lifesabeach123
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Posts posted by lifesabeach123
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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!
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As it's not easy to find solid info on port taxi prices I've opened this thread where people can post what they paid and the details of their trip.
This post is not for transport provided by excursion companies like Seavis, ProExcursions, BayahibeSUP etc.
Month and year of trip:
Number of passengers:
Shared or private taxi:
Journey details ie. Port to xxx to xxx
Price you paid per head: $US
Maybe one of the mods can make this a sticky?
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Thanks for the great info! So we will plan to negotiate a taxi to take us to the cave and wait while we're there then drop us off at Chavon where we can take our time and get something to eat. Since you know the area what do you think a decent price would be for this?
How much more would you guess if they wait for us at Altos also and take us back to the pier? Thanks again.
It depends on the number of people in your group. I would GUESS...
port to caves to Altos = $US75 per taxi (minibus) for 1-5 passengers. More than 5 passengers at $US12-15 pp.
port to caves to Altos to port = $US90 per taxi for 1-5 passengers. More than 5 passengers at $US12-15 pp.
It's not easy to find out what the port taxis are charging. I will open a new thread where cruise passengers can post what they paid for their trips.
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Best way is to take a taxi from port. It's a 10 minute drive east of port.
La Flor offer several tours (see their website for details). For the 30 minute $US5 "afficionada tour" you don't normally have to reserve.
http://www.cigarcountrytours.com/en/cigar-factory-tour.html
Taxi from port to La Flor and then back to port should be around $US50, but it depends on the number of people in your group.
Have fun!
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Currently (low season May 2014) Day pass for Catalonia GD is $US45 pp. From 10am to 6pm (local time). I think you need to reserve in advance. You do need photo ID to collect it at reception.
email: grandominicus.guest@hoteles-catalonia.es
Tel: 809 616 6767 x6186 or x6240
Transportation from La Romana port is not included in the price or provided by the resort.
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Altos de Chavon is a 10 minute taxi ride east of La Romana port.
The Caves are about 30 minutes west of the port if you go on the new motorway called the Autopista Coral (100 pesos toll fee each way ie. $US5 round trip toll fee). If the driver uses the old road then it's 45 minutes with no toll fee.
It would be best to use one taxi (minibus) for the whole trip and negotiate a good price with the driver before you set off. They don't usually charge much for waiting.
I would go to the caves first and then go to Altos where you can have lunch/drinks and get back to port easily. At Altos you should also easily be able to find another taxi to take you back to port if you wish.
Have fun!
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If you are docking in La Romana then you could try Stand Up Paddle Boarding. It's the new water sport you see all the celebrities doing :D You can do it in the small beach town of Bayahibe which is about 15 minutes from port and has perfect flat water conditions for it.
According to their website they do require reservations in advance. They also supply round trip transport at additional charge.
Bayahibe SUP
They have great reviews on Trip Advisor too
There's a thread on here about it. I'll post the link when I find it.
Have fun!
Here's the link to the post about in on this forum
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Many of the best excursions here are ones offered by small local operators. These require advance booking via online (deposit is not always even necessary) and they are not sold by Carnival.
They are all used to catering to cruise ship passengers so getting back to your ship on time will not be an issue.
You can read their reviews on Trip Advisor on the following link:
Seavis Tours (Saona Island and Jungle River tours)
http://www.seavisbayahibe.com/shoreexcursion_e.htm
https://www.facebook.com/SeavisTours
BayahibeSUP (Paddle Boarding SURFaris)
http://bayahibesup.com/guided-tours/paddle-board-surfari
https://www.facebook.com/bayahibesup
Bayahibe Fishing Centre (Saona Island tours, Rio Chavon tours and also fishing trips)
http://www.bayahibefishingcentre.com
https://www.facebook.com/bayahibe.fishingcentre
La Flor Cigar Factory Tours
http://www.cigarcountrytours.com/en/cigar-factory-tour.html
Wild Ranch Canopy (zip line)
https://www.facebook.com/wildranchcanopy?fref=ts
Have fun!
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Taxis all over the Dominican Republic are considered expensive. Gasoline is expensive here.
There is one taxi company, Taxi Casa de Campo, that is allowed to operate inside the port and port car park. It's owned by the same people who own the port. Their prices seem to be quite varied - depending on the number of passengers and how much they think they can get away with charging. Many drivers do speak some English but it may be more convenient for them not to if they are challenged about their pricing... If in doubt ask to see if they carry a rate card in their vehicle!
To give you an idea of normal pricing - A local taxi from Bayahibe (ie not a port taxi) should charge $US60 per vehicle round trip (port to Bayahibe to port) for 1-5 passengers, $US65 for 6, more than 6 passengers at between $US10-12 per head. However, these taxis are not allowed inside the port or port car park. Some small excursion companies use these local Bayahibe taxis to collect their pre-booked clients from the road outside of the port car park.
But unless you have prebooked with such an excursion company then you will have to take the port taxis mentioned in my first paragraph.
Either way if you are traveling solo or as a couple it makes more sense money-wise to take a shared port taxi. Make sure the taxi is going to your desired destination! Be it Dreams hotel, Bayahibe Beach or Dominicus beach.
