Dominican Republic's hidden gems - Caribbean coast

When people are in Dominican Republic they usually hang out in the touristic spots. Here is a list of places most of the people will miss, but you shouldn't! Edition of the Caribbean

First of all I have to say that most of these places are not accessible by public transport. We rented a car and drove to each of them, but a lot of them are accessible as parts of tours offered by tour agencies, let me start by saying that renting a car is the cheaper way to go.

Bahia de las Aguilas/ Pedernales

My personal favorite beach in the country, and my favorite diving spot as well. The area is a part of the Jaragua national park, and is not very easy to reach. The locals usually move around with motorcycles, and it is reachable by car but the roads leading there are quite bad, I managed to drive there with a small vehicle, but a 4x4, or at least a car that is not low is highly advised. At the entrance to the park you will find a small but growing community. As per our visit in July 2022, there are one restaurant, a glamping and a diving center. We came mainly to dive so we were able to camp there with a permission of the diving center, but most of the people do the day trip from the close-by town of Pedernales. You can enter the national reserve for free on foot, but it is not allowed to spend the night, and the best way to see the protected beaches is to hire a boat to take you to them. Important note - Unless you are willing to pay for everything from the restaurant, bring your own food and water, as there is nothing around.

Hoyo De Pelempito

The largest canyon in the Dominican Republic, and home to almost 1500 species of vegetation. The national park is rich with history, and has a very nice viewpoint that oversees the canyon, and has a lot of this history and geology written down. The entrance to the park located close to the town of Pedernales, and costs 100 Peso per person. You can hike all the way up to the viewpoint, or reach it with a car. On the way you will see some leftover of mining quarries from before the place became a national park.

Los Patos

The area of Barahona, is rich with sweet water sources, and some of them are used by the locals as places to freshen up their day. Los Patos is one of those stops. The entrance is free and the place has some restaurants and you can chill in or around the untypically for the country cold water.

Balneario Villa Miriam

Another water source from the area of Barahona. This one has an entrance fee of 400 Peso per person, and they might not let you in if you are coming with a big car. The place has various natural pools, and a small but strong waterfall that you can stand under (if you are brave enough). You can buy food and drinks inside the park, or you can bring your own. The place is a favorite among locals and is usually quite full.

Final thoughts

As always, I'm sure that I have missed a few places. But hey, this time I have an excuse, they are not called Dominican Republic's hidden gems for nothing! I hope that you manage to visit at least some of those places and enjoy them as much as we did. Until next time!