What's the deal with Luperon, DR?

[robgrant1]

Originally Posted by Akka

We went to Luperon many, many years ago on the advice of cruising guides and forums. When we got there, we wondered why anybody would recommend it. It's basically a stagnant bay inside a mangrove swamp, well protected in hurricanes but with little else to recommend it. From recent anecdotal information, Luperon continues to host an established community of cruisers, many of whom have been there for years, not unlike, say, George Town, Bahamas, Salinas, Puerto Rico or La Paz, Mexico.

Definitely consider the option of going south through the Windward Passage. Stop at Ile a Vache, Haiti, one of the most delightful, friendly and safe places you will ever visit. Then continue along the largely protected south coast of Hispañola, with lots of good anchorages and at least one good marina (ZarPar). Compared to the north coast of the DR, this is an easy way go get east to the Eastern Caribbean islands.

Is the check-in process involved for Haiti?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by HansSolo

I am here in luperon now, been here a little over a week. The water in the bay is filthy as others have already said but other then that we absolutely love the place. What exactly would you like to know?

I'll bite:

You in a marina, on a mooring, or anchored? For the ones that you aren't are they available? What is anything are you paying and/or the costs of marina etc.

Have you found the place inexpensive or expensive for eating out etc.

What are the site seeing and entertainment options in walking or cheap car ride distance?

[HansSolo]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I'll bite:

You in a marina, on a mooring, or anchored? For the ones that you aren't are they available? What is anything are you paying and/or the costs of marina etc.

Have you found the place inexpensive or expensive for eating out etc.

What are the site seeing and entertainment options in walking or cheap car ride distance?

We are on one of Papo's moorings at a cost of $2 us a day. You can also anchor for free and there are 2 marinas here one with haul out ability as well, though I don't know what there rates are. The marinas are not all that nice by US standards so don't expect much in that way.

We have found it to be really cheep here especially coming from the Bahamas and Turks. The excange is ~45 pesos to the dollar; an ice cold 22oz beer at a bar is ~120 pesos, ice cream cones are ~20 pesos, cheep rum is ~200 pesos a bottle, a meal generally runs 200 per person (Cheaper if your not afraid to eat what and where the locals eat which I highly recommend as long as you stay away from the water/ice) A cab/bus to Puerto plata cost us ~$4 us per person each way. We also rented motorcycles for $10 us a day through Papo and drove to the 27 waterfalls (not to be missed!) just outside of imbert. Once there we coughed up ~$20us per person for a guide to take us on a 3.5 hour hike up and slide/jump down all 27 falls followed by an all you can eat buffet lunch. There are also beaches near by, blow holes, caves, random pop up cockfights, tiny towns filled with friendly people, and amazingly beautiful mountains and countryside to explore.

A word of caution though if you do decide to rent motorcycles here (or even a taxi for that matter) there really are not any rules at all.. Stop lights as far as I can tell are only there to determine who is the bravest. The only helmets I've seen were the ones they gave us for jumping off of the waterfalls . Passing two trucks at a time on a blind curve while going as fast as you possibly can is the norm. I'm still trying to figure out if the streets in town are ment to be one way or not. On top of that there are huge potholes, random herds of cattle, stray dogs, horses, chicken, children, broken down cars, etc all in the road so it can be a bit exciting at times. Other then that we have found it to be pretty safe here and have had no problems walking the streets at night etc.

For us this place makes us feel like we are finally cruising. The Bahamas and Turks did have beautiful water, abundant fish and lobster, and deserted beaches, but they lacked the culture that the Dominican republic is so full of. They felt to us more like A tourist playground complete with all of the upscale resort and Marina's and the costs to go along with it, whereas lupuron really feels like a completely foreign country and more like what we had envisioned the Caribbean to be like when we set out.

[JTHAW]

Originally Posted by Akka

We went to Luperon many, many years ago on the advice of cruising guides and forums. When we got there, we wondered why anybody would recommend it. It's basically a stagnant bay inside a mangrove swamp, well protected in hurricanes but with little else to recommend it. From recent anecdotal information, Luperon continues to host an established community of cruisers, many of whom have been there for years, not unlike, say, George Town, Bahamas, Salinas, Puerto Rico or La Paz, Mexico.

