Has anyone recently driven to the gorgeous playa at BAHÍA DE LAS ÁGUILAS? Our caretaker sent me photos...thinking about driving there from the North Coast. Any info on the road? How dangerous is it?
- Thread starter 2020
- Start date
stunning beach at the Playa at BAHÍA DE LAS ÁGUILAS
I've made that trip a couple of times in my Jeep with the top off and windshield down. Stunning is right. Gotta see it now before the construction begins.
I can't tell you what the roads are like now, but I suspect they're not that bad.
I can't tell you what the roads are like now, but I suspect they're not that bad.
When starting a thread please remember that the readers are spread throughout this country. If you could state where you are reading your post would be more enlightening for the readers that may only be familiar with the area they live in. Thanks for reading this
we'd be driving down from Las Terrenas. I think the most logical thing might be would be to find a place in Barahona to stay. Then drive to BAHÍA DE LAS ÁGUILAS this secluded beach during the day.
I'm assuming we should not be worried about the proximity of the Haitian border...
Road trips cross country in your own vehicle:
*Check tires, breaks and other major systems prior. Have spare
*Be well-armed
*Watch out for accident "fakes" on the highway set up to defraud and rob unsuspecting travellers, esp gringos.
Make sure you speak Spanish.
*Check tires, breaks and other major systems prior. Have spare
*Be well-armed
*Watch out for accident "fakes" on the highway set up to defraud and rob unsuspecting travellers, esp gringos.
Make sure you speak Spanish.
I went a few years ago and it was worth the trip. From Barahona to Bahia de las Aguilas the trip to where you get the boats is about two hours driving time because the road can be a bit rough with huge pot holes. I would recommend travelling in an SUV, not a car. As you get to the Cabo Rojo area you're dealing with dirt roads that are poorly sign-posted.
When I went, I stayed at Casa Bonita in Barahona and it was beautiful. I don't know if they ever rebuilt it after the fire they had.
Have a great trip and ignore the fear mongers. I'm surprised they crawl out thier hidey holes to read and post. Over the years we have traveled most of the DR. The only problems we ever had where a couple of flats, a diesel fuel issue and a few greed cops wanting a propina.
Enjoy yourself.
Enjoy yourself.
These folks from Cliff & Cove introduced themselves here on DR1 last year (?), they were focusing on travel in the SW of the country, not sure how relevant any of it still is but it may be of some help... Don't be afraid, just be smart, Have a great trip!
www.cliffandcove.com
Cliff and Cove
A travel blog searching for adventure. Exploring the Deep South of the Dominican Republic to help you find your next bucket list destination. Starting from Barahona to Bahia de las Aguilas, we have a complete travel guide for you.
www.cliffandcove.com
These folks from Cliff & Cove introduced themselves here on DR1 last year (?), they were focusing on travel in the SW of the country, not sure how relevant any of it still is but it may be of some help... Don't be afraid, just be smart, Have a great trip!
Cliff and Cove
A travel blog searching for adventure. Exploring the Deep South of the Dominican Republic to help you find your next bucket list destination. Starting from Barahona to Bahia de las Aguilas, we have a complete travel guide for you.
Cliff & Cove sounds good. I'll reach out to them. We do have a 4X4 Suzuki Jimny but knowing my luck I'll take a wrong turn and go over a cliff or find myself at the Haitian border.
The road along the Barahona coast is currently intervened with a widening project that when complete will cover the entire road. The purpose is to make the road more comfortable and safer as not only will traffic increase of people heading to Cabo Rojo, but there will be tours with tourist from Cabo Rojo up to Barahona town and probably intlo the Entiquillo Basin. It would be a long round trip from Cabo Rojo to Enriquillo Lake and back, but it can be done during an entire day if it starts early in the morning.
The point is that reching Bahía de las Águilax may be slightly more dangerous due to the construction in several areas of the Barahona-Oviedo road. That is basically the only road between Peravia and the rest of the DR, well paved ones that is.
