Bayahibe was a mostly undiscovered gem on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic until the late 1990s. Some independent travelers knew about it before, but the more resort-oriented traveler had never heard of it. Bayahibe is becoming increasingly touristy, but there is still a striking contrast between Bayahibe and the much more popular resort of Punta Cana on the east coast.
Bayahibe also has a totally different atmosphere than the popular tourist destinations of Puerto Plata, Sosua and other tourist destinations on the north coast. However, in this article I will focus on some of the differences between Bayahibe and Punta Cana.
Bayahibe has a real sense of community unlike Punta Cana
Founded in the late 1800’s, Bayahibe has a long history of being a working fishing village. As such, it has a strong sense of community that is not solely based on tourism dollars as is found in Punta Cana. In fact, Punta Cana’s history is relatively short-lived and is based almost entirely on tourism. All of its development and expansion has been fueled by profits from tourism.
Compared to Punta Cana, Bayahibe is more simple and relaxed. In Bayahibe, it is easy to mingle with real Dominicans and enjoy authentic Dominican culture. Dominicans are very friendly people with big hearts and they will gladly talk to you. In fact, don’t be surprised if they want you to dance the merengue with them too! If you want to meet real Dominicans in Bayahibe, just go to the seaside bars, open air restaurants, the very popular pool hall and shop in the local community. You can’t find a similar authentic experience in the tourist towns of Punta Cana, even if you try.
Bayahibe has fewer resorts and more hotels and cabins not included
Punta Cana’s coastline has become one all-inclusive resort after another with very few options for the independent traveler. Bayahibe, on the other hand, has only one all-inclusive resort known as Dreams La Romana Resort. This is a 568-room resort that sits right on one of the best parts of Playa Bayahibe (Bayahibe Beach). Otherwise, all accommodation in Bayahibe is small independent hotels, bed and breakfasts, and cabins. Hotel Bayahibe is the largest of the independents and has only 25 rooms. Again, you get a more authentic experience by staying in Bayahibe compared to Punta Cana. Just to clarify, I should mention that there are 6 large-scale resorts within 2-3 miles of Bayahibe in Dominicas to the southeast, which sometimes it is considered part of the Bayahibe region.
The cabins are cute stand-alone “shacks” or small cabins, traditionally built with a thatched roof, though not all have that now. They are scattered throughout Bayahibe, including some right on the beach. You used to be able to rent them at a bargain price, but the price has really come down in recent years as more tourists have come and more of them are used as living quarters for sneaking up resort employees – the cabins are! Still a good deal if you can find one! Of course, they are also a totally different experience than a resort in Punta Cana.
Caribbean Sea vs. Atlantic Ocean
When many people think of “The Caribbean”, they think that the entire region lies within the calm and peaceful Caribbean Sea. However this is not entirely true. The Dominican Republic, like the other large Caribbean islands, is located on the border of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its north and east coasts face the Atlantic Ocean and its south coast faces the Caribbean Sea. Now, here is the most important difference for the tourist: the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are much more rugged and wild than the peaceful and calm waters of the Caribbean.
Bayahibe is located on the south coast of the Dominican Republic. Therefore, the waters adjacent to its shores are calm and calm. The sand is also ultra fine and silky. On the other hand, the coast of Punta Cana (which includes Bávaro) is located on the east coast of the Dominican Republic. This places it in the Atlantic Ocean, where the waters are rougher and the sand is a little coarser. As you move south on the coast of Punta Cana, you begin to enter the transition zone between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and the sea becomes a bit smoother and the sand becomes finer. However, the sea, even at the southern end of the Punta Cana coast, is still not as calm as the sea adjacent to Bayahibe.
Sunsets over west facing bays versus east facing water
Due to the curvature of the region’s terrain, Bayahibe is located on two bays that face west. In fact, this is one of the few places in the entire Dominican Republic that faces west. Therefore, the sunsets here are considered the most spectacular in the country with the sun sinking directly into the ocean. You can enjoy this sunset water view from any number of outdoor restaurants and bars, or from the public beach.
Punta Cana is located on the east coast of the Dominican Republic and is therefore not ideal for viewing sunsets over the water, although sunrises can be spectacular in Punta Cana.
Climate and Microclimate
Bayahibe is considered by many to have the best microclimate of anywhere in the Dominican Republic. While Punta Cana certainly has less rain than Samaná Bay and other rainy spots on the Dominican north coast, Bayahibe has much less rain than Punta Cana! In fact, Bayahibe also gets less rain than La Romana, the popular tourist area just 19 miles to the east. Bayahibe is said to have roughly the same amount of rainfall during its “wet season” as the north coast of the Dominican Republic does in its “dry season.”
Bayahibe is also warmer on average than most other tourist destinations in the country. This is particularly true in the winter, when both ambient and water temperatures are warmer than in Punta Cana and the tourist destinations on the Dominican north coast.
Distance to Isla Saona, Isla Catalinita and Parque Nacional del Este
The most popular day trip in the Dominican Republic is a boat trip to Saona Island (Isla Saona). In fact, more than 2,000 people visit this island on average per day! Isla Saona is part of the Parque Nacional del Este (Parque Nacional del Este) located in the extreme southeast of the Dominican Republic. Almost all boat trips to Saona Island depart from the port of Bayahibe. This means that tourists in Punta Cana first have to take a bus or taxi to Bayahibe before they can get on a boat in Bayahibe to Isla Saona. This can take 1-2 hours one way, 2-4 hours round trip. Therefore, it is much more comfortable and relaxing to make an excursion to Isla Saona if you are already staying in Bayahibe.