Happy Travels!
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If you are docking at La Romana port you can find a large selection of good quality cigars at La Flor Cigar Factory & Outlet, 15 minute taxi ride from port.
They run a couple of tours or if you are heading to Bayahibe beach you can just visit their shop on the way there (they are 10 minutes from Bayahibe).
http://www.cigarcountrytours.com/en/cigar-factory-tour.html
You can also find a small selection at Jumbo supermarket in La Romana town. Jumbo also sell a large selection of Dominican rums and coffee at local prices.
Tip: cigars offered by the beach vendors will not be in good condition due to the heat and humidity.
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Are there vans or shuttles to rent when you get off, we have a group of 11 that would like to go to the Taino Indian caves and also just see the country. Is this possible?
At La Romana port there are taxis/minivans. The Cueva de las Maravillas is about 35 minutes west of the port. See http://explorelaromana.com/en/ecological-adventures/#28
They are open Tues-Sun entry adults: 200rd ($US5) kids: 50rd ($US2). Flash photography is not allowed inside the caves.
Taxi price will depend on your negotiation skills. For a group of 11 expect around $US15 pp round trip.
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On Trip Advisor there are some recent (Sept/Oct 2013) reviews from cruise ship passengers about their Seavis experience and no one mentions any taxi problems :-) I believe those issues have been resolved.
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where exactly does Carnival dock at here? thanks
Carnival docks in La Romana port on the south coast of the Dominican Republic. Disembark straight onto land (no tenders).
GoogleEarth coordinates: 18°24'59.34"N 68°57'32.78"
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To those who have taken a Seavis tour and experienced a bad land transfer please read the post on the link below before you write any reviews.
Thankyou
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=40163558#post40163558
Excerpt from the above post written by Seavis:
“The company we use to transport our clients is an independent company called Taxi Casa de Campo. This company is not part of Seavis. We are forced to use this company whether we like it or not. No other taxi company is allowed to pick up cruise ship clients in or even close to the port (1 mile). The taxi coordinator is responsible to get the clients in the right taxi's to get people to their destinations. The coordinators work for the port. This means it is in their best interest NOT to help us/you and to push and sell the excursions affiliated with cruise ship.
Seavis is not affiliated with the cruise ship (in that way we can offer a high quality, all-inclusive excursion for a lower price). We are not allowed to have a representative in the port. No one is allowed to wear our recognizable T-shirt or show any sign that they work with Seavis.
We are constantly looking for an alternative form of transport for our clients but our hands are tied.
The port and the cruise authorities do everything they can to give us a bad name, it is in their interest to sell their own excursions. They make the transportation very hard for us on purpose even though we pay them double than any other taxi company would ask for the transportation. They have the monopoly and we HAVE to use them, we have NO other choice.
Any bad review we have ever gotten from cruise ship clients have been about the transportation and not about our actual excursion. Proof of this can be seen on Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor.
The port tries to sabotage the independent tour operators with hope that in the future all clients will book through the cruise ship.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience, we have been in contact with the taxi company to improve their service.”
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You can find a few reviews on TripAdvisor...
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UPDATE to my last post!: I was at Altos de Chavon last week and on cruise days there are plenty of taxis around to take you to Bayahibe etc. Wear comfortable shoes to walk on the cobblestones. I was there at midday and it was HOT - for me it was too hot n sweaty to walk around (August/Sept are the hottest months here).
@jkjmt It is possible to visit both places as you have already reserved your day pass at Dreams you won't have problems entering.
You just need to negotiate and confirm a price and itinerary for the whole trip with a taxi driver at port. Most drivers speak some English but it may help to write down clearly the times and places you want to visit so that there is no misunderstanding.
Make sure to ask what (if any) is the entry fee to Altos (for cruise passengers it might be less than the $US25 I stated in my previous post). Sorry to be vague but it's been difficult, even for a resident, to find out solid pricing and information, everyone tells you different!
You should pay your driver the whole fare on the return journey to port.
To give you a rough idea of taxi prices, port to Bayahibe to port is around $US60-65 per minivan, 1-6 passengers / 7-11 passengers at $US10pp. A detour to Altos will be at additional cost.
Casa de Campo entrance is 3 minutes east of port.
Altos de Chavon is 10 minutes drive inside of Casa de Campo.
Dreams/Bayahibe is 15 minutes east of Casa de Campo.
If you do visit Altos make sure to say Hi to Margaritta the resident donkey... she makes this face when asking for beer! Have fun!
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It will be tricky to do both because...
Altos de Chavon is inside the private grounds of Casa de Campo (CDC) which is 5 minutes from port plus a further 10 minutes drive inside CDC. If you take a private taxi there I believe you'll have to pay $US25 pp entrance fee.
Altos de Chavon can also be accessed by a shuttle bus tour on sale at a kiosk in the port (price used to be $US5pp but not sure if this is still so). To reach Dreams afterwards you will need to find a taxi - the price of which will depend on the number in your group and your negotiation skills for the round trip.
