Bahia de las Aguilas, who can tell me....

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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how long is the walk from Las Cuevas (the caves) to the beach. I have been to BDLA by boat but never walked or went by SUV. We're planning to go in Semana Santa, it's a young group and they want to walk. I love walking so I don't mind but it will probably be around noon and it will be really hot, does anyone know if it's a long walk? is it more than a KM?
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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Here is a great guide to Bahia de las Aguilas.

The Adventuring Type: A Backpacker’s Guide to Bahia De Las Aguilas

This is what it says about the walk:
1. The cheapest option is to hike. You will actually be hiking on a dirt road now unfit for most vehicles, so the hike is a straightforward and “easy” one as far as hikes go. However, it is a 1-hour solid hike through the dessert. You won’t have shade, and it is very, very hot. To find the trail, simply stand at the restaurant and look up behind you. There’s a huge cliff, right? Look to the left of that cliff, and there is an information stand, and behind that stand, public bathrooms. Behind the public bathrooms is a rock, stair trail to the top of the cliff. It’s really only about 5 minutes walking up to the top. From there, you keep walking on the rock path – continuing straight (the turn-offs to your right are simply beautiful vantage points). In about 10 minutes, the rock path will hit a dirt road, and you’ll continue on that dirt road for an hour straight until you get to the beach.

Matilda
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Strongly recommend not going at noon. Would say the temperatures will be around 40C. If you decide to go ahead, bring lots of water, and good hats and 30+ sunscreen.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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Thanks for the reply, that's what I was afraid of, that it would be a long walk, 20 minutes is fine but one hour in 40c is no fun, we'll bring water, sunblock and hats and try to get there before 10am, thanks for the feedback and information, I think I'll take the boat, they can hike if they want to LOL
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Recommended to do Hoyo de Pelempito in the morning and after 2pm take the boat to Bahia de las Aguilas to be there in the afternoon when it is cooler.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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Thanks Dolores but I don't think we'll do Hoyo de Pelempito, been there done that, it's like a once in a lifetime thing at least for me, I would not go back, LOL
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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I was there a couple of weeks ago at noon. If you go in the week there is no one else there so you can get a tree with lots of shade. We went by boat and paid RD$2,000 for the boat for 4 of us. It is a beautiful place and well worth it.

Matilda
 

leromero

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May 30, 2004
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One thing is for sure, there are always good places to go in the DR. I've been considering this trip for some time since the last time I was there I 10 years old. :D

Time to do it again!
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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It seems I've been worrying needlessly, we have a Mitsubishi Montero 4WD and my husband says it will have no problem going up and down that treacherous hill, we saw a video and it is really rugged terrain but not that steep, we are planning to drive to all the way to the beach [video=youtube;j457JJx0QVc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j457JJx0QVc[/video]
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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We are going on a day that will be really busy and I'm afraid we won't find a boat, we're going Sabado Santo which is the Saturday after Good Friday, it's the busiest day of the year in DR for all beaches, hotels, vacation spots, highways, etc., that's why I was thinking of walking, but decided to drive our SUV all the way to the beach... I've been to Bahia twice and gotten as far as the caves on two other ocassions, but this time I'm bringing some friends who have never been to Bahia de las Aguilas, they want a real adventure and I think they'll get one LOL


I was there a couple of weeks ago at noon. If you go in the week there is no one else there so you can get a tree with lots of shade. We went by boat and paid RD$2,000 for the boat for 4 of us. It is a beautiful place and well worth it.


Matilda
 
Aug 19, 2004
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I thought cars were banned from entering the area. It is well worth a visit partly because cars cannot get to it. Best IMO to take the boat for a genuine adventure.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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Cars are allowed, it's just that the road is too bad and steep for a regular car, you would need a 4x4 to negotiate the trip to the beach and of course pay the entrance to the Park, I'm just afraid that we won't find boats or that the wait might be too long since that day there will be lots of people visiting BDLA, they might also hike the prices due to high demand
I thought cars were banned from entering the area. It is well worth a visit partly because cars cannot get to it. Best IMO to take the boat for a genuine adventure.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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We were in Barahona during the Rally Frontera, I never saw so many 4x4's in one area in my life, hundreds and hundreds of them.

Here's one:

IMG_0390.jpg
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I think the people who live there mess up that little road to make sure very few people can drive to the beach, thus making sure they can charge their inflated prices for a boat ride. From what I remember the worst part was actually the first hill which was really steep and worn out back when I visited. if you can drive up to the beach it's worth it though, because you can take whatever you need that way.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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It seems MOPC (Public works) is fixing the road, but as you say, they will mess it up again as they always do but probably it will be passable when I go this weekend

Rehabilitan camino de acceso a Bah?a de las ?guilas para beneficio de vacacionistas - listindiario.com
I think the people who live there mess up that little road to make sure very few people can drive to the beach, thus making sure they can charge their inflated prices for a boat ride. From what I remember the worst part was actually the first hill which was really steep and worn out back when I visited. if you can drive up to the beach it's worth it though, because you can take whatever you need that way.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Tell us about the road improvements when you get back. If the road is fixed, then droves of people will be able to access. In the past, it was a trickle of people as permitted by the flow of boats.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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It is still a very remote place. All you have to do is tell people that a road is inaccessible for them to try it out in their SUV. It would benefit everyone (except the unfortunates who would have to clean up the litter) to pave a decent road to the beach. I hear that it is a very extensive beach.

The beach on the ocean side of the bay at Barahona is so littered with trash and bottles that it is impossible to get to the water without stepping on several layers of the things. It would be a really nice beach if they would just clean it up. This is called El Cayo, the sandspit out past the Ingenio. The beach facing the Bay and Malec?n is pretty nice.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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I hear you, I can't believe they haven't done anything to clean up El Cayo, and it is such a pretty beach, we Dominicans don't understand that rights also carry responsibilities... we have the right to a public beach but also the responsibility to protect it and keep it free of pollution, to clean it up and not litter it... it is such a shame how we think it's our right to destroy what mother nature has so generously given us

It is still a very remote place. All you have to do is tell people that a road is inaccessible for them to try it out in their SUV. It would benefit everyone (except the unfortunates who would have to clean up the litter) to pave a decent road to the beach. I hear that it is a very extensive beach.

The beach on the ocean side of the bay at Barahona is so littered with trash and bottles that it is impossible to get to the water without stepping on several layers of the things. It would be a really nice beach if they would just clean it up. This is called El Cayo, the sandspit out past the Ingenio. The beach facing the Bay and Malec?n is pretty nice.