Cycling the Dominican Republic: Two retirees, one island, and a month of adventure!
Puerto Plata – Punta Rucia – Santiago – Jarabacoa – Constanza – Barahona – Samaná – Puerto Plata
1,100 km cycled
February/March 2025
This is the story of two retirees, escaping winter for a month by cycling around in the tropics! The start was easy: We flew direct with Edelweis Air from Zurich. “We” being Max, a former teacher with a lingering drive to impact the world, and me, Kurt, a lifelong travel addict, finally touring together after 16 years of friendship. Retirement seemed like the perfect time to start!
Watch the video!
Visa requirements
To enter the Dominican Republic, all you need is an e-Ticket, which can be obtained online by completing a simple form.
First impressions
We landed in Puerto Plata, sorted SIM cards and cash, wandered the historic center, and admired the cruise ship dominating the skyline. Hitting the road was a bit chaotic at first, but things soon settled into a rhythm of friendly truckers, roadside fruit stalls, and wide shoulders. The scenery was lush, the fruit was tropical, and the roadside… unfortunately, often full of trash.
Isabela
The coastal town of Isabela was Columbus’ first settlement in the Americas. What remains today is the foundations of a few houses and a big warehouse, as well as a cemetery and a church. The town lasted just six years. Malaria, rebellion, and the lure of gold in the centre of the island did it in.
Mucky conditions
After heavy downpours, we quickly realized that shortcuts on dirt roads weren’t worth the effort. An hour of pushing and pulling our bikes followed by 20 minutes of scraping mud out of every crevasse is no fun. Luckily, we happened upon a car wash, where the lady offered to relieve the bikes of another kilo of muck; an offer we gladly accepted!
Punta Rucia
We ended the second day in Punta Rucia in a beautiful apartment, overlooking a perfect white sand-beach and turquoise waters. Absolute paradise … except for the few jet skis doing their laps so close to the sand that swimming wasn’t an option. It wasn’t long before we figured out that Sundays are generally for fun and frolics of the noisy variety. So, even if you avoid discos, the mobile alternative operated out of a parked car ensures full immersion!
Into the hills
Sleep deprived, we headed over our first hill and up a wide fertile valley full of rice and tobacco fields to the town of Santa Cruz de Mao, named after a river, not the Chinese leader. Beyond being the second biggest city in the country, Santiago’s only claim to fame is its public transport system in the form of aerial cable cars! Jarabacao, on the other hand, is a charming little town in the fertile highlands. We opted for quiet country roads to get up there but had to deal with steep inclines and a few stretches that made a muckery (spelling intended!) of the term road!
Doctor’s orders!
It was here that Max declared that he needed to see a doctor. In preparation for the trip, he had changed his saddle and invested in new padded cycling shorts. Sadly, it turned out to be an abrasive combination leaving him with nasty saddle sores. The doctor prescribed a special cream and an antiseptic shower gel to accompany a ten-day saddle ban! Knowing that the toughest stages were ahead, he gladly let me go solo. We agreed to meet up in Samaná town. He would bus it there via the capital, Santo Domingo, while I would continue on along the planned route.
The Cordillera Central
A drizzling ride up to Constanza was followed by the hardest but also the most beautiful day. 60km, on what Komoot declared to be paved, brought me to my limit. Crossing the Cordillera Central on dirt roads often with up to 20% inclines offered as many views as chances to push my bicycle.
Mid-afternoon, when I was at my wit’s end, what appeared only a pick-up truck full of live chickens for sale in the neighbourhood. The driver agreed to give me a lift up the next big hill on his way back. In the meantime, a local lady offered me water, coffee and food in her shady courtyard, and woke me from my slumbers when the chicken pick-up returned.
Once on top and through the forest, an incredible steep downhill awaited. My brakes merely slowed me down to 20km/h. Hairy, to say the least. At the bottom of the hill, a pick-up with plantains brought me all the way to Padre Las Casas; the first place with a hotel and a few eateries. Well, I certainly slept that night!
South coast
100km on good roads with beautiful scenery brought me to Barahona, a small town surrounded by sugarcane and coffee farms. A perfect place for a rest day!
Barahona was spectacular with the sun rising above the horizon. It turned out to be the best time of day to ride. Taking Max’s advice, I bussed to Azua and can confirm that the Caribe Tour buses have no problem with bicycles in the hold.
Rio Los Patos and the beach with the same name were next. While the views from the road were becoming more impressive the farther south I went, so did the cloud cover! Because the sea has strong undercurrents there, swimming is not advised. The river has well-built pools and restaurants along the bank. This part is well kept, but I made the mistake of walking along the pebbly beach up to the river and came across a load of trash. It is thrown into the sea and then the sea spits it right back. To accentuate my mood, the heavens opened.
Next morning I was up early. The ride back to Barahona was spectacular with the sun rising above the horizon. It turned out to be the best time of day to ride. Taking Max’s advice, I bussed to Azua and can confirm that the Caribe Tour buses have no problem with bicycles in the hold.
Back across the Cordillera Central
Crossing the mountain range again, via Ocoa and Rancho Arriba, I made it to Maimon. Paved and not half as steep, it was a pleasant ride that I can highly recommend. Cerro de Maimon is the biggest operating gold mine in Latin America. Alas, Columbus never figured out how right he was when searching for gold here! All there is to be seen though is a few parking lots between cacao plantations and there aren’t any tours available either. But it turned out to be another beautiful day on the bike with cacao giving way to cattle, and after the hills, it was paddy fields and tailwind all the way to Samaná!
Reunion with Max
I reunited with a recovered Max in Samaná, though he had to wait one more day while I had a little rest after my strenuous mountain escapades. We spent a day exploring town, where cruise ship guests mill around looking for souvenirs and a beer or an organized adventure trip.
Last leg
The final stretch was beach after beach. Some pristine, others plastic-clogged. But coconut trees? Always a vibe. Route 133 near Las Terrenas was a highlight—great views and excellent tarmac.
Back in Puerto Plata we had a day to unwind, pack the bikes and enjoy a farewell dinner.
Food
Food was tasty and plenty, but more suited to a ploughman than a Michelin star restaurant. A typical main course costs 5-10 €, cold beverages come at near freezing temperatures, and local coffee is excellent. Lots of people have a little table by the roadside with a thermos flask full of the percolated variety. Stop and enjoy. (It’s also a great way of practicing your Spanish).
Accommodation
Rooms are widely available and a double room en suite costs between 25 and 60€.
Conclusion
The Dom Rep is a beautiful island with exceptionally friendly people, good main roads and alternative adventurous stretches. While traffic can be hectic in cities, it is never threatening, and horns are a welcome salute rather than a warning to get off the road!
On the negative side, rubbish and noise are repeat offenders, but earplugs and a good attitude go a long way!
Rubbish and noise aside — why aren’t there any touring cyclists there?
