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Things to do

Another ‘must-do’ is to dive into the Dominican culture and have some food at a typical Dominican restaurant, called a Comedor and have a drink or two with locals at the centrally located Super Colmado.

 

You can even find a lookout in Bayahibe, ‘La Punta’, where you can watch the boats and catamarans coming and leaving or where you can watch the romantic sunset with your beloved one.

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Another great thing to do is to explore the underwater world as a scuba diver. The dive shops are glad to take you to various dive sites, which are described as the best in the country, with stunning coral reefs and even shipwrecks to explore.

Bayahibe and its surroundings have for everybody something to offer. If you are in need of a calm holiday and want to spend your time relaxing at one of the white sandy beaches, with the pristine clear Caribbean water, then there are three beaches right at your doorstep to choose from.

The closest is the public beach of Bayahibe and the more tranquil and hidden one is Playa Magallanes. A bit further away is the third beach Playa Dominicus with its palm trees right in the sand and definitely also worth a visit.

For the adventurer, there are plenty of tour companies which like to take you on incredible excursions like Saona Island, just ask us and we can point you in the right direction.

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On a walk you can also explore the close national park “Padre Nuestro” with its caves and even have a swim in the crystal clear freshwater lake in one of the caves (don’t forget a flashlight!).

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Speaking of a dip into the nice refreshing waters of the Dominican Republic there are more than five natural water holes in Bayahibe. Two of them are set up as natural freshwater pools, where you can bath with small fishes and domestic turtles.

Bayahibe

Bayahibe is a tiny fishing village in the Dominican Republic. But it is not anywhere in the DR, it lies right at the beautiful and tranquil Caribbean coast in the south east of the country next to the national park “Parque nacional del este” and to the world famous island Saona.

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Back in the days, anno 1874, it was originally founded by Juan Brito from Puerto Rico and transformed over the time as it is today into a mecca for tourists from everywhere around the globe.

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If you visit us in Bayahibe, you will quickly learn that even though Bayahibe is the place to be for many tourists who come to the Dominican Republic, it is still a quiet, small and cosy place for spending your vacation.The next big city La Romana with its international airport is just a short car ride away. Punta Cana and the capital Santo Domingo are reachable in more or less an hour.

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The town has its own two little Caribbean beaches, away less than 1 mile /1.5 km from the town centre. Another stunning postcard like beach is Dominicus beach which can be reached by public transport or within a 45 min walk.

Despite the fact, that Bayahibe is a small fishing town, it offers everything you could need during your vacations. There are lots of different local Dominican and international restaurants and bars where you find a wide range of affordable and delicious cuisine. If you need to buy something, two supermarkets and many small Colmados are spread through the village. All amenities like doctors, pharmacies, banks and tourist information can be found as well.

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Bayahibe is also a great spot for water sports like sailing, fishing, snorkelling and diving. In fact, it is the best location for scuba diving in the whole Dominican Republic. There are more than 20 official dive sites located close to Bayahibe, including the three shipwrecks Atlantic Princess, Coco and St George.

Beaches

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As you may already know, Bayahibe is in the lucky place to call the Caribbean its home. And with that comes the fact that all visitors or tourist can choose amongst three different public beaches around town. All of the beaches don’t lack the typical holiday feeling with their white sandy beaches, the crystal clear, warm and pristine waters. You can take a sunbath, go for a swim or just spent time under a shady palm tree or umbrella and enjoy your vacation.

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To begin with the closest one, which is just a stone's throw away from town and is simply called ‘Playa Bayahibe’. There you can rent a chair, enjoy a cocktail in the sand and have all catering opportunities you’ll imagine. And if you need something for your family at home, you can find small shops which sell all kind of traditional souvenirs.

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Walking in the other direction of town you will find ‘Playa Magallanes’. Compared to ‘Playa Bayahibe’ it is quite tranquil and natural, without any amenities, which makes it nice to just relax and chill in the sand.

