Monte Cristi / Punta Rucia - worth a detour ?

[kptmorgan]

Hello,

Got 16 nights in DR in 2nd half of January and I'm trying to prepare some sort of itinerary...

I like hiking and clean, deserted natural beaches (no sunbeds, bars etc.), no partying whatsoever...

I'll arrive in the evening (PUJ) and spent first night in Punta Cana village + next 2 nights in Bayahibe, after that I would head north (will have rental car all the time)

I intend to spend most of time in Samana, however, since I have 16 days I was thinking that I could maybe add some other place(s) in the north before I got there.

Anyway, I'd like to ask, is this area worth a visit from a "natural beaches and hiking" point of view ? Since it'll be kinda detour from south to the Samana..:

My last question, guess related mainly to the Monte Cristi: should I be concerned more about safety than in other towns in DR ? Im asking because close proximity to the haitian borders and current situation overall...

Many thanks for your help

 

[tempo]

Hello,

Got 16 nights in DR in 2nd half of January and I'm trying to prepare some sort of itinerary...

I like hiking and clean, deserted natural beaches (no sunbeds, bars etc.), no partying whatsoever...

I'll arrive in the evening (PUJ) and spent first night in Punta Cana village + next 2 nights in Bayahibe, after that I would head north (will have rental car all the time)

I intend to spend most of time in Samana, however, since I have 16 days I was thinking that I could maybe add some other place(s) in the north before I got there.

Anyway, I'd like to ask, is this area worth a visit from a "natural beaches and hiking" point of view ? Since it'll be kinda detour from south to the Samana..:

My last question, guess related mainly to the Monte Cristi: should I be concerned more about safety than in other towns in DR ? Im asking because close proximity to the haitian borders and current situation overall...

Many thanks for your help

I took a picture in Nagua, one day several years back, returning from Las Terrenas....never seen such solitary beaches, for such a long stretch and right by the road. Having said that, I am sure such places are available all over, if one wishes to explore, far from the madding crowd.

I visited Punta Rucia, specifically to visit a miniscule island called Cayo Arena (by boat) which I thought was certainly worthwhile. Also there was a Hotel/restaurant run by a French Gentleman, where the fish dinner (classically French) was superb. There were a whole lot of French tourists there that night, who I would bet were equally appreciative.

Monte Cristi.....why would one be afraid of a border town, I wonder. There are very nice quiet beaches there too and I went to the local market which is in close proximity to the border, essentially a canal and a bridge across. There is not a single reason to be afraid of, that I can think of. The town center is quaint and nice to sit down by a roadside bar and have a drink, especially at the large hotel there, but the name escapes me.

Finally, about renting a vehicle, I suggest if possible, to rent a SUV or something with higher ground clearance. Your itinerary does show highways but often times, and as Frost had said, it is more interesting to stray and then you will understand why my recommendation, speaking from personal straying experiences there; And if you spoke the language, it would make it that much richer....

Have fun!

 

[Abuela]

Don't miss El Morro and look to the right & you can photograph burrowing owls in the limestone cliffs. Also don't miss the clock tower designed by Gustave Eiffel, yes, that Eiffel!

 

[NanSanPedro]

Never been to Monte Cristi (the city, not the batey), but I have stayed overnight in Dajabon for a few nights. Dajabon is also a border town a few KMs south of Monte Cristi. No issues whatsoever.

 

[Northern Coast Diver]

I've been to and stayed in Monte Cristi many times. It is nice and quiet all week with a small bit of domestic tourism on the weekend. Kind of has a sleepy feel to it. Nice modern restaurant directly across from one of the 2 supermarkets with good food and service with reasonable prices.I had a dish of spicy stewed goat served in edible cups of fried plantain that was incredible! You will find empty beaches and El Morro which is almost always empty. Don't miss it if you are already in the area. Last time I was there the hotel on the water was 40 USD par night.

 

[kptmorgan]

Thanks everybody for the responses

Regarding the safety issues, few times, I've came across the information, that regions near borders with Haiti might be a bit more dangerous, for that reason, I was asking about this. Glad to hear that everything should be fine

Regarding the rental car, I usually book something small when in such countries (maneuverability, easier parking, etc.), route highlighted in Google maps would be doable with it ?

