Wild and adventurous, sometimes rocky, rough, rugged, but above all beautiful - this is the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Enjoy an adventure expedition and discover the beauty of this magical stretch of coast.
Day 1: Puerto Plata (AI)
Personal meet and greet at Puerto Plata airport (driver with name sign outside the terminal) or pick up from another hotel in Puerto Plata and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Why not end the day with a sunset on the hotel beach?
Day 2: Puerto Plata - Damajagua - Puerto Plata (L, AI)
After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up at the hotel reception at 09:00. You leave Puerto Plata via the highway and start the round trip with an active and adrenaline-filled canyoning excursion. The destination is the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua. Once you arrive at the waterfall park, you will first receive an introduction to canyoning from a local guide, as well as a helmet and life jacket. Water shoes, which are essential for the hike, can be rented or purchased on site (approx. USD 2 or USD 14, payable on site). You then begin an approximately 45-minute hike uphill through the tropical jungle landscape. In the green and lush vegetation you will encounter exotic birds time and again. You follow the path of the waterfalls that pour into natural pools, use the natural water slides or jump from rocky ledges from lofty heights into the cool water. Experience thrills, water fun and a deep connection with nature! Afterwards, a sumptuous Dominican lunch buffet awaits you in the park's visitor center. Strengthened, you continue on a buggy tour through the majestic mountains and rivers of the region. After a short briefing, you will take a seat either at the wheel or as a passenger in a 4x4 buggy. During the rally, you will drive through small villages, past pastures and plantations, uphill, downhill and even through riverbeds with raging currents. Return to the hotel in the early afternoon and relax with the all-inclusive services.
Day 3: Puerto Plata - Santiago de los Caballeros (B, L)
After breakfast, the journey continues along an impressive panoramic serpentine route to Santiago. Once in Santiago, you will visit Los Pepines, one of the most symbolic districts in the historic center of the city. Take a walk to unravel the stories behind the murals: Who are the people depicted in the murals? What connection do they have to the local culture? You will find out! At the end of the tour, stop off at a local store to try the typical empanadas, dumplings filled with cheese or meat, and fresh fruit juices - simply delicious! Continue to Tamboril, the self-proclaimed world capital of cigars. Here you will visit the most prestigious cigar manufacturer in the Dominican Republic, La Aurora. In the factory, you will learn all about tobacco cultivation, processing and cigar production. Of course, you can also taste a cigar.
Day 4: Santiago de los Caballeros - Cabarete (B)
After breakfast, you leave Santiago and head north to the coast. On arrival in Cabarete, you will visit the natural monument of the Cabarete and Goleta lagoons. We recommend packing long-sleeved clothing and/or insect repellent. You will be given a helmet at the entrance and then set off on a discovery tour through the dense tropical forest with a local guide. The rich flora includes cocoa and coffee trees as well as numerous medicinal plants. There are 258 caves in the forest that are millions of years old, three of which you will visit on a 90-minute hike. First you will reach the Taína Cave. Here, a steep wooden staircase leads 25 meters into the depths, inside the cave there is a freshwater pool where the brave can take a dip. You then visit the Crystal Cave, a stalactite cave with stalactite and stalagmite formations that have been formed over millions of years. Finally, you will reach the Frog Cave with its six-metre deep spring water pool. If you would like to take a refreshing dip, you can either jump from the three-metre-high platform or descend into the pool via a staircase. The driver will then take you to your hotel in Cabarete. The small town is popular with surfers and has made a name for itself worldwide as a Caribbean water sports center. Enjoy the afternoon on Cabarete beach and watch the hustle and bustle of kitesurfers and surfers.
Day 5: Cabarete - Río San Juan - Cabrera - Cabarete (B)
After breakfast, you will travel along the coastal road to Rio San Juan. Today is all about the varied water landscape of the north coast with its picturesque bays, rugged rock formations and grottos. You will first visit the small bay of Laguna Gri Gri, from where a mangrove-lined channel leads into the open sea. The boat tour takes you through the bay to the small La Piscina Natural beach, where you make your first short swim stop (max. 15 minutes). Continue to the next beach and swimming stop (max. 15 minutes): Playa Caleton. On the way, you will explore a small grotto by boat and pass a rock decorated with sculptures. Back on land, continue through the village of Cabrera to Laguna Dudú. The Laguna Dudú park consists of the two cenotes Laguna Dudú and the Pozo de los Caballos, the horse fountain, which are connected by an underground tunnel. Laguna Dudu is 22 meters deep, has a deep blue color and is surrounded by lush vegetation. You can take a refreshing dip in the two freshwater pools. If you are looking for a thrill as well as refreshment, you can glide over the lagoon on the zip line at a lofty height and drop into the water from a height of around 15 meters - a feast for all adventure-seekers. You can have lunch in the restaurant on site if you wish (not included).
Day 6: Cabarete - Sosúa - Puerto Plata - Punta Rucia (B)
From Cabarete, you will head back west along the coast today. Your first destination is the small town of Sosúa, where you will visit one of the most bizarre museums in the world. A wealth of paintings and sculptures by Haitian and Dominican artists are exhibited here on five floors, including three spaceships. Continue to Puerto Plata, known for its pretty Victorian-style wooden houses, which are located around the central park and the 800-metre-high Isabel de Torres mountain. Once at the top, the first thing you will see is the region's landmark, a smaller version of the statue of Christ as seen in Rio de Janeiro. Then visit the Fortaleza San Felipe fortress, one of the oldest surviving fortresses from the colonial era. The large, massive complex was built in 1577 to make attacks from the water more difficult. Then continue to Punta Rucia, where you will arrive in the early evening. The small fishing village is located on a breathtaking bay at the tip of a small headland, where the water shimmers in the most beautiful shades of blue and turquoise in the sunshine.
Day 7: Punta Rucia - Cayo Arena (B)
Today you go on an excursion to the sandbank Cayo Arena, also known as Paradise Island, which only emerges from the sea during the day and disappears back into the sea at high tide. It is a jewel of the Dominican Republic and a highlight during your stay in Punta Rucia. Directly from the beach, after breakfast at 08:00, you will take a boat to Cayo Arena in around 25 minutes. Here you can enjoy the peace and quiet in paradisiacal surroundings, take a refreshing swim or watch the shoals of tropical fish in the shallow turquoise waters while snorkeling. There is a coral reef not far from the sandbank, which is home to a particularly large number of colorful schools of fish - a natural spectacle not to be missed. After a few hours, you return to the hotel around midday. Another highlight awaits you on the way back, as this time the route takes you close to the shore along the mangroves. A few snacks are also provided during the excursion.
Day 8: Punta Rucia - Puerto Plata (B)
Transfer to the airport or to the beach hotel in the Puerto Plata area.
B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner / AI = All Inclusive
Note:
In order to be able to guarantee all visits, we recommend starting the round trip on Wednesdays or Sundays.
A driver's license is required for the buggy ride on day 2. We reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary with the same scope of services!