Definitely consider the option of going south through the Windward Passage. Stop at Ile a Vache, Haiti, one of the most delightful, friendly and safe places you will ever visit. Then continue along the largely protected south coast of Hispañola, with lots of good anchorages and at least one good marina (ZarPar). Compared to the north coast of the DR, this is an easy way go get east to the Eastern Caribbean islands.

hadn't ever considered this...interesting..have never heard "easy" used to describe easting to PR an the VI's..
tho in a 50' Stevens ,...well... how is the south coast of Hisp'la more protected? still have the trades and the current against you, please elaborate , I'm peaked now, I'll be looking at the charts; and have a review of Van Sant's words

[JTHAW]

HansSolo; Thank you for your detail. I am heartened to read your descriptions....all is not expensive concrete and disneyland, thank g--, some reality left the same way it was 35 years ago, beautiful and great! I wish I was there, drinking an El Presidente with you right now..

[Larry Florida]

Spent 4 days in Luperon. Was on my first sailing trip. The DR scene turned me off to cruising. Could best described it as a low end dump.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Larry Florida

Spent 4 days in Luperon. Was on my first sailing trip. The DR scene turned me off to cruising. Could best described it as a low end dump.

Fortunately for you, there are so many high end cruise ships that will satisfy your craving for adventure and let you avoid the low end dumps that a lot of us sail many miles to enjoy.

jim

[HansSolo]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Fortunately for you, there are so many high end cruise ships that will satisfy your craving for adventure and let you avoid the low end dumps that a lot of us sail many miles to enjoy.

jim

So true

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Fortunately for you, there are so many high end cruise ships that will satisfy your craving for adventure and let you avoid the low end dumps that a lot of us sail many miles to enjoy.

jim

What specifically did you like about Luperon?

I've never been on a cruise ship.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by HansSolo

I am here in luperon now, been here a little over a week. The water in the bay is filthy as others have already said but other then that we absolutely love the place. What exactly would you like to know?

Something I've read for years is about the officials there. Maybe you could comment on what your experience with them have been.

[HansSolo]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Something I've read for years is about the officials there. Maybe you could comment on what your experience with them have been.

We had heard some of the same things and we're apprehensive about clearing in before we had arrived. There definitely is some corruption amongst the local officials here but it's not the greasing of palms and asking for "tips" type. What they do is hit you with creative but not totally legally justified fees when entering. I believe we paid around $30 US more than we should have for "Harbor use fees" All total including the illegitimate fees checking in to Luperon with our 41' boat was still less than half the price of either the Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos, and the officials were just as pleasant to deal with. The key that we later found out is to ask for signed receipts for everything you pay and to make sure that the amount that you paid is clearly written on the receipt. The mistake that we made was not making sure that the amount paid was on the receipt. We were given "receipts" that were basically just the filled out forms that we needed with no indication of the amount we paid for them and thus we ended up paying for forms that were not supposed to have fees attached to them.

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by HansSolo

We are on one of Papo's moorings at a cost of $2 us a day.

Did Papo convince you to go on one of those cascada day trips with the guagua? btw, I would say skip it. What did you give him when you checked in. Back then the unwritten going rate was a 20$ and a bottle of brugal. I wonder if puerto blanco Mac is still there? or if Bruce(all mighty) is still making the VHF weather window predictions on the cruisers net? Man i miss drinking bohemias at puerto blanco. Yes its corrupt, yes its poor and dirty, but boy, is it safe, and people are wonderful and kind, both gringos and locals. And if god-forbid, a major storm tracks over northern DR, when the Seaworld gets flooded and seawall gets broken up by wind swell and pounding, and those guys evacuate, this little swamp, many refer to as puperon will be there, and those mangrove roots will provide solid attachment and a nice cushion for your floating home. (Dont be on Papos mooring for that one). That little swamp might be stinky, bug infested and polluted, but its a safest place to be July-October. (north of trinidad)

[nautical62]

Originally Posted by clifflyon

I hear so much negative stuff from cruisers in the Exumas about Luperon.

and I imagine most of the cruisers who choose to hang out in Luperon may have negative things to day about hanging out in Georgetown, Exumas.

[HansSolo]

Originally Posted by phorvati

Did Papo convince you to go on one of those cascada day trips with the guagua? btw, I would say skip it. What did you give him when you checked in. Back then the unwritten going rate was a 20$ and a bottle of brugal. I wonder if puerto blanco Mac is still there? or if Bruce(all mighty) is still making the VHF weather window predictions on the cruisers net?

No Papo was not able to convince us to book a trip through him as his price was too high for us, but we did rent motorcycles from him for $10 a day. We never gave him anything when we checked in aside from some business (i.e. Fuel, mooring, motorcycle rentals) We did end up going to the 27 cascada on our own and really enjoyed it. I don't know puerto blanco Mac or a Bruce(all mighty) and haven't heard and weather window predictions on the net, sorry..

[Jack Lahr]

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