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Another great advantage is that you can go snorkelling at the beautiful reef which lies right in front of the beach.

Usually you won’t lie amongst other people during the week and most of the time you’ll be lucky to be the only one.

 

The last but not less beautiful is ‘Playa Dominicus’. This beach is located in the neighbouring part of town called ‘Dominicus Americanus’. It can be reached by public transport or by foot through a forest within 45 min. The beach itself is really stunning, palm trees in the sand and turquoise water awaits you there. This could be one of the beaches on the countless postcards you can find in the souvenir shops. Its beauty could also be the reason why All Inclusive Resorts such as ‘Be Live Canoa’, ‘Viva Wyndham’ and a few more chose this beach as their location. Similar to ‘Playa Bayahibe’ you also find here restaurants, restrooms and souvenir shops.

Excursions

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Other excursions take you up the river Chavon, where parts of Rambo and Jurassic Park were filmed and show you typical Dominican farms, wildlife and nature.

For adrenalin seekers are speedboat excursions, where YOU actually steer the boat and Canopy Zip lining on the list.

Of course, there are also different variations of horse riding excursions through the national park offered.

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And so much more…

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You see, there is something interesting for everybody.

When you come to Bayahibe you probably want to enjoy your well-deserved vacation to relax and recharge your batteries. But in case you get bored from sunbathing or swimming in the Caribbean Sea, then one of our partners can help you and take you on one of their excursions. We are going to tell you about a few excursions opportunities here in Bayahibe and if you want to know more in detail, feel free to ask us.

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The obviously most famous excursion in Bayahibe is a boat trip to Saona Island. Saona Island is part of the National Park of the East (Parque Nacional del Este) which is a protected conservation area in the south east of the Dominican Republic. All excursions start in the morning and bring you back in the afternoon. You have the choice of taking a speedboat or go on board a slower sailing catamaran. Both have their benefits. You will see starfish, eat typical Dominican food, spent time at Hollywood like beaches and go snorkelling at coral reefs. We have to admit, that a visit in the Dominican Republic is not complete if you miss Saona Island - the pearl of the Caribbean.

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Another tour, similar to the Saona Island excursions takes you to Catalina Island. Catalina is further away but more remote and the reefs are incredible for snorkelling lovers.

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On this tour, you will also visit a jungle farm and rescue centre where you can find the biggest butterfly garden in the Dominican Republic.

Diving

Scuba Diving in the Dominican Republic can be a fabulous activity for the whole family. With different available dive courses and dive sites for all kind of levels (for kids and adults) is Bayahibe with its local dive companies the perfect place to start this underwater adventure. It does not matter, if you have experience in diving or not, they will help you getting started with various PADI certifications and courses from trial lessons to the Open Water Diver, special courses and even up to the Dive Instructor so that you can make a living out of your passion. If you need more information about the schedules and prices, please ask the local dive companies directly.

Many Scuba Divers from various countries around the world have already discovered the beauty of the Caribbean Sea and the south coast of the Dominican Republic became one of their favorites. In particular is Bayahibe and the ‘National park of the East’ (Parque Nacional del Este)  one of the most popular places for diving and snorkeling in the country and considered one of the world’s best dive sites.

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Here you can find white sandy beaches, a rocky coastline, mangrove forests and marvelous coral reefs which you can discover over and especially under water. The native soft and hard corals on the reefs are full of life with all kind of underwater species. There live countless schools of various fish, stingrays, moray eels and with a bit of luck you can see dolphins, whales, manatees and even sharks.

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The dive spots around Bayahibe are quite diverse and really enjoyable with an average Caribbean water temperature of around 27 °C.

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There you are able to dive in wide open waters, on shallow reefs, incredible huge underwater walls, underwater caves and even a few shipwrecks.

Nightlife

Or you take part and dive into the local party at the centrally based Colmado. There you can meet with locals and foreigners alike and enjoy the typical Dominican nightlife culture with music, beer, rum, dancing and so much more.