Here's the link: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pun...2f6f3!2m2!1d-68.372535!2d18.5600761!3e0?hl=en

I like to walk, so, when I go hiking I don't mind to park the car and walk, if the road isn't good enough...

Also I'd like to thank you for all the tips you provided, since this area isn't described much...

 

[tempo]

Not sure which other countries you have driven in but the "highways" in the DR can be unpredictable, more so, at night and far away from major cities - holes and similar unexpected things. Off highways, I have faced large rocks on mountainous terrain, with a midsize sedan and it could be scary, on a lonely road, all by yourself. The roadmap as shown by you should be perfectly doable though....It is just that, I try to avoid highways.

Check "Cayo Arena" on google, you might like it - kind of Robinson Crusoe experience, if it is still there.

 

[tempo]

Don't miss El Morro and look to the right & you can photograph burrowing owls in the limestone cliffs. Also don't miss the clock tower designed by Gustave Eiffel, yes, that Eiffel!

Whoa, thanks for that bit of info. I saw that structure but not a soul there told me about Eiffel, and it makes sense....Haiti (known formerly as Saint Domingue) was French Territory until around the French revolution.

 

[tempo]

Never been to Monte Cristi (the city, not the batey), but I have stayed overnight in Dajabon for a few nights. Dajabon is also a border town a few KMs south of Monte Cristi. No issues whatsoever.

I had a very pleasant experience in Dajabon too, around the center where the Uni is....

 

[irishpaddy]

i have been to Monti Cristi and Dajabon few times .....a very nice part of the country ..very quiet ...there is a nice hotel on the water very reasonable and there is a restaurant a short walk from it ...food was very good

 

[chico bill]

I've been to and stayed in Monte Cristi many times. It is nice and quiet all week with a small bit of domestic tourism on the weekend. Kind of has a sleepy feel to it. Nice modern restaurant directly across from one of the 2 supermarkets with good food and service with reasonable prices.I had a dish of spicy stewed goat served in edible cups of fried plantain that was incredible! You will find empty beaches and El Morro which is almost always empty. Don't miss it if you are already in the area. Last time I was there the hotel on the water was 40 USD par night.

Sleepy feel - how about dead and depressing.
It's a long drive and the highlight the two times I have been there is all the wind turbines on the hills entering the town.
If I was entering DR with limited time I would put Monte Cristi off the itinerary .
You only have 16 nights - why not find a little time to stay in one place and relax , instead of all that driving.
Driving in DR is not a "vacation" by any standard

 

[JD Jones]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Now you tell me. I've got 9 trips driving around the entire island over the years (with the exception of 1-2 towns) and found it interesting to say the least.

And to be honest, after a year of a high-pressure job working long hours in manufacturing I found the driving relaxing.

 

[NanSanPedro]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Now you tell me. I've got 9 trips driving around the entire island over the years (with the exception of 1-2 towns) and found it interesting to say the least.

And to be honest, after a year of a high-pressure job working long hours in manufacturing I found the driving relaxing.

I would do that in a heartbeat if I could. I don't drive now. Even my US license has expired.

 

[Northern Coast Diver]

Sleepy feel - how about dead and depressing.
It's a long drive and the highlight the two times I have been there is all the wind turbines on the hills entering the town.
If I was entering DR with limited time I would put Monte Cristi off the itinerary .
You only have 16 nights - why not find a little time to stay in one place and relax , instead of all that driving.
Driving in DR is not a "vacation" by any standard

Some guys just feel lost when they leave that dusty whore town they call home. Others thrive in nature!

 

[Bahoruco]

Punta Rucia is a very nixe beach, only crowded in weekend. There were 1-2 hotels with a few rooms (some years ago), even on the beach (which is very rare in the DR - excluding all-in).

Cayo Arena: Can be very crowded with tourists from Puerto Plata (assuming there is tourists). I didn't like it.

