Things To Do in Bayahibe

This pale blue clapboard shack on the beach is a great place to kick back with an ice-cold Presidente beer or a glass of Brugal rum. There’s a second-floor balcony overlooking the water, and at night the owner likes to crank up the stereo and let the merengue shake the wooden floorboards.

There are more than 100 mango varieties growing in the Dominican Republic and, at this annual festival, you get the chance to sample them in every context imaginable – fish dishes, desserts, even chutney. And it just wouldn’t be a festival without a few mango-based cocktails, would it?

This long ribbon of ice-white sand is the real tropical deal. The beach literally melts into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, and if you don a mask and snorkel, you’ll see rainbow-coloured fish and starfish swimming around the corals. The big hotels backing the beach each have their own private sections with sunloungers, watersports, and beach bars. But walk down the warm sand and you’ll come to the National Park of the East where it’s a different kind of private beach – one you’ll enjoy all to yourself.

You’ll find tonnes of Dominican specialities at the little shacks along the Malecón, the beachfront promenade, and the side streets off it. Pollo fritto, or fried chicken, is the national dish and well worth several tastings. And keep your eyes peeled for seafood restaurants where fresh lobster, crab and shrimp are all on the cards. Washed down with a bottle of ice-cold Presidente beer is how the locals like it.

Calle La Bahia, south of Bayahibe beach, is a top nightlife spot. To find a place you like, let your ears guide you, since a lot of the action is done street-party style. Presidente beer and rum cocktails take care of the drinks, while on the music front it’s pop and the local bachata. Weekdays tend to be quiet – unless it’s payday, on the 15th and the 30th.

Colmado Billy is the town’s traditional grocer. But it’s not just the place for stocking up on bottled water, beach snacks and the local Brugal rum. If you head over between 5pm and 8pm you’ll find the pre-party crowd gathered in the store and on the nearby streets. You can hang around listening to music before rolling out together to a bar or dance club.

Bayahibe has a handful of nightclubs where you can wind your hips to merengue, and its slower-paced cousin, bachata. Weekends are the best times to scope out the village’s clubs, as this is when the locals are primed to party. You’ve got the choice of Colmado and Mundo Aquatico in the village centre, and Starz Club on the road to Dominicus. Before hitting the clubs, you can sip a cerveza y limonada at one of the Malecón’s bars – it’s the Dominican Republic’s tasty take on shandy and a popular tipple around these parts.

Bayahibe beach isn’t the only sunbathing option. A 10-minute drive south gets you to Dominicus beach, a two-kilometre stretch of soft, Blue Flag sands. There’s no undertow and the slope is so gradual you’ll need to wade quite a way before you can swim. The Dominicus area has plenty of shops and restaurants, so you can easily make a day of it.

A giant tropical rainforest covers the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, and it’s literally right on Bayahibe’s doorstep. Guided tours in a 4x4 jeep will provide you with encounters with rare birdlife, clouds of butterflies and centuries-old trees. But the real must-sees are the limestone grottos once inhabited by Taino Indians, the island’s original dwellers. Inside, you’ll find cave drawings outlining their mystical beliefs.

Among the many wonders of Parque del Este is the Piscina Natural, about 30 minutes away by boat. It’s like one big swimming pool in the sea because the water is only waist-deep. You’ll be in good company here – the white sands below are dotted with colourful starfish. Most Isla Saona cruises stop at this spot, so you can double up and do them both.

There’s a parade of gift shops and boutiques directly behind the big hotels in Dominicus that’s something of a purple patch for bargain hunters. You’ll find colourful Haitian paintings, amber jewellery and must-have Limé dolls. Alternatively, get the gua gua bus to La Romana, a 15-minute ride away, where you can fill your bags with Bermudez Crystal rum and Santo Domingo coffee at the cut-price supermarkets.

Like most places, Bayahibe is big on Christmas. In fact, the locals like to make a real song and dance about it – literally. On Christmas Eve they parade through the streets shaking their hips and singing traditional holiday tunes. And if you’re in the village centre in the hours before midnight, you’ll see a Christmas countdown to rival New Year’s Eve.

Walk off the beach and right up to the outdoor bar stools at Saona Cafe. With one of the village’s few English-speaking owners – plus a killer mojito – this place draws a lively Happy Hour crowd. Only the bar is indoors, so everyone mingles outside. And when the mix of pop and Latin music gets going, the street transforms into a dance floor.

The waterfront lane on the bay just south of Bayahibe beach has a good trawl of restaurants serving shellfish with sea views. But the ultimate dining experience might just be offshore. In season, some boat captains offer lobster dinners on secluded shores as part of their chartered trips. The marina’s the place to negotiate your dream beach barbecue.