Trip Ideas
BEACHES!
North Coast Beac BEACHES! Two-thirds of the north coast is beach; some lively, many unspoiled. There are easily 50 different beaches along this trail that are worth exploring. On this trip you’ll cruise the north coastal highway and sleep in two different Base Camp Zones. You’ll make stops in at least a half-dozen coastal towns... Sosua Cabarete...
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Rio San Juan... Las Terrenas and others, each one with its own distinct character and personality. This itinerary is designed to be an easygoing road trip that you can travel either by public ‘guagua’ or by car. The 225-kilometer distance between Puerto Plata and Samana takes about three hours to drive direct. This means that if you depart from Base Camp One by mid-morning, there is plenty of time to stop and explore along the way and still get to Base Camp Two in Samana by sundown.
Puerto Plata Sun
nset • Photo: Carina Sunessen
Day Arrival Base Camp One is a painless halfhour ride from the bus station or the airport. This is a day to relax and enjoy spectacular views and the surrounding nature
1
Tubagua Plantation
n Eco Village • Photos: Alex Kreher
Day Sosua Beac
2
Fun, lively, and close to Base Camp One, Sosua is ideal for your first day out. Lots of mixing it up between foreigner and locals. Bars, restaurants and souvenir shops line the beach. Beautiful coral reefs make it worthwhile to rent snorkelling gear. Sleep tonight at Base Camp One.
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Day
3
Take a walkabout in the north coast’s largest city, by far the prettiest city on the entire island. Items of note: the central square, colonial architecture in the old city, a historical fort, a cable car ride up Mt. Isabel de Torres, and a long beach, called Long Beach funnily enough, that lines the oceanfront promenade. Tonight you’ll sleep again at Base Camp One.
Puerto Plata City
ROAD TRIP Day
4
After breakfast, hit the road and head east along the coast towards Base Camp Zone 2. Take time out at Rio San Juan half the distance, about a 90minute drive. This town hasn’t been developed yet and there is an authentic simplicity to it. There’s time for a boat ride through the mangrvoes to Caleton Beach. Then it’s on to Base Camp Zone Two where you will spend the night.
Day
5
Spend the next two nights with Las Terrenas as your base camp. The beaches are pristine and the town has lots to offer. Plan to go out for dinner: take advantage of the French and Italian cuisine you’ll find in romantic beachfront eateries
Las Terrenas
Day
6
Samana
On a road trip around the Samana Peninsula, visit Samana City , Las Galeras... take a boat ride out to Cayo Levantado, shown here. Other beautiful places of nature include Rincon Beach and the El Limon Waterfalls.. From January to March each year Samana plays host to the Atlantic humpback whales that come to spawn - this is a show not to be missed...
Cayo Levantad
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ROAD TRIP Day
7
On the drive back to Base Camp One there’s time for a few stops along the way. Check out Playa Grandenear Rio San Juan or have lunch on Cabarete Beach, one of the world’s most popular beaches for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Sleep at Base Camp 1, enjoy a last-night dinnner party
Cabarete Beach
Day
8
Last day... time for lastminute souvenir shopping or chilling out around Base Camp One. We’re only 20 minutes from the airport so there might even be time for a couple more hours on a beach. Yes, we canpoint you to one you haven’t discovered yet!
Departure
Playa Dorada
a near Puerto Plata • Photo: Mark Fernandez
There’s a lot more along this route than we can show here; we recommend you buy a travel guide or surf the net to find out more about these places. The great advantage to traveling unescorted is that you don’t have to adjust your pace to a group tour or schedule... you can stop and go and change things up... all on your own terms. And we’’ll help you... you’ve got your cell phone backup for whenever you need to call in for info, advice, or a little help with translation.
Playa Grande near Rio San Juan
Customizing your trip to 10, 14 or 21-Days This 7-day trip plan can be used to organize a two- or three-week trip. One way to do this is to add a few days to each Base Camp Zone. Here are some ideas. For each listed add a day... Base Camp Zone 1 - Puerto Plata • • • • • • •
Waterfall Trek to Damajagua 27 Waterfalls +$ Wreck diving in Sosua +$$ A mountain roadtrip along the Nature Promenade to Santiago Windsurf or kiteboarding lessons +$$ Catamaran Daysail +$$$ Dolphin encounters at Ocean World +$$$ Ziplines, mud buggies, horseback and more - prices vary
Base Camp Zone 2 - Samana • • • • •
Visit Playa Rincon, by boat or car +$$ Whalewatching. Seasonal January to March +$$ Boat trip to Los Haitises National Park +$$ Scuba in Las Galeras +$$ Waterfall trek to El Limon +$
Or..... combine your road trip with a few days of R&R at one of dozens of beach resorts. Or.... add additional Base Camp Zones to your route. See our other Recommended Routes or Contact Us Not sure? Don’t worry, we’ll help you figure it all out when you get here. After all, that’s the whole idea of the DR Base Camp Network!
Ready to go? Visit our web site for booking information! www.Travel-Dominican-Republic.com
View of the north coast from Base Camp One