If you can, spend more than one night in Punta Cana. It is a very lovely beach area. The roads are good to very good. Driving in the DR is on the same as the USA.
Leave early as you make your way to Santo Domingo from Punta Cana. There is a big fork in the road that brings you in from Higuey to La Romana. On the way west, drop by to visit Dominicus beach right beside the Dominicus Palace hotel (the public beach is the best part) and spend at least an hour or two there. To get there you need to go in the direction of Bayahibe beach, but do not take the road straight, take the road after Casa del Mar that turns slightly to the right. After time at Dominicus, head for Altos de Chavon and La Marina de Casa de Campo where you can have lunch. It?s about a two-hour drive from Punta Cana to Dominicus. Stopover in La Romana town at the Jumbo department store and buy yourself a good road map.
Another two hours will put you in Santo Domingo. To get into the colonial city, just go over the bridge and do not take the Elevados (overpasses), keep on the road and turn to the left and follow that south. It will take you into Arzobispo Meri?o street right into the middle of the Colonial City.
We recommend you overnight evenings at one of the hotels of the colonial city, the small ones ? Sofitel Frances, Sofitel Nicolas de Ovando or the Antigua Europa. Check out
http://www.dr1.com/directories/index.shtml
Next day take the time to visit the Colonial City ? Cathedral, Alcazar. Have your friend show you modern Santo Domingo, too.
Early in the day head out for Puerto Plata. To do this you need to get on John F. Kennedy Avenue which leads into Autopista Duarte. Get off at the Carrefour (near Manoguayabo, about 5 minutes on the outskirts of Santo Domingo), right on the highway and buy yourself a good road map, that is if you didn't already in Jumbo of La Romana.
Less than two hours to get to Santiago. Have a typical Dominican breakfast or typical Dominican lunch at the Tipico Bonao on the highway. There are signs indicating where it is as you come to it. They alert you two kilometers in advance and again at 500 meters. Once you get to Santiago, this is the difficult part. The signs again are small. May take you half an hour to get out of Santiago onto the Puerto Plata road, depending on the time of the day. From the Santiago-Puerto Plata intersection to Puerto Plata is about 40 minutes.
The Marien is easy to get to, once you get to Puerto Plata. Actually, it?s easy to get there, once you get out of Santiago and onto the right road to Puerto Plata. Note that to go from Santiago to Puerto Plata you need to get off the main road which will lead you straight to the north, and take a road that shows up surprisingly to the right (with a small one-time sign). Once on that road, it is north all the time until where the road ends (you can?t continue north anymore) and then you take a right and your hotel is about 10 minutes from that right.
In Puerto Plata do not miss: the skylift, Ocean World park, the amber museum, visit to the Victorian houses. Travel one morning out to Sosua. I would overnight in Cabarete and have dinner on the beach. Once you are out there, consider a round of golf at the Playa Grande course. This is about 30-40 minutes from Cabarete, but a stupendous beach and one of hte best golf courses in the Caribbean. You will not regret playing that course.
Once back in Puerto Plata... Of course there are the Damajagua falls, if you have a morning. Visit the Damajagua post on the road, about 10 minutes south of Imbert (right on the highway) ? there is a sign once you cross Llano de Perez ? and request a guide there for this trip cascading down a hill through natural slides and toboggans. You should go early to be able to make it all the way to the top of the 21 falls and then cascade on your way down. Bring good hiking shoes and clothes that you can get in and out of the water with.
Again, we recommend you overnight in Santo Domingo as you make your way back.
Check the list of hotels in the directory.
On your way back to Punta Cana, make a stopover at the Caribbean restaurant at Embassy Beach. That beach is lots of fun. It is a surfer?s beach with swelling wells. That is on the way to Juan Dolio. There is a big sign. It is after Boca Chica but before Guayacanes and Juan Dolio. If you make it to Juan Dolio, stop over at La Cucina de la Mamma on the hotel strip of Juan Dolio for great Italian food -- ask for the pasta with seafood or the risotto with seafood. Leave early so you have time to make the flight that same day and return the car.
Regarding driving in the DR, ask, ask and ask. People are friendly and helpful. You can even pay a motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) to guide you in the right direction.
I have driven lots of places around the world, and driving is the way to go. It puts you in control. Whatever you do, give yourself time to get lost when on the road and you will be fine. And remember to ask when you think you are headed in the wrong direction, and ask when you think you are headed in the right direction. Always set out early. Avoid driving at night. Better to leave early.
