Saturday 6 February
I was walking my dog down Paseo de los Locutores in Santo Domingo when my girlfriend pulled up next to me and said, ?let?s go!?. ?Where??, I asked. ?Anywhere that is not Santo Domingo?.
We drove north and just as we were leaving the capital I decided Punta Rucia would be a good final destination. The drive isn?t bad at all, it?s just the road leading from the main highway to Punta Rucia that?s in a dire state. To get to Punta Rucia from Santo Domingo you simply take the Autopista Duarte to Santiago. As you are about to enter Santiago, follow the signs bearing you to the right for Puerto Plata. Follow the Puerto Plata highway and you will see signs to either bear to the right for Puerto Plata or keep straight for Navarrete. Keep straight towards Navarrete. The turn off for Punta Rucia is in the town of Villa Elisa. You turn right and there is a short section of ?paved? roadway and the rest is a rocky adventure. It?s about 14km from the main highway to arrive at the beach of Punta Rucia.
Map: Maps | dr1guide
We got a room at the Hotel Cayo Arena right in front of the beach, across the street from Paradise Island Tours. This is not the name of the hotel, as it actually has no name. The owner and I thought this would be a good name for her hotel. I was given the cell phone number of the owner?s grandson who sometimes gets service (829.293.4278). The room was RD$700 pesos a night. I?ve stayed at this hotel several times and I must say that it has taken a turn for the worse. According to the owner, the operation they had taking tourists on the Cayo Arena excursion (will explain a bit later) had gone under. I suppose that lack of income showed in the accommodations. We had to lock our room with a rusty pad lock because the door handle was broken and were forced to shower by dumping small containers of cold water over our heads from two water barrels that were located in the room. At the very least they had mosquito nets over the beds; which was an improvement from my last stay.
That night we ate at Restaurant Damaris (829.280.8697), just a short walk down the main street along the beach. This is a small town restaurant where they tell you what they have as opposed to you telling them what you want. We enjoyed some fried fish with tostones and a jumbo Presidente beer.
Punta Rucia is the exact same pueblo I saw when I first visited some six years ago. Still no services: no banks, no gas stations, no pavement, no cell phone service and sometimes no electricity (that?s everywhere though). You can look at this in a positive or negative way, depending on your objective. If you want total comfort at the beach, Punta Rucia is not for you; but if you want to totally detach yourself from the real world, then you?ve found the spot.
What brings me back to Punta Rucia time and time again, besides my desire to escape from reality, is the town?s beach and Cayo Arena, one of my favorite excursions in the DR. Punta Rucia?s beach is drop dead gorgeous. Period. When I took my girlfriend for the first time, a year ago, she actually got teary eyed... It?s not even so much the beach itself that is so impressive, to me, it?s more the waters off the coast. The sun totally penetrates the waters of Punta Rucia. This creates so many blues and greens that jump out at you, creating the quintessential Caribbean beach. It?s really a pleasure to simply sit under a palm tree and take in this magic the sun and water create off the coast. Another plus is that the beach is almost always empty. The largest amount of visitors you?ll see arrive is in the early morning from the resorts of Puerto Plata. They are then taken out to Cayo Arena and brought back around 12pm-1pm for lunch on the beach. Immediately afterwards, they are shipped back to the resorts.
Sunday February 7
I personally love the excursion to Cayo Arena. This is a small island on a coral reef off the coast of Punta Rucia. When I say small, I mean I could throw a football clear across the island (I do have a good arm by the way). Paradise Island Tours (809.841.7605), located right on the beach will take you out to the island for US$40 per person. Remember, this price is for the independent traveler, not for the all-inclusive traveler. One of the tourists I spoke with who was staying in Puerto Plata said he paid US$89 per person. Given, they have to be transported from Puerto Plata (about 2 hours away), but I?m sure the price is also jacked up a bit because they are at the resort.
