Barahona and the Southwest

Overview

The southwest is the Dominican Republic least like the brochures. It is dry country of cactus, thorn scrub and red earth between the Sierra de Bahoruco and the sea, with stony river beaches, a hypersaline lake below sea level and some of the emptiest white-sand beaches in the Caribbean. Few foreign tourists come, towns are small and services are basic.

The region runs from Barahona, the main town and base, along a spectacular coast road south to Pedernales on the Haitian border, and inland to the Enriquillo basin. It is also where the government is building its next big beach destination at Cabo Rojo, with a cruise pier already working and an airport and the first resorts under construction.

Go now if you want to see it before the resorts. Go with a car, cash in pesos, Spanish phrases and patience. If you want a hotel with every service, wait a few years or stay in Punta Cana instead.

Getting there, distances and road times

The trip from Santo Domingo heads west past San Cristóbal and Baní to Azua, then south to Barahona. Road improvements have shortened the drive in recent years, and officials say more sections are being finished. The times below are realistic daytime driving without long stops.

The coast road south of Barahona (Highway 44) is paved and winding, with cliffs, villages, goats and speed bumps. Between Barahona and Pedernales there is a section known as the derrumbado, a slide-prone stretch where engineers are studying a tunnel or viaduct; expect roadworks and occasional delays. See driving for rentals, fuel by the gallon in pesos and checkpoints.

Without a car

Buses run from Santo Domingo to Barahona, and local guaguas (minibuses) continue along the coast to Pedernales. They are cheap and slow, and getting to the beaches and the lake from the towns is hard without your own transport or a hired driver. Many visitors hire a driver-guide in Barahona for the day. See getting around.

By air

The new Cabo Rojo International Airport near Pedernales is under construction. In 2026, officials gave first-flight targets ranging from February to July 2027, starting with a limited schedule. Until it opens, the practical way in is to fly into Santo Domingo (SDQ) and drive. See flights.

Barahona and the coast road

Barahona itself is a working port town with a seafront Malecón and a few hotels and restaurants. The real draw is the coast south of town, where the mountains drop almost straight into a deep blue sea and rivers of cold, clear mountain water run onto pebble beaches. This is one of the most scenic drives in the country.

Larimar mines near Los Chupaderos

Larimar, a pale blue stone, is found in only one place in the world: the hills of the Sierra de Bahoruco above Barahona. It became known to the jewelry trade in the 1970s. The mines are near Los Chupaderos and Las Filipinas, reached by a rough mountain road inland from the coast near the village of Bahoruco.

Visiting the mines is a raw experience. Miners work in narrow, deep shafts with simple tools, and the hillside is pocked with tunnels and piles of rubble. You can watch from the surface and buy rough stones and simple pieces directly from miners and the cooperative stalls.

• Go with a local driver or guide and a high-clearance vehicle; the road is steep and loose, and it can be impassable after rain.
• Wear closed shoes and do not enter the shafts.
• Ask before photographing miners, and buy something if you take their time.
• Prices are negotiable and in pesos. The best stones are deep blue with white patterns; pale, cloudy stones cost less.
• Fakes are common in tourist areas: dyed stone, resin and glass. Buying near the source or from a reputable shop lowers the risk. See shopping.

Lago Enriquillo, crocodiles and iguanas

Inland from Barahona, the Enriquillo basin is a long valley that lies below sea level. Its centerpiece, Lago Enriquillo, is a salt lake saltier than the sea and the lowest point in the Caribbean. The lake grew dramatically in the 2000s and 2010s, flooding farms and roads, and its level still changes from year to year.

The Parque Nacional Lago Enriquillo e Isla Cabritos protects one of the largest wild populations of American crocodiles in the Caribbean, along with flamingos and two native iguanas: the rhinoceros iguana and the endangered Ricord's iguana. Big iguanas wander around the park station on the north shore near La Descubierta and are used to people. Do not feed them.

Boat trips to Isla Cabritos, the island in the middle of the lake where crocodiles are easiest to see, have run at some times and been suspended at others because of water levels and conditions. Ask at the park office whether boats are operating and what the current fee is. Early morning is the best time to see crocodiles and to avoid the heat, which can pass 95°F (35°C).

Near the lake

• Las Caritas: Taíno petroglyphs of faces carved into a rock shelter above the road near Postrer Río, a short steep climb with a view over the lake.
• La Azufrada: sulfur-water bathing pools in La Descubierta, popular with locals.
• Jimaní: the border town at the lake's west end, on the main crossing to Haiti. There is no reason for visitors to go there; see the safety section below.

Bahía de las Águilas

Bahía de las Águilas is a curve of roughly 5 miles (8 km) of white sand and shallow turquoise water inside the Parque Nacional Jaragua, with no buildings, no vendors and no shade. It is the beach many Dominicans call the best in the country, and on a weekday you may share it with only a handful of people.

How to get there

1. Drive to Las Cuevas. From the Cabo Rojo turnoff on Highway 44 near Pedernales, follow the road past Cabo Rojo to the fishing village of La Cueva de los Pescadores, usually called Las Cuevas. The road is paved at first, then gravel with dips; drive slowly.
2. Pay the park fee. The Ministry of Environment charges about RD$150 (about $2.50) per person at a hut near the boat landing. You get a wristband for the day.
3. Take a boat. Boats from Las Cuevas reach the beach in about 15–20 minutes, passing sea cliffs and caves. In 2025 a round trip ran around $60 per boat for up to five people, paid in pesos, with life jackets provided. Agree on the price and the pickup time before you leave.
4. Or go overland. A road climbs over the headland from Las Cuevas to the beach and has been improved, but drive it carefully. You can also hike about 3 miles (5 km) each way, which is hard work in the heat.