Monte Cristi: I like it. It is very quiet and really a small bordertown (e.g. as Pedernales).
There are a few hotels: I liked the one close to el Morro (with swimming pool) There along the sea is also a good restaurant (copious seafood). Stay away from the hotel/restaurant of the Frenchid he is still operating.
There is also a small museum of a cuban hero, I think Marti, who lived there.. Don't remember his name.

Dajabon: Market is OK. Personally I prefer Monte Cristi.

Beyond Dajabon it is also nice, with one small village in the hills which had a twin mountaintop. It ressembled to me a bit the Andes. I don't remember name, but only reachable with 4wd and no real restaurant or hotel.


Regarding Samana: I never really liked Las Terrenas (too much developed). My favorite remains Las Galleras (bur don't tell anyone ).

When coming from Punta Cana you could also consider Miches, at least if the Swiss-owned hotel on beach is still operating (hotel Miches ?). It is only somewhat a detour.
In the same area near the next big town ( opposite of the bay from Santa Barbara de Samani) is the Gaudi-style hotel. Definitely still one of my favorite small hotels in the DR (don't remember exact name). The newest rooms a little bit higher on hill have brillant view on Samana bay (from terrace of your room). These are definitely 'room with a view'.

Good luck with the trip.

PS: The area between Bahoruco and Pedernales has also some nice beaches and views (and not only Bahia de los Aguilas, which I find personally overrated although it is still pristine). But this is really at other side of island.

 

[bob saunders]

Punta Rucia is a very nixe beach, only crowded in weekend. There were 1-2 hotels with a few rooms (some years ago), even on the beach (which is very rare in the DR - excluding all-in).

Cayo Arena: Can be very crowded with tourists from Puerto Plata (assuming there is tourists). I didn't like it.

Monte Cristi: I like it. It is very quiet and really a small bordertown (e.g. as Pedernales).
There are a few hotels: I liked the one close to el Morro (with swimming pool) There along the sea is also a good restaurant (copious seafood). Stay away from the hotel/restaurant of the Frenchid he is still operating.
There is also a small museum of a cuban hero, I think Marti, who lived there.. Don't remember his name.

Dajabon: Market is OK. Personally I prefer Monte Cristi.

Beyond Dajabon it is also nice, with one small village in the hills which had a twin mountaintop. It ressembled to me a bit the Andes. I don't remember name, but only reachable with 4wd and no real restaurant or hotel.


Regarding Samana: I never really liked Las Terrenas (too much developed). My favorite remains Las Galleras (bur don't tell anyone ).

When coming from Punta Cana you could also consider Miches, at least if the Swiss-owned hotel on beach is still operating (hotel Miches ?). It is only somewhat a detour.
In the same area near the next big town ( opposite of the bay from Santa Barbara de Samani) is the Gaudi-style hotel. Definitely still one of my favorite small hotels in the DR (don't remember exact name). The newest rooms a little bit higher on hill have brillant view on Samana bay (from terrace of your room). These are definitely 'room with a view'.

Good luck with the trip.

PS: The area between Bahoruco and Pedernales has also some nice beaches and views (and not only Bahia de los Aguilas, which I find personally overrated although it is still pristine). But this is really at other side of island.

Jose Marti never lived in the Dominican Republic, however

Máximo Gómez did.​

 

[tempo]

Punta Rucia is a very nixe beach, only crowded in weekend. There were 1-2 hotels with a few rooms (some years ago), even on the beach (which is very rare in the DR - excluding all-in).

Cayo Arena: Can be very crowded with tourists from Puerto Plata (assuming there is tourists). I didn't like it.

Monte Cristi: I like it. It is very quiet and really a small bordertown (e.g. as Pedernales).
There are a few hotels: I liked the one close to el Morro (with swimming pool) There along the sea is also a good restaurant (copious seafood). Stay away from the hotel/restaurant of the Frenchid he is still operating.
There is also a small museum of a cuban hero, I think Marti, who lived there.. Don't remember his name.

Dajabon: Market is OK. Personally I prefer Monte Cristi.