The excursion is an all you can eat, drink and snorkel affair. You?re shuttled out to Cayo Arena in a small boat, ?yola?, as they say here. It?s amazing to see the ocean floor with some 20 to 30 ft of water below you. On the island there are several thatched huts. One of which is a beach bar where you can order all the rum, juice or coke you want. They also have plenty of fresh fruit and a cooler with ham or cheese sandwiches that they encourage you to keep opening.
The main event on the island is the snorkeling. All the gear is included and your guide will most likely take you out to the coral reef underneath your feet. I must say that I had seen more fish in years past and I was not happy to see our guide feeding the fish bread. I?ve read that this is frowned upon and can disrupt fragile coral reef habitats. I don?t know if they are doing this because of a lack of fish or to give the tourists more to look at. With a bag of bread in his hand, our guide, my girlfriend and I were being followed by hundreds of fish. I?ve done this excursion several times and this is the first time I?ve seen the practice done. Viewing the variety of tropical fish at Cayo Arena is always a pleasure and if you drink enough rum they seem a lot bigger...kidding.
The ride back to the shore takes you through the Parque Nacional Monte Cristi. This park is a mangrove forest that runs from Punta Rucia all the way to the Haitian Border. At times, you pass through canals just wide enough to fit the boat. This is an excellent way to closely appreciate this crucially important natural habitat.
Back at the beach, there is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Really nothing to brag about but at least you finish the excursion with a full stomach.
I really would not recommend ?Hotel Cayo Arena? unless you want to rough it. Hotel La Tortuga (809.229.6604), just a bit outside of town on the way to Playa Ensenata, has better amenities and is an all around more comfortable hotel. Rooms cost the same as Hotel Cayo Arena; RD$700 per night. Being remodeled was a beautiful villa called Villa Nadine Villa/Nadine/dominican/punta/rusia/rucia/Index. This option is probably a bit much for me, my girlfriend and my dog, but they have some nice commodities like a full size kitchen, balconies overlooking the water, barbecue and a rooftop jacuzzi.
Will post some pics later.
I was walking my dog down Paseo de los Locutores in Santo Domingo when my girlfriend pulled up next to me and said, ?let?s go!?. ?Where??, I asked. ?Anywhere that is not Santo Domingo?.
We drove north and just as we were leaving the capital I decided Punta Rucia would be a good final destination. The drive isn?t bad at all, it?s just the road leading from the main highway to Punta Rucia that?s in a dire state. To get to Punta Rucia from Santo Domingo you simply take the Autopista Duarte to Santiago. As you are about to enter Santiago, follow the signs bearing you to the right for Puerto Plata. Follow the Puerto Plata highway and you will see signs to either bear to the right for Puerto Plata or keep straight for Navarrete. Keep straight towards Navarrete. The turn off for Punta Rucia is in the town of Villa Elisa. You turn right and there is a short section of ?paved? roadway and the rest is a rocky adventure. It?s about 14km from the main highway to arrive at the beach of Punta Rucia.
Map: Maps | dr1guide
We got a room at the Hotel Cayo Arena right in front of the beach, across the street from Paradise Island Tours. This is not the name of the hotel, as it actually has no name. The owner and I thought this would be a good name for her hotel. I was given the cell phone number of the owner?s grandson who sometimes gets service (829.293.4278). The room was RD$700 pesos a night. I?ve stayed at this hotel several times and I must say that it has taken a turn for the worse. According to the owner, the operation they had taking tourists on the Cayo Arena excursion (will explain a bit later) had gone under. I suppose that lack of income showed in the accommodations. We had to lock our room with a rusty pad lock because the door handle was broken and were forced to shower by dumping small containers of cold water over our heads from two water barrels that were located in the room. At the very least they had mosquito nets over the beds; which was an improvement from my last stay.
That night we ate at Restaurant Damaris (829.280.8697), just a short walk down the main street along the beach. This is a small town restaurant where they tell you what they have as opposed to you telling them what you want. We enjoyed some fried fish with tostones and a jumbo Presidente beer.