Dreams resort is a further 15 minutes from CDC. You have to reserve your day pass ($60pp double check the price with Dreams) in advance. You can only enter via the main entrance on the road (ie not from the beach in Bayahibe). If arriving by private taxi your name must be on their list at reception. If arriving by shared-designated-Port-to-Dreams-taxi then I believe it's not a problem.
However, once inside Dreams you can not leave and then re-enter. So you'll need to do Altos de Chavon first.
Your ship will dock at 9am and you should be able disembark within 30 minutes. So you could do: 9.30 to 11.30 Altos de Chavon then go onto Dreams. Count on 30 minutes (to be safe) to get back to port (most cruise taxis leave Bayahibe between 3 to 3.30pm if the ship is sailing at 5pm).
Good luck!
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Pro Excursions - tours for cruise passengers will be with English speaking guides
water tours for cruise passengers
land tours for cruise passengers
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It's a new tour so you may not receive any reviews. It's run by Seavis so it will be a good, quality tour.
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Here's a list of reputable, independent, excursion companies who cater to cruise ship passengers docking at La Romana Port. Most will be based in Bayahibe, a small, safe fishing village 15 minutes from port. They are all used to dealing with cruise ships so will get you back to port in good time!
Seavis (Saona Island boat tours) http://www.seavisbayahibe.com
Bayahibe Fishing Centre (also do Saona Island boat tours) http://www.bayahibefishingcentre.com
ProExcursions (Saona tours) http://www.proexcursionsbayahibe.com/snorkling-tours/index.aspx
BayahibeSUP (stand up paddle boarding, Bayahibe has perfect condtions for SUP) http://bayahibesup.com
Diving Dom Rep http://divingdr.com
Wild Ranch Canopy (zip lines) http://www.wild-ranch-canopy.blogspot.com
You can read their reviews on Trip Advisor under the Activities tab http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g663484-Activities-Bayahibe_La_Altagracia_Province_Dominican_Republic.html
Have fun!
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Will be arriving in La Romana Nov 30...THanks for all the info on tours. Looking for group private tour. Where should I go to get van or tour operator. What is a must see and do while there?
There is a good list of things to do in Bayahibe here under the "Tours" tab. Bayahibe is a quaint fishing village 15 minutes from port.
and in La Romana here...
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@jwalk03 Hard Rock Cafe and the Hard Rock Shop in Punta Cana are inside Palma Real Shopping Mall (there is no direct access to the beach from there). With the new motorway the drive from port will take around 45 minutes. There are taxis at the port, but I don't know what they will charge as their prices are usually higher than the regular taxi companies who charge US$100 to 120 ONE way!!!.
You could try contacting a private transfer company like IBK Servicios and ask them for a quote. btw from 4th Nov EST (ship time) is 1 hour behind local time so take that into consideration when telling them your docking and sailing times. Email: ibkservicios@gmail.com
Oh and make sure you quote your destination as Palma Real Shopping Center and not Hard Rock Hotel which is even further away and requires a day pass to enter.
Public transport to either Santo Domingo or Punta Cana will involve mulitiple bus changes and will be a complete hassle if you don't speak fluent Spanish.
Good luck!
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Is La Romana a tender port?
No, the ship docks at a jetty.
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Thank you for all your information. I may have missed it, but I just want to go to Bayahibe and stroll around then go to the beach next to Breezes. Will I be able to catch a cab or van easily for a round trip to and from port? Some have said cabs are not very plentiful and hard to get one. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Plenty of taxis at the port all day. 15$US per person round trip in shared taxi/minivan from port to Bayahibe. Pay driver on return journey. Driver will meet you at a designated time and place. Btw Breezes is now Dreams La Romana.
What is at the port at La Romana
in Dominican Republic
Posted
No beach within walking distance of port.
From port you can walk 10 minutes into La Romana town. Ask the port security guards to point you in the right direction. It's safe to walk around, I see many cruise passengers walking there from port. However, there isn't that much to see if you don't know your way around. There is a big supermarket Jumbo on the main road - big red sign you can't miss it. There you can find a large selection of rums, alcohol and coffee at local prices (far cheaper than the duty free!). Inside Jumbo there is also a Burger King, Pharmacy and Dominican Cafeteria with free wifi (upstairs in the seating area). Everywhere will accept US dollars.
Crema Café on Calle Francisco Richiez (marked N on the map link below) is my favorite place to eat. Serves delicious patisserie and lunches. Sugar coated spare ribs - amazing!, excellent falafel pita sandwiches, their chinola cheese cake (passion fruit) is to die for! It's about a 20 minute walk from port, but well worth it! Go up the road with the police station on it (marked H on the map), pass Plaza Lama department store on your left, Crema is on the right before Iberia supermarket. They have both outdoor and indoor seating (air conditioned). Prices are very reasonable. Buen Provecho!
article about Cream Cafe http://casadecampoliving.com/famous-la-romana-bakery-crema-opens-a-savory-kitchen-and-its-sooo-good/
Map of La Romana town (port is marked "Puerto La Romana")
http://oi61.tinypic.com/vrze2p.jpg