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After that there is the opportunity to go to the local disco ‘Byblos – Pit Stop’ or the ‘Casino’ where you can dance and party to Dominican and international music all night long until dawn.

Not only during the day is Bayahibe an interesting and tranquil place for spending your vacation. Whether you relax during the day at one of the lush beaches or you explore the country and its jewels on one of the many excursions, at night you also have a few different choices for having a great time.

Of course you just can hang out at one of the bars and enjoy the local Presidente beer, Dominican rum in all variations or a chilled cocktail of your choice, of course made with fresh fruits.

Weather

Winter in Bayahibe is in January and February - the modest months during the year. In this time some high elevated areas can experience snow during the coldest months. Temperatures may go down to 18 °C but often remain pleasant and stay in the low 20s.

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Spring happens during the months March till May. Therefore, the best time to travel in the Dominican Republic is usually from December to May. With little rainfall during these months and moderate temperatures up to around 28 °C at daytime it is the ideal time for scuba diving, snorkelling and other water sport activities.

 

Weather Hazards

Most of the travels are highly concerned about the hurricanes, that normally occur between July and October but the last category 5 hurricane struck the Dominican Republic in 1979. Since then only every couple of years Bayahibe experienced tropical cyclones with powerful winds, torrential rains and high waves.

Bayahibe mostly has a tropical climate with a yearly temperature about 25 ºC on average. Close to sea level, the normal temperature is 28 ºC while the temperature at higher rises is 18 ºC. In the valleys, temperatures achieve a high of 40 ºC yet drop to 0 ºC in the mountains. The coolest months are January and February with the most smoking climate in August. The wet season happens from May through November. Tropical storms are likely amongst July and October. The normal yearly precipitation is 1,500 millimetres.

 

Summer in Bayahibe is almost all year round and is often called as an endless summer. The summers are warm and humid with temperatures mostly over 30 °C. The climate from June to October is hot and rainy. Hurricanes or tropical cyclones can appear from July to October. But in the last couple of years these occasions were really rare.

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Autumn is cooler and with less humidity from November through January.  The evenings are cooler than they are during the summer months. Throughout the day, temperatures reach up to 28 °C and can drop to 20 °C at night.

Restaurants

Their menus offer from superior Dominican and mixed dishes at ‘El Patio’ or ‘Cafecito Lonza’ to Burgers, Tapas and more at ‘Saona Café’ to pizza, international dishes and even Sushi at ‘Chicki Blue’.

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Of course there are many more restaurants all around town. They are mostly influenced, owned and operated from Italians who know how to cook incredible tasty food and bake really luscious pizzas. Our all-time favourite Italian restaurants are ‘Mopa Café’ and ‘Lost Bar’ which are also worth a visit.

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If you just want a snack in between then there are a few food booths where you can get Empanadas, pizza slices, sandwiches and other typical finger food.

For sure, if you go on vacation then you want the whole deal: summer, sun, beach, an amazing time and of course delicious food!

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As for the delicious food, Bayahibe has a huge variety of different restaurants for you to choose from. First of all you can find more than enough typical Dominican restaurants, called Comedor, at every corner of town. There you can enjoy all the yummy national specialties of the Dominican Republic. The dishes range from ‘pica pollo’ (grilled chicken pieces with rice, beans and plantains) over different variations of fish, beef or pork. All are really tasty and the prices are with around 125-250 Dominican Pesos more than affordable and the portions are for the big hunger. The most famous Comedor is ‘Pica Pollo Mama Rosa’, run by Mama Rosa who is a lovely, well known and unique Dominican lady. It is almost like an excursion to Saona, if you come to Bayahibe you HAVE to go at least one time and eat there.

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As well as typical Dominican Comedores, there are all kinds of international restaurants in town. Right at the beach and with a stunning view during sunset are even twelve different restaurants.

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