Walking?

Is this a safe island to walk around on? Are there places to walk from the cruise ship terminal? I walk four to five miles a day, but would prefer to do so in a safe area, while seeing interesting sites.

Yes it is a safe island to walk around. But obviously use your street smarts - don't wear expensive jewelry or flash large amounts of cash around, more so in some parts of La Romana town.

From La Romana port you can walk 15 minutes into the town of La Romana. It's a bustling, noisy place and there's not that much to see there to be honest.

You can take a port taxi (private or shared) and drive 20 minutes to the fishing village of Bayahibe. Here it is perfectly safe to walk around day or night. Bayahibe is set around two bays. There is a public beach next to Dreams La Romana resort and plenty of restaurants around the two bays. There is a pathway that goes around "La Punta" the point that separates the two bays.

If you like to walk (in this heat?!) then you can explore the back streets of the village (Bayahibe pueblo). Stop for a cold drink at one of the colmados (corner stores) and chat with the locals. Everyone there is friendly! The little unsigned cafe painted blue right opposite the police station serves delicious empanadas (fried beef, chicken or ham&cheese pasty) at 20rd each (40rd = $US1)

You can also take the coastal path into Dominicus. It's about a 45 minute walk, most of it is inland. The path is isolated but I have never heard of any incidents there, many of my friends walk it or run it daily.

Dominicus is a predominantly expat residential area with several resorts along it's beach. Note: from the end of the coastal path you'll have to walk inland to reach Dominicus's public beach access point shown on the maps below. From Dominicus's public beach you can continue walking along the beach for quite a way. You will need to buy a park bracelet if you want to continue walking past Cadaques Caribe (the last resort on the beach) as that area is National Park of the East. See note about where to buy park bracelet at end of this post.

Take plenty of water with you and mosquito spray just in case.

map of Bayahibe village: http://bayahibesup.com/bayahibe-map/

map of coastal path and Dominicus: http://bayahibesup.com/bayahibe-map/bayahibe-dominicus-map/

Another good hike from Bayahibe is to Padre Nuestro. A small Dominican village in the countryside. You'll need to buy a park bracelet from the Park Admin office marked K1 on the Bayahibe map. I think it's 200rd ($US5) pp.

You can also get a guide from the office to show you the caves there. I used to walk it often with my dog but could never find the caves! That hike is a good 1-2 hours each way.

Lots more info here:

http://explorelaromana.com/en/ecological-adventures/

Happy Hiking!

Thanks so much for all of your very informed suggestions. I was so hoping to get a reply.

Lifesabeach lives there and his advice is sound. I have traveled in this country for many years - I don't live there. And yes, it's safe to walk around. Don't go in sketchy-looking places. Don't flash your cash or your jewellery.

Enjoy it, it's a lovely country with lovely people.

I am trying to find a way to hike through the rain forest. Is going to the place where the caves are, going to take me through the rainforest? I really want to be able to get the experience of the rainforest, see the birds and the plant life, and explore the caves.