- Thread starter ken kopas
- Start date
Tour Guide
As you asked for a guide maybe you don't have your own transport but if you have your own car then you really don't need a guide, all you need is GPS (download the map before leaving) as there is only one main road to get there. From the town of Barahona it is very straight forward to get to Los Patos which is about 45 minutes after Barahona and you just carry on straight to Jaragua National Park. The park is huge so it really depends on where you want to go. The most visited spot is Bahia de las Aguilas which is all the way over the other side and about a 3 hour drive from Barahona. If you want to go there then leave very early. Once you arrive at Bahia go to the restaurant, Rancho Tipico Cueva de las Aguilas, and you can book a quick boat trip out to the Bahia de la Aguilas, through the rocks and to a spectacular white sand beach. Sorry, can't remember the price for the boat trip but it wasn't that much. They will pick you up again at the time you desire. There is a small fee to enter the national park and so try and negotiate that into the price of the boat trip. I would leave Los Patos for the return trip as you want to be at Bahia de las Aguilas as early as possible. Not sure how long you are planning to be in that area but if you are there for more than one day then go to Lago Enriquillo. You can take a boat trip from the north part of the lake...but good luck trying to see any crocodiles. We saw the head of one croc and the flamingos were not there at the time of year which was in December. You will see tons of iguanas though! Oh, and take sunscreen, this are is the hottest area on the island! Again, depending on how much time you have, go to the dunes of Bani, they are really impressive, but super hot so bring water! Have fun!
Because it is so easy to get there you are almost better off renting a car and using your GPS to get around. The roads are very good as many of the roads are new.
When will you be in Barahona? (I'm asking because I'm planning to go back there in a few months, so maybe I could show you then) I did it on my own, so if you don't find anyone, it might be worth renting a car for a few days. If you don't have such an opportunity, you should probably look for an office on Instagram/TikTok. I saw flamingos in Laguna Diana (on my way to Bahía de Las Águilas)
If you go to Los Patos, be careful about swimming in the sea there, it is dangerous.
If you go to Los Patos, be careful about swimming in the sea there, it is dangerous.
Hello Ken!
Larimar EcoTours is the most prominent (official) tour guide company in the south. They have a variety of tours available that include reliable transportation and you can request tours in English.
We have a friend who does local tours in the south as well, Terra Tour Costa Sur. Osiris has grown up in the south and he knows all the spots. His English is limited though. He speaks Spanish and his wife speaks Italian.
Make sure to check out our blog, Cliff and Cove, for all the info on travel spots in the southwest of the Dominican Republic! You can use this to help plan your trip.