I need good directions from Puerto Plata. But I need paved roads because I usually rent those little clown cars. And throw in some recommendations for where to find good, cheap Lobster. Thanks!!!!
I need good directions from Puerto Plata. But I need paved roads because I usually rent those little clown cars. And throw in some recommendations for where to find good, cheap Lobster. Thanks!!!!
I was there a little over a year ago and did not drive. I remember there were a lot of twisty roads and a few intersections that made it a bit tough to follow. The roads are all paved until you actually get into Punta Russia and there its a combination of gravel and paved. Your car should make it but look out for speed bumps along the way and don't travel at night when its dark. In Punta Russia area there are plenty of pavilions that sell sea food. It can actually be relatively pricey, if I remember right. But then I might have been given gringo prices. There are a couple hotels there if you want to stay the night as I don't recommend driving in the dark. My only advice is to take along a chica that can speak Spanish to help you get there and back and ask directions if you get lost or one of those rental cars breaks down. Sorry I don't have directions to give you...
don't take the Villa Elisa exit off the autopista!! that's the shit road. you wanna come in from the east (paved road all the way through Playa Ensenada).
I think the way we came back put us back on the Carretera Navarette-Puerto Plata near Imbert, so it's route 30 (Carretera Imbert-Luperon?). The Villa Elisa exit is also rt 30 (it loops around), but you dont wanna go in or out that way. It's hardly a road.
The first pic is from Punta Rusia, the second is from Playa Ensenada.
the restaurant we ate at was very good, but not really cheap, and i dont remember the name of it anyway. lol. it was towards the middle of punta rusia on the opposite side of the 'road' from the beach. there was a large-ish building (comparatively) across the road, one of very few structures on the beach side. may have been a hotel?
gas up on the highway. there's nothing in punta rusia - it's a small village, not a town. didn't see any atm's either.
don't recall much in the way of bugs.
It is easier to get to Punta Rucia now that the bridge has replaced the old ferry near El Estrecho.
Take highway 5 towards Santiago. Approx. 10 minutes past Maimon, take the right turn towards Luperon(highway 30). Enter El Estrecho and take a left at the colmado heading for the new bridge and Isabela. Go over the bridge and continue till the road ends in a T. Turn right to continue on highway 30. Continue through Isabela and Estero Honda. Just as you come to Punta Rucia, Playa Ensenada is to your right and the village is 5 minutes farther along 30. Sorry I can not help with the cheap lobster. Punta Rucia is real laid back, kind of sleepy during the week. Have fun!!
I just returned from 4 days here. Between the both of us, we have 5 tiny mosquito bites and zero bites from sand fleas. And we didn't even crack the Deet spray. They just weren't there. It even rained one evening. So i'm assuming that it's seasonal since many others warned me about the bugs as well. And we were definitely prepared!
Punta Rucia was beautiful, romantic and a place to fall in love. But definitely not worth a BABY!! I digress
So anyway, let me post the directions from Puerto Plata. All roads paved. From the main Puerto Plata / Imbert / Santiago road, turn right towards Luperon. Its about 10 minutes after leaving Maimon (the fish kiosks). Look for a small sign that says "Luperon". Approximately (9 miles) is the turn off for El Estrecho (also marked for Punta Rucia). Turn left at the colmado, go over the new bridge to a "T" junction, and turn right to Isabela. (When you turn left to El Estrecho, look for signs that talk about El Ranchito...the bridge comes as a surprise!) From Isabela you are (15 miles) from Punta Rucia. Head towards Estero Hondo (9 miles). On the far end on Estero Hondo, you will go to the right. There is a sign that says “PUNTA RUCIA”. Head towards Ensenada beach. The paved road ends at Ensenada beach and Punta Rucia is a further (2 miles). When the good road ends, you will be going towards the left from the entrance to La Ensenada. Follow this dusty road all the way through the village. All in all, it was about 2 hours door to door.
There's a few places to stay in Punta Rucia - Villa Nadine (luxury villa rental), Villa Rosa, Tortuga (basic accommodation) and a few others.
And there are three different tour companies to get you out to Paradise Island (a small spit of sand with great snorkeling). As you come out the other side of the village, there is a tiny opening on the right. Take it and go in about (200 yards). On your right is the Paradise Tours Headquarters. Walk in and see about going out to the Cayo. Go to Playa Ensenada to eat!
I had the Santiago wife take the Bus and meet me in Puerto Plata. This way I could get a couple tastes in Sosua before the trip. We stayed at Villa Rosa hotel across from the beach in Punta Rucia. The place is owned by a French ex-pat who was all you could ask for in a Host. We had complimentary wine and French cheese in the evenings. Continental breakfast included in the mornings. Beautiful sunsets.
Last edited by psriches; 09-07-2013 at 07:07 PM.
So the routine was the same each day. Wake up, French breakfast, swimming and relaxing at Punta Rucia, back to the room for lunch and Fuck, Playa Ensenada for dinner, get the wife drunk off French wine after dinner and Fuck.
We had the playa (punta rucia) all to ourselves. There were times when you didn't see anyone else for a mile.
And then on the other side of the cove is Playa Ensenada. This is where the locals hang out and it's where we ate every day. I OD'd on lobster, fish and crab. The lobster starts out at 300 pesos and depends on size.
On Sundays, the locals show up in force. Busloads and busloads from Santiago and the Campo. The music starts playing, cervezas flowing and chicas dancing. It's amazing the difference between tranquil Punta Rucia and fiesta like playa Ensenada. By 10am, there were already 15 buses in the parking lot. We only hung out there to eat.
FUNNY STORY: I guess the town doesn't have a Fish & Wildlife police unit. The picture below is a local kid fishing off the shore with some sort of homemade reel and hook. So about 30 seconds after I took this picture, this old man comes from out of nowhere and wacks the kid on his legs with a thin tree branch. The kid falls to the ground clutching his legs and screaming in pain. The old man is standing over him, yelling and wacking him on his legs while the kid is still on the ground. The kid gets up and starts running with the old man chasing him. The old man comes back about 15 minutes later. So I asked my chica to ask the old man what was up. The old man said it was a fishing village and the fish were a way of life. He said, "no fish, no us". The old man was upset at the kid for catching little baby fish which was a "no no" in that town. He said he spoke to the kid's parents and they beat him some more. Very interesting the way they Police themselves.
Beautiful psriches! Looks like you had a nice trip. There is pretty good scuba diving there also if anyone else is in to that.
It was a really nice DATE weekend and I will definitely return.
If you think it's love try not paying in the morning..
"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many."
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