West of Santo Domingo

Thank you. That is the part of the DR that I haven't explored. I'm saddened that my days of exploration are over> not by choice, but by a loss of vision. I enjoyed many days of just getting on my bike, picking some side road & looking to see what was around the next curve. Have to stop often to marvel at the everchanging landscapes. The amazing little hamlets with a cold Presidente, laughing with the congregating locals over my attempts at speacking Spanish, eating pinchos & fresh fruits. I miss those days, I really miss them.

Great post, thank you. I have explored this area a bit but not lived west of Santo Domingo.

It is very very beautiful and quite diverse!

It seems a few expats are asking about other parts of the country beyond the East and North Coasts where along with the capital is where the majority of expats put down their first roots in the country.

From where I stay in Santo Domingo, it is now a short trip to get on the main west highway (6th November), so I do like to take the opportunity to go west at times for a break from the capital.

This past Sunday, my wife with friends packed the cooler with beers and a few snacks and early Sunday bought some ice at a  local colmado and were set for a day trip west.

The plan was to go to Las Calderas, south west of Bani in Peravia province and my wife was convinced we could enjoy time on the beach, but I told her that perhaps she was thinking of Palmar de Ocoa instead. After getting a tad off route in Bani, which has few signs, we landed up on the coast immediately south of Bani thanks to my bad sense of direction, but never the less an new discovery for me. We were quickly back on track heading to Las Calderas and passing through orchards of well pruned mango trees. Bani is the mango capital of DR. Found a vivero of mango trees too so plan to revisit to buy some trees at a later date.

At the turn off to Palmar de Ocoa we all agreed we would go to Las Calderas and see how the beach looked today.

You arrive at the end of the road there with the naval base gates staring at you and for the uninitiated you would think whats up! Well you turn sharp left and onto the small town and the inland bay. Before entering the town you arrive at the entrance to the national park for the sand dunes (Las Dunas de Las Calderas) there. Our friends wanted to go walk the dunes so after a cold beer we paid the 100 peses each and headed off over darkish and very hot sand on the feet. The dunes are quite impressive and would not seem out of place in Dubai or the Sahara. There was guy with his surf board heading back....they are tall. The view from the top is impressive either looking over the Caribbean sea and towards Punta Arena or inwards into the bay. I belive Punta Arena resort is beginning around the point.

We continued on into Las Calderas and on past the impressive still working sea salt works. A photo opportunity not to be missed.

The small beach area is not impressive at all and my point proved to my better half and worse the restaurant there was asking stupid prices for a seafood lunch. So we went back to town and found an excellent seafood lunch in a popular restaurant overlooking the bay at very reasonable prices.

We decided we would make a move to a better beach and I suggested Playa Palenque which was perhaps 40 minutes away and is on the way back to the capital south west of San Cristobel.

To get there coming from Bani you pass the new DR white elephant, Punta Catalina power plant which is having teething problemas getting started. There were a few puffs of smoke coming out of the big chimney.

You also pass the large villa on the hill of  famous baseball star before you get to Nizao as you cross the river, which is running dry but never the less has loads of Dominicans enjoying the cold water under thatched roofed shacks with music blaring and drinks flowing.

Playa Palenque was packed with locals enjoying a typical DR beach day out. It is a unique atmosphere found in a few other locations. Love it. I didn't see another expat there and did not feel out of place with thosands of locals and familes enjoying their free time as only Dominicans can. Great swim with some small waves breaking.

The drive back to the autopista going east, is over some hills with one of the best vistas in the country as you drive down to the working sugar mill west of San Cristobel.

I am aware of a number of expats - not many - who have found their piece of DR in the provinces of Peravia and San Cristobel and indeed there is some lovely typically Dominican communities in these parts. I do recommend that when expats get accustomed to life in this country that they do explore far and wide to find a piece of DR that suits them.

What a great post!  Thanks for sharing,  I see a road trip in my near future!!!

It appears that the Bani ring road construction is to start soon and the ring road to Azua will restart after some difficulties:

Santo Domingo.- Public Works minister, Gonzalo Castillo, on Tuesday announced that construction will soon begin on the Bani Beltway, Peravia province (south), “which will bring all the communities of the southern part of the country closer.”

“It's in the process of signing a contract, so it is expected that in August or September this year this work will start, and it will be concluded by May or June next year,” he said.

In a statement Public Works said Castillo also revealed that the Azua beltway will be restarted in the coming months.

“This work had a redesign and contractual issue, but this was resolved, and should start in the next month or September,” said the official on Zo1FM radio.

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This would be very good news for those that travel west from Santo Domingo time to time.

This post is a couple of years old now. I found it while searching for info on the South West area. 
My wife and I are heading to SD to pick up our residency papers and would like to take 3 days and explore this area. I'm looking for any suggestions as to what to see and where to stay.
We don't speak a lot of Spanish and of course that makes things harder, so I'd like to get things prearranged if possible.
Any hotel ideas would helpful as well!

Tripp

The far South West is indeed very interesting and well worth a visit. It would be a drive of several hours through three larger three towns where sign posting is poor.... Bani, Azua and Barahona. You are looking at a drive of at least 3.5/4 hours to get to anywhere of interest south of Barahona. To get to Bahia las Aguilas it is an hour more. It is closer to the Haiti border so perhaps in these times of unrest in that country it is not so advisable right now. And a check on hotels in those parts show many have closed and the very best in those parts Casa Bonita burnt down totally a week back. I have stayed at Casa del Mar but used it as a base to drive around.

https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/barahona/

A closer option to Santo Domingo of interest maybe Las Salinas to the south west of Bani (https://sava.do/en/que-hacer/)

All good points Lennox!