The point is that reching Bahía de las Águilax may be slightly more dangerous due to the construction in several areas of the Barahona-Oviedo road. That is basically the only road between Peravia and the rest of the DR, well paved ones that is.
Not haha. I mention some standard items such as general vehicle preparedness. Next, have thieves been known to set up "accident fakes" on desolate parts of roads with the intention to rob travelers? Yes. Not everyday, but has this happened? Yes, especially a setup with a motorcycle rider "hurt" on the side of the road. Is riding through the ghettos of Chicago more dangerous? Yep! But who here does that??. When possible, you should travel with a trusted native Dominican. Is that bad advice? I don't think so, especially if you don't speak the language. Will folks be looking to rip you off? This happens of course. Does/can everyone carry a firearm? No, but surely a good precaution if you can.
Just know before you go.
Well in general it isn't smart to drive after dark, especially on a road you are unfamiliar with. I have driven to Cabo Rojo twice and taken a tour bus twice. It is a long drive with several bad spots in the road, but in general the road is good. No need for a Jeepeta.
My family and I drove down to Pedernales from Santo Domingo 7 months ago while on vacation (we try to get to BdlA every couple years). The road between SD and Pederales is undergoing a widening project to expect slow going in some parts. Below is a photo from Ovideo heading to Pedernales where they're widening and putting down a new road bed - probably for the future airport connection. Also, there's a lot of ground clearing once you turn off the highway and get on the dirt road to Cabo Rojo. At the time we went (Jan 2023) there was nothing more than ground clearing activity going on (and not much activity at that). To me it seemed like a usual sloooow construction job. I couldn't image how they would have it done in under at least a year and this was just the land clearing phase, there was no sign of trenching for pipes, wires etc. or fresh water/sanitation etc. We stay 3 nights at the 'glamping' tent site right at that entrance to the park (we refuse to stay at that other glamping site due to some suspicious road-closing off that occurred 4 or 5 years ago by the owner). I included a photo showing the road once you enter the Park heading up the hill to BdlA assuming you wanted to drive to the beach and not take one of the fisherman boats for hire. They had done some grading/smoothing out of the road a couple years ago but rain storms made it all rutted again. I would not try to go up unless you truly have 4WD (and not just an AWD vehicle - true 4WD and better yet, 4WD Low). They actually had a guy there from the park who inspected each vehicle and approved whether it can go up/down the road into the park. I assume they've had some people get stuck because the side going down to the beach is even steeper than the side going into the park. The photo doesn't do it justice, it is definitely steep and I wouldn't try it w/o a 4WD vehicle. Of course as part of the Cabo Rojo development they'll probably end up paving the road so at one point it will probably be an all-access road but not at least as of this past January 2023. The last photo is of BdlA that we took while there. If you haven't been there, see it while you can, before the hoards of tourists come into the Park and the water and beach no longer look like this. While I understand the need to bring jobs to the South, the development will kill the natural beauty the development is supposed to highlight :-(
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EKwvuTf73Weosu6mwdPJ2_pHAddRQyRU/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pmHwDHFpJs10nZTVUEvRRJudC-VtyPyj/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s3NLbPiwIpJRMvBUsmVYMn5lhIDM1Lrx/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yQthzibRFP0djJrJloQYXTS72_vmS4tB/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DcgQjcOt-yif4IznoASClsOQ3DZQ8TJH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VEQMuKPA3wucjwH9zHqymunML9WD35BN/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EKwvuTf73Weosu6mwdPJ2_pHAddRQyRU/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pmHwDHFpJs10nZTVUEvRRJudC-VtyPyj/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s3NLbPiwIpJRMvBUsmVYMn5lhIDM1Lrx/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yQthzibRFP0djJrJloQYXTS72_vmS4tB/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DcgQjcOt-yif4IznoASClsOQ3DZQ8TJH/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VEQMuKPA3wucjwH9zHqymunML9WD35BN/view?usp=sharing
Great photos and informative post. A real good spare indeed.
What a beach and natural beauty. God, I love this country.
Wait until you see it with your own eyes. It is gorgeous over there.