Good spots to stop in and around the lake are the swimming holes (springs) at Las Marias (near Neyba) and La Descubierta (on the northwest shore). Also near La Descubierta is the entrance to the national park, where there is a motor boat to take you to Isla Cabrita to see the crocodiles and other marine animals (get there early because the sun is too strong to go out on the lake after noon). Ask the locals to find out about other, more secluded, swimming holes.
Check out the gingerbread architecture of "Los Rios", a village on the north shore.
Give yourself lots of time to circumnavigate the lake, as road conditions vary.
A decent economy hotel in Barahona is the Hotel Barahona, between the Plaza Central and the Malecon. On the coast about 10 miles south of Barahona (near Baharuco) is the newish Hotel Ponte Vedra. It is a moderately priced apart-hotel on the beach and has two pools. It is "european plan" with breakfast and dinner included. Further south, across from the AI Bahoruco Beach Resort is Casa Bonita - bungalos perched on a hill overlooking the beach.
No trip to the Southwest would be complete without a visit to the beach and spring at San Rafael, about 20 miles south of Barahona.
For the cold Presidente, try the Colmado at the northeast corner of Barahona's Plaza Central. It's Chinese-operated, attracts what few expats there are in the area, and has been there since the 1940s. And of course the Malecon itself has plenty of casitas - though the City's ocean front is disappointing.
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