Drive To Punta Cana

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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There's really only one route - drive out of the airport, turn right when you get to the highway and head towards San Pedro de Macoris. You have the choice between bypassing San Pedro or driving through the city, then you have to drive through La Romana and then on to Higuey, La Otra Banda and then on to Punta Cana.
 

MikeFisher

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3hrs drive if you do not do stops for food or such.
get a map before you arrive to get an idea about your directions.
the above described been completely right, but keep in mind that you will not find street signs for directions, so if you don't speak spanish be clear about your exact route before you arrive.
if this is your first time don't do the drive on nighttime.
in case of a afternoon arrival prebook a room near the airport and drive the next day
have fun
Mike
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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There are few better directions than the ones you have been given.

Please know that first time visitors and first time drivers are NOT a good mix...

Those of us that live here know that driving is a very iffy proposition, so be super careful, aware at all times that you almost have a bull's eye on your back, front, side, top and bottom....(No joke intended)

It is easier, in the long and short term, to rent a car and driver. No hassle, no worries.

HB
 

afroski

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May 12, 2007
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This is not my first time in the DR. I've been there multiple times and each time I always rent a car. This is just my first time driving from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana. I've dont SDQ to Caberette ans POP several times.

I'll be arriving around 12 noon so I think that should give me enough time and daylight to get over to Punta Cana.

Thanks for the info.
 

MikeFisher

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so you will not have any problem to do so. you leave the st dgo airport and where you hit the highway you will see the big signs towards san pedro/la romana, that's your direction. when reaching san pedro don't leave the highway unless you want to do something in san pedro, stay on the highway which makes a turn around san pedro ending at a left/right crossing, your turn is to the left(to your right you would enter san pedro from the eastside). from now on you stay on exactly that road, it will bring you automatically to La Romana, for food and drinks or bathroom you will find a bunch of spots to stop right at that road, no need to leave your route or such. once you reached la romana you will arrive at a big crossing, traffic lights on (the onew which count the seconds til green/red in big numbers on a screen),

here you turn right towards higey(big signs before the crossing show that you have to turn right for higuey, so no prob here), from here on you stay on that road, it will bring you throu an other part of la romana, no need for any turn or such, and when finally leaving la romana the road devides in a lane which leads half to the right and a lane which leads half to the left uphill, signs Higuey are here also present for your left turn towards Higuey. you stay on this road for around 35 minutes without the need to any turn or such, then an other point where the road devides left/right, the so named crossing of Bayahibe, your turn is to the left(signs indicate also here left Higuey), after an other while the same kind of deviding the road left/right, the so called crossing of Yuma, also here signs are on indicating your left turn towards Higuey. so now you enter Higuey and you stay on that mainroad, here you reach a point which is for a newcomer to Higuey maybe not so clear to turn, you see to your right a big gas station and right there the road offers to go on (bit right) or to make a light move towards the left, you take the left and follow that road, you will pass the Basilica(basilica will show up on your left side of the road, you go on straight there driving along the basilica property which alsways has to stay on your left side) until the ropad ends, only left or right turn possible, it is a traffic light,

signs are also up there indicating Bavaro/Punta Cana to the right, so make your right turn and stay on that road leaving Higuey until you are in the middle of La Otra Banda, here you find a crossing with big signs on indicating the turn to the right for Bavaro/Punta Cana, so you turn right and you are on your way to Bavaro/Punta Cana. after around 25-30 minutes you reach Veron, located left and right of that road, a straight on, so go on until you reach the crossing of Veron(big Shell Gas Station on the right side).

from here on it depends on where in Bavaro/Punta Caan you want to drive to, so just name me your detailed final destin on the east and i will give you a driving description for that last part of the way, too.
hope that helps and doesn't sound too complicated, it really isn't difficult, but i am not that good of a way description writer.
have fun
Mike
 
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Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Although I wish it were structured with some paragraphs, this is an absolutely perfect ( yes, perfect) description of how to get to B?varo or Punta Cana....Great Work Mike....

Again, be awful, freakin' careful from San Pedro on. Especially from La Romana....there are some M-Fing large buses that seem to enjoy forcing you off the road....just know this ahead of time....And tell us if it happens...

All the best...


HB
 

MikeFisher

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darn right with those paragraphs HB,
now i can not edit anymore to put them in.
Chiri,
is there a way to allow me to edit still or just you do that?

totally agree with HB's ststement about traffic conditions after you passed san pedro. prior to that you are on a highway styled good road, afterwards it get's (at least right now, they work on the stuff so conditions change to the better hopefully) at some parts bumpy, fast traffic on a stretchy road with pothholes.
don't get tricked by mostly good road conditions from La Romana to Higuey, most parts are very good, but there are ALWAYS some points with huge and very dep holes, don't forget about them just because you did not pass some since several minutes, await them always including in the middle of corners.

passing throu Higuey is always bad, they have the most horrific drivers on the Island, and the worst of all is that the Higueyanos think they are the best on that, lol.

from Higuey towards Bavaro the road is dangerous, very stretchy, by your arrival time at the st dgo airport you will finally drive that piece of road at the worst time of the day, the time when the Higueyanos come back from Bavaro to Higuey, so you will get all those unexperienced racedrivers coming towards higuey/towards you.
that road is very stretchy and overloaded with heavy vehicles like huge buses and trucks.
that road has also 3 corner sections which are on their surface only cement, not petroleum, in case you drive on wet road there take those corners very carefull, they are extremely slippery and local racedrivers leave those corners towards the wilderness on weekly bases.

Mike
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,890
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Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
Although I wish it were structured with some paragraphs, this is an absolutely perfect ( yes, perfect) description of how to get to B?varo or Punta Cana....Great Work Mike....

Again, be awful, freakin' careful from San Pedro on. Especially from La Romana....there are some M-Fing large buses that seem to enjoy forcing you off the road....just know this ahead of time....And tell us if it happens...

All the best...


HB

he he,
no no
i hope he will tell us afterwards what a great time he had on the Isle,
what a piece of cake the smooth ride been
and that he would do that again without any doubt.
let's all stay save to enjoy this paradise.

like i always say i wish ya
salud
dinero
y tiempo a gastarlo

Mike
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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darn right with those paragraphs HB,
now i can not edit anymore to put them in.
Chiri,
is there a way to allow me to edit still or just you do that?
Sorry, no - not my forum. I'll report the post and see if the mod can oblige.
 

afroski

New member
May 12, 2007
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Hey guys this is GREAT info, and thanks a lot! I've driven to Higuey several times while visiting Punta Cana but never beyond so the Santo Domingo to Highuey part will be new to me but the Higuey to Punta Cana part will be familiar.

I'll definitely let you know how all goes when I return.

Again, thanks for all of the info, espicially the turn by turn directions.