Punta Rucia is the exact same pueblo I saw when I first visited some six years ago. Still no services: no banks, no gas stations, no pavement, no cell phone service and sometimes no electricity (that?s everywhere though). You can look at this in a positive or negative way, depending on your objective. If you want total comfort at the beach, Punta Rucia is not for you; but if you want to totally detach yourself from the real world, then you?ve found the spot.
What brings me back to Punta Rucia time and time again, besides my desire to escape from reality, is the town?s beach and Cayo Arena, one of my favorite excursions in the DR. Punta Rucia?s beach is drop dead gorgeous. Period. When I took my girlfriend for the first time, a year ago, she actually got teary eyed... It?s not even so much the beach itself that is so impressive, to me, it?s more the waters off the coast. The sun totally penetrates the waters of Punta Rucia. This creates so many blues and greens that jump out at you, creating the quintessential Caribbean beach. It?s really a pleasure to simply sit under a palm tree and take in this magic the sun and water create off the coast. Another plus is that the beach is almost always empty. The largest amount of visitors you?ll see arrive is in the early morning from the resorts of Puerto Plata. They are then taken out to Cayo Arena and brought back around 12pm-1pm for lunch on the beach. Immediately afterwards, they are shipped back to the resorts.
Sunday February 7
I personally love the excursion to Cayo Arena. This is a small island on a coral reef off the coast of Punta Rucia. When I say small, I mean I could throw a football clear across the island (I do have a good arm by the way). Paradise Island Tours (809.841.7605), located right on the beach will take you out to the island for US$40 per person. Remember, this price is for the independent traveler, not for the all-inclusive traveler. One of the tourists I spoke with who was staying in Puerto Plata said he paid US$89 per person. Given, they have to be transported from Puerto Plata (about 2 hours away), but I?m sure the price is also jacked up a bit because they are at the resort.
The excursion is an all you can eat, drink and snorkel affair. You?re shuttled out to Cayo Arena in a small boat, ?yola?, as they say here. It?s amazing to see the ocean floor with some 20 to 30 ft of water below you. On the island there are several thatched huts. One of which is a beach bar where you can order all the rum, juice or coke you want. They also have plenty of fresh fruit and a cooler with ham or cheese sandwiches that they encourage you to keep opening.
The main event on the island is the snorkeling. All the gear is included and your guide will most likely take you out to the coral reef underneath your feet. I must say that I had seen more fish in years past and I was not happy to see our guide feeding the fish bread. I?ve read that this is frowned upon and can disrupt fragile coral reef habitats. I don?t know if they are doing this because of a lack of fish or to give the tourists more to look at. With a bag of bread in his hand, our guide, my girlfriend and I were being followed by hundreds of fish. I?ve done this excursion several times and this is the first time I?ve seen the practice done. Viewing the variety of tropical fish at Cayo Arena is always a pleasure and if you drink enough rum they seem a lot bigger...kidding.
The ride back to the shore takes you through the Parque Nacional Monte Cristi. This park is a mangrove forest that runs from Punta Rucia all the way to the Haitian Border. At times, you pass through canals just wide enough to fit the boat. This is an excellent way to closely appreciate this crucially important natural habitat.
Back at the beach, there is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Really nothing to brag about but at least you finish the excursion with a full stomach.
I really would not recommend ?Hotel Cayo Arena? unless you want to rough it. Hotel La Tortuga (809.229.6604), just a bit outside of town on the way to Playa Ensenata, has better amenities and is an all around more comfortable hotel. Rooms cost the same as Hotel Cayo Arena; RD$700 per night. Being remodeled was a beautiful villa called Villa Nadine Villa/Nadine/dominican/punta/rusia/rucia/Index. This option is probably a bit much for me, my girlfriend and my dog, but they have some nice commodities like a full size kitchen, balconies overlooking the water, barbecue and a rooftop jacuzzi.
Will post some pics later.
