road and onwards to either Cabrera and Rio San Juan or Las Terrenas, I find driving in the capital much easier (when not in a traffic jam) than in many other places. Frankly the drivers are better and in many parts now the rules of the road are beginning to be enforced.
Other decent driving experiences for me are after Azua to Barahona and San Juan and for a boring easy drive add to the East Coast from the capital.
When it comes to the worst, there are many, and my current pet hate is anywhere near Moca because of the nuisance the moto drivers cause along with police or military check points.
Most scenic with a decent road could be south of Barahona or north of San Jose de Ocoa until the road deteriorates. Most impressive and decent road perhaps is the toll road to Las Terrenas imo just ahead of the drive through Parque Haitises on Autopista Juan Pablo 2. Piedra Blanca to Rancho Arriba is more impressive than Constanza to Jarabacoa but both lack the really big vistas.
Some drives are great. Some are horrible.