A Secret Destination in Dominican Republic

 

Whether you travel or not, we all get a certain thrill and excitement from finding or just knowing the "hidden gems" of a town, a city or a country. These are the places that "no one knows about", the places where only "the locals go", the ones that are hard to get to, and that do not appear in your regular Google search.

 

We all get a little stingy when it comes to revealing those little "secrets" to others. We recommend those places only to our close ones, hoping that these places, attractions, restaurants, etc. never go "mainstream".

 

The Dominican Republic is full of "touristy" places, so I usually find people trying to discover the REAL Dominican Republic. Therefore, I'm going to spoil it for my friends living in the Dominican Republic and let Bucket Pass subscribers know where to go if you're not feeling like partying at Imagine Club in Punta Cana or going to the 27 Waterfalls in Damajagua.

 

 

La Peñita

 

I'm definitely not the first person to put this one on a blog, yet this place is still as hidden as one can imagine. The first time my friend Rachel invited to me to go I did not ask any questions as she mentioned "Cliff Jumping" somewhere along her invitation. Next thing I know, Rachel was stopping the bus in the middle of the highway to San Pedro (aka in the middle of nowhere) for us to get off.

 

There is no clear road into this magical place so you just have to look for the two palm trees and find a little path that will lead you into a 42 feet cliff where you can safely jump into the clearest water in the Dominican Republic. 

 

In a way, it would be beneficial for this place to become more popular as someone would probably take better care of it. If you go, please bring a big plastic bag and bring back some plastic and glass bottles with you.

 

How to get there from Santo Domingo: 

 

By Bus: From Parque Enriquillo take the guagua to San Pedro and tell them you are going to Boca Chica. About an hour into the road, look for a gas station in your left. Once you drop off, look for the two palm trees and follow the little path.

 

By Car: Take the highway to San Pedro and right after you pass Boca Chica look for that gas station in your left. You may be able to park your car in the gas station if you convince the security guard and promise to leave some tip.

 

Recommendations: 

 

- Bring shoes. There's glass on the little path to the cliff and it is also better for when you dive into the water.

 

- Make sure the tide is not too high: It is normally pretty easy to swim out and get to safe land once you are in the water. However, if there are too many waves, just when you think you've done the hardest part - jumping off the cliff -  the riskiest part might be just getting back to land again. Just be careful.