Transportation from Puerto Plata International
Airport (POP) to Cabarete
After passing through Customs & Immigration and picking up
your luggage, you’ll exit the Arrivals Terminal. It’s
here that you’ll be met with warm tropical air and the hustle
& bustle of people looking to help you with luggage or taxi
service. If you would like luggage assistance, the going rate is
US$1.00 per piece of luggage. If you do not wish for assistance,
just firmly say ‘No thank you’, or even better, in Spanish,
‘No gracias’. If your vacation does not include airport
pick-up, you have two options of transportation to reach Cabarete.
Taxi
Cost: US$30
Travel Time: 25 Minutes
Taxi is the quickest and most comfortable form of transport and
the rates are quite reasonable. Before getting into your taxi,
make sure you confirm the rate with your driver. Carrying the correct
amount of RD Pesos or US dollars will be helpful, as some drivers
do not carry change. Rates for all destinations are posted on a
board on the right hand side of the Arrivals Terminal as you exit
the building. If you bring windsurf equipment count on adding US$5. It is
also a good idea to have Cabarete's
map printed out to find the final destination within Cabarete.
Public Transport
Cost: about US$2
Travel Time: 45 minutes
If you’re traveling light (one bag) and would like a cheaper
and somewhat more adventurous option, you can travel by public transportation.
You can either walk 10 minutes, or take a Motoconcho, from
the airport grounds to the main road. From here you would cross
the road and wait for a Guagua or Caro Publico.
All you have to do is wave to vehicles approaching you, and if they
are either of these forms of transport, they’ll definitely
stop to pick you up. There are no timetables for these vehicles
so depending on the time of day or night, it can take anywhere from
2 – 30 minutes before one arrives. If you take a Caro Publico,
you will have to switch vehicles in Sosua (a town towards Cabarete,
just 10 minutes from the airport). If you take a Guagua, they may
stop in Sosua for a couple of minutes but they usually travel on
to Cabarete. The journey time takes about 40 minutes but depends
largely on the number of stops to drop off, or pick up, others along
the route. It is unlikely they will know the specific location of
your destination (hotel), so you may be wise to get out in the middle
of Cabarete and walk to your accommodations from there.
Make sure you confirm the rate before getting into the vehicle
as they tend to overcharge tourists is they think they can get away
with it. It’s also best to have the correct amount of RD Pesos
to pay each leg of the journey. If you do pay in US dollars, do
not expect exchange or change.
Motoconcho Cost: RD$20
Travel Time: 2 minutes
Guagua Cost: RD$20-RD$30 + luggage fee RD$10-20/piece
Travel Time: 30 minutes
Caro Publico Cost: RD$25-RD$40
Travel Time: 40 minutes
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