Boats operate in daylight hours, roughly 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The glamping lodge at Las Cuevas sells boat trips and packages, and fishermen's boats wait at the landing. Many visitors combine the boat ride with a stop at a natural pool or snorkel spot along the way.

• Bring at least a gallon (4 liters) of water per person, food, a beach umbrella or tarp, and reef-safe sunscreen.
• Take all your trash back with you; there are no bins.
• Go on a weekday, outside Dominican holidays and days when cruise ships are in at Cabo Rojo.
• Eat fresh fish at the restaurant at Las Cuevas before or after; ask the price first.

Hoyo de Pelempito

North of Cabo Rojo, a paved road built for the old bauxite mines climbs into the Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco. The air cools as you rise from cactus desert into pine forest. Near the top, the Hoyo de Pelempito is an enormous forested depression, a natural bowl several miles across, with a visitor center and a viewing platform on the rim.

The drive up takes about an hour or more from the coast. Go in the morning, when the views are clearest and clouds have not yet filled the hole. Bring a jacket. The upper road through Aceitillar is one of the best birding areas in the country for species found only on Hispaniola; serious birders go with a specialist guide. Check the park office's opening hours and fee before you go. See the outdoors guide.

Pedernales and the Cabo Rojo project

Pedernales is the country's southwesternmost town, a quiet place on the Haitian border with simple hotels, guesthouses and seafood restaurants. Cabo Rojo, a few miles southeast, is the red-earth cape where the old bauxite port stood, now the center of the government's southwest tourism plan.

Status in 2026

• Cruise pier: the Cabo Rojo port received its first cruise ship in January 2024. Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas called in April 2025, and officials reported about 133,000 cruise passengers over the year to mid-2026. On ship days, beaches and boats get busier.
• Hotels: the first resorts, announced as an Iberostar and two Hyatt-brand all-inclusives (Secrets and Dreams), have been under construction for several years. Opening dates have slipped repeatedly; in August 2026, officials said about 1,800 rooms should be ready during 2027.
• Airport: Cabo Rojo International was under construction through 2026, with first flights projected for 2027 and a limited schedule at the start.
• Beach access: officials say the master plan keeps Bahía de las Águilas and the Cabo Rojo beaches open to the public, with new roads to shorten the trip.

Treat every opening date here as provisional. If you are planning a 2027 trip around one of the new resorts, confirm the opening with the hotel before you book flights, and expect the area to still be a construction zone in places.

Where to stay in the area

See where to stay for booking safely and the taxes on your bill.

Laguna de Oviedo and Parque Jaragua

On the coast road between Barahona and Pedernales, the town of Oviedo is the gateway to the Laguna de Oviedo, a large saltwater lagoon inside the Parque Nacional Jaragua. Boat trips from the park station visit mangroves, islands with iguanas and, in season, flocks of flamingos and other wading birds. Ask at the station for the current boat price and the best time of day for birds. The whole area belongs to the Jaragua–Bahoruco–Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve.

Safety and the border area

The US State Department rates the Dominican Republic at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution," because of crime, and it does not set a separate level for the southwest or the border provinces. Crime against visitors is less common in this rural region than in the big cities, but take the usual precautions with valuables, and do not resist a robbery.

Haiti is a different matter. The State Department's advisory for Haiti is at Level 4, "Do Not Travel," and specifically warns against crossing the land border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic because of kidnapping and violence on roads leading to it. It also notes that the US Embassy cannot help travelers enter the DR, and that crossing at unofficial points can lead to heavy immigration fines when you leave.

• Do not cross into Haiti at Pedernales, Jimaní or any other point, even for a quick look at a border market.
• Expect military and immigration checkpoints on roads near the border. Carry your passport (or a good copy with the original nearby), slow down and answer politely.
• Keep your e-Ticket and entry records in order; see entry rules.
• Enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for alerts.
• Cell coverage is patchy away from towns. Download offline maps before you leave Barahona.
• The emergency number is 911, but help can be far away. The nearest well-equipped hospitals are in Santo Domingo. Check that your insurance covers evacuation; Medicare does not cover care abroad. See health and safety.

When to go

November to April is the most comfortable time, with cooler mornings and less rain. The southwest is one of the driest parts of the country, but hurricane season (June to November) can bring storms, swells and landslides on the coast road. July to September is very hot. Dominican holidays, especially Semana Santa, bring crowds of Dominican families to the beaches and fill every room in Pedernales. See when to go and festivals.

Sample plans

1. Day 1

   Santo Domingo to Barahona

   Leave early, stop for lunch in Baní or Azua, and reach Barahona by mid-afternoon. Swim at San Rafael or Los Patos before sunset.

2. Day 2

   Larimar and the coast

   Morning trip with a driver up to the larimar mines, then a slow drive down the coast road to Pedernales, stopping at Paraíso and the Laguna de Oviedo.

3. Day 3

   Bahía de las Águilas

   First boat from Las Cuevas, a long morning on the beach, fish lunch at Las Cuevas, and a late-afternoon look at the Cabo Rojo coast.

4. Day 4

   Pelempito and the lake

   Early drive up to the Hoyo de Pelempito, then across to Lago Enriquillo for iguanas and Las Caritas, overnight in Barahona.

5. Day 5

   Back to the capital

   Return to Santo Domingo, about 3 hours. Stop at the Baní dunes on the way; see day trips.