Beyond Dajabon it is also nice, with one small village in the hills which had a twin mountaintop. It ressembled to me a bit the Andes. I don't remember name, but only reachable with 4wd and no real restaurant or hotel.


Regarding Samana: I never really liked Las Terrenas (too much developed). My favorite remains Las Galleras (bur don't tell anyone ).

When coming from Punta Cana you could also consider Miches, at least if the Swiss-owned hotel on beach is still operating (hotel Miches ?). It is only somewhat a detour.
In the same area near the next big town ( opposite of the bay from Santa Barbara de Samani) is the Gaudi-style hotel. Definitely still one of my favorite small hotels in the DR (don't remember exact name). The newest rooms a little bit higher on hill have brillant view on Samana bay (from terrace of your room). These are definitely 'room with a view'.

Good luck with the trip.

PS: The area between Bahoruco and Pedernales has also some nice beaches and views (and not only Bahia de los Aguilas, which I find personally overrated although it is still pristine). But this is really at other side of island.

The day I went to Cayo Arena, there was nobody, i.e., just our boat with perhaps 5/6 people. The shack that apparently serves drinks etc was closed and so we just snorkeled out there and I thought it was beautiful, with clear blue water....

I agree with your thoughts on Las Terrenas but what is it about Las Galleras that you like? Also, when you say Gaudi style, you mean the hotel reminds you of "Sagrada familia" or similar architecture?

I like Monte Cristi, including my visit to the border post and seeing people wading through the canal to try and come to the DR side (I think it is a river though, and Trujillo's men has some bloddy history there if I recall correctly.). Monte cristi is also a good place if you are into goat meat....

 

[tempo]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Now you tell me. I've got 9 trips driving around the entire island over the years (with the exception of 1-2 towns) and found it interesting to say the least.

And to be honest, after a year of a high-pressure job working long hours in manufacturing I found the driving relaxing.

I agree that trips around the island could be interesting but it was also somewhat hairy for me as I travel/drive alone and was not ready for the roads (outside of the highways). I still remember that trip to San Jose de las Matas, steep climbs in a midsize sedan and rocks on the dirt road....almost ten years back but even recently, when I took a detour to get to San Jose de Ocoa, it was deja vu.

 

[kptmorgan]

Not sure which other countries you have driven in but the "highways" in the DR can be unpredictable, more so, at night and far away from major cities - holes and similar unexpected things. Off highways, I have faced large rocks on mountainous terrain, with a midsize sedan and it could be scary, on a lonely road, all by yourself. The roadmap as shown by you should be perfectly doable though....It is just that, I try to avoid highways.

Check "Cayo Arena" on google, you might like it - kind of Robinson Crusoe experience, if it is still there.

Well, I've been driving in Africa several times, greek islands each year (as for the road conditions) and from my own country, I'm used to to such level of a road rage, that driving everywhere else was piece of cake from this point of view so far (haven't been driving in middle east or SE Asia though...). I do not plan on to drive after dark, at least not long distances. That'll be ilegal in DR these days anyway...

Was looking at Cayo Arena, but I'm afraid of this:

https://www.bayahibe.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CA-925x465.jpg

By "highways" you don't mean toll roads I guess ? I'll be paying atetntion, of course...

Sleepy feel - how about dead and depressing.
It's a long drive and the highlight the two times I have been there is all the wind turbines on the hills entering the town.
If I was entering DR with limited time I would put Monte Cristi off the itinerary .
You only have 16 nights - why not find a little time to stay in one place and relax , instead of all that driving.
Driving in DR is not a "vacation" by any standard

Well, I like to explore less touristic places when on a vacation... Stay whole time in one place, I would consider that rather boring... But I understand, that everybody has a different idea of an "ideal vacation". Most of the people from my social bubble that have visited DR stayed in all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana for the whole time and they loved that... Such vacation would make me crazy after few days... And I would probably became an alcoholic after two weeks, because, what would I do there all the time apart from drinking ? :-D

But I agree with all the driving distance, I don't like to spend that much time driving either...

Punta Rucia is a very nixe beach, only crowded in weekend. There were 1-2 hotels with a few rooms (some years ago), even on the beach (which is very rare in the DR - excluding all-in).

