Although the Dominican Republic is considered one of the largest
countries in the Caribbean, it's still on an island. This means
tourists don't have to spend the whole
day traveling if they want to
transfer from one area to another. A road trip from the northern part
of the country to the south will not last for more than five hours.
The reason for this efficiency is the existence of an impressive
highway system. The highway system in the Dominican Republic helps
locals and tourists transfer to and
from different cities faster.
However, do take note that the extensive road system is only used to
access popular towns in the Dominican Republic. Obscure towns,
particularly those agricultural cities that do not have any appeal to
tourists, may not have concrete or even well paved roads.
The Five Routes in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic currently has six highways. Each of these
highways leads to a specific town in the country. A tourist has to
know which highway to take in order
to reach a destination. Each
highway is designed to reach a specific region in the Dominican
Republic. However, these highways have the same point of origin:
Santo
Domingo. As the country's capital, tourists who want to go on a
road trip to admire the beauty of the country should start here. The following is a short description of
the six major highways in
the Dominican Republic:
DR1 - The end of this route is at San Fernando de Monte Cristi
which is a town located in the northwestern end of the country. The
route is also known as "Autopista
Duarte". This highway
goes through Santiago and La Vega.
DR2 - This particular highway ends in Comendador, which is located
in the western end of the country. Because of the final destination
of the road, the bus goes
through towns in the western part of the
country.
DR3 - The road ends in San Rafael de Yuma which is one of the
easternmost ends of the country. This is a popular road in the
Dominican Republic because it goes
through various tourist spots such
as Boca Chica and La Romana.
DR4 - This highway often intersects with DR 3 because it is also
dedicated to the eastern towns of the Dominican Republic. The highway
even has the same end
point (San Rafael de Yuma). This road passes
through San Pedro de Macoris and Higüey.
DR5 - This is the only highway that does not start in Santo
Domingo. The 2-lane highway starts in Villa Bisono and ends in Las
Galeras. This used to be a popular
option for tourists because its
route ends in the northern part of the island.
DR8 - This recently constructed highway was created specifically
for tourists who want to proceed to the northern part of the island.
Tourists have to travel for
more than 4 hours in DR5 but DR8 cuts the
travel time to less than 2 hours.
If you're thinking of going on a road trip, remember these routes.
Traveling in this country can be very interesting on the road because
you'll closely encounter
the real Dominican Republic.
The Highways of the Dominican Republic