Cayo Arena: Can be very crowded with tourists from Puerto Plata (assuming there is tourists). I didn't like it.

Monte Cristi: I like it. It is very quiet and really a small bordertown (e.g. as Pedernales).
There are a few hotels: I liked the one close to el Morro (with swimming pool) There along the sea is also a good restaurant (copious seafood). Stay away from the hotel/restaurant of the Frenchid he is still operating.
There is also a small museum of a cuban hero, I think Marti, who lived there.. Don't remember his name.

Dajabon: Market is OK. Personally I prefer Monte Cristi.

Beyond Dajabon it is also nice, with one small village in the hills which had a twin mountaintop. It ressembled to me a bit the Andes. I don't remember name, but only reachable with 4wd and no real restaurant or hotel.


Regarding Samana: I never really liked Las Terrenas (too much developed). My favorite remains Las Galleras (bur don't tell anyone ).

When coming from Punta Cana you could also consider Miches, at least if the Swiss-owned hotel on beach is still operating (hotel Miches ?). It is only somewhat a detour.
In the same area near the next big town ( opposite of the bay from Santa Barbara de Samani) is the Gaudi-style hotel. Definitely still one of my favorite small hotels in the DR (don't remember exact name). The newest rooms a little bit higher on hill have brillant view on Samana bay (from terrace of your room). These are definitely 'room with a view'.

Good luck with the trip.

PS: The area between Bahoruco and Pedernales has also some nice beaches and views (and not only Bahia de los Aguilas, which I find personally overrated although it is still pristine). But this is really at other side of island.

Yes, the probability of that small island being crowded with another tourists is discouraging me from a visit too... Plus I prefer to be on my own, ie.: no organized trips or hiring a boat with a captain...

In Samana, I intend to spend most of the time in Las Galeras, because I've got the very same impression of Las Terrenas and you just confirmed that :-D I'll spend few days in Las Terrenas though, since there are few beaches and other places I'd like to visit...

Thanks for the hotel suggestions in Punta Cana area, will look into it I'll be staying there on the last night, just in case, I prefer to be closer to the airport...

Yes, I was considering Pedernales / Barahona area too, but since I want to visit Samana, all that driving just didn't make sense...

 

[NanSanPedro]

Well, I've been driving in Africa several times, greek islands each year (as for the road conditions) and from my own country, I'm used to to such level of a road rage, that driving everywhere else was piece of cake from this point of view so far (haven't been driving in middle east or SE Asia though...). I do not plan on to drive after dark, at least not long distances. That'll be ilegal in DR these days anyway...

Was looking at Cayo Arena, but I'm afraid of this:

https://www.bayahibe.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CA-925x465.jpg

By "highways" you don't mean toll roads I guess ? I'll be paying atetntion, of course...

Well, I like to explore less touristic places when on a vacation... Stay whole time in one place, I would consider that rather boring... But I understand, that everybody has a different idea of an "ideal vacation". Most of the people from my social bubble that have visited DR stayed in all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana for the whole time and they loved that... Such vacation would make me crazy after few days... And I would probably became an alcoholic after two weeks, because, what would I do there all the time apart from drinking ? :-D

But I agree with all the driving distance, I don't like to spend that much time driving either...


Yes, the probability of that small island being crowded with another tourists is discouraging me from a visit too... Plus I prefer to be on my own, ie.: no organized trips or hiring a boat with a captain...

In Samana, I intend to spend most of the time in Las Galeras, because I've got the very same impression of Las Terrenas and you just confirmed that :-D I'll spend few days in Las Terrenas though, since there are few beaches and other places I'd like to visit...

Thanks for the hotel suggestions in Punta Cana area, will look into it I'll be staying there on the last night, just in case, I prefer to be closer to the airport...

Yes, I was considering Pedernales / Barahona area too, but since I want to visit Samana, all that driving just didn't make sense...

I spent one night in Pedernales last year on the way to Haiti. I wasn't that impressed. But the guagua ride thru/by Barahona made it look interesting.