Luperon for Hurricane Season

We have read and have been told that Luperon in the Dominican Republic is one of the best hurricane holes in the Caribbean.  The reason is the three mountain ranges and the hurricanes go around them and not over them and therefore, miss Luperon all together.  We have decided to store our boat here in Luperon and return to the States to visit our family and friends.  We had always said we would store Silent Dream somewhere in the Caribbean during hurricane season and return to visit everyone we miss so much.  Although we have only been here in Luperon for just over a month, we have made many friends here which we will miss.  Enjoy the pictures of Luperon and the views we see on a daily basis.  If you are a cruiser, Luperon is a harbor you don’t want to miss!

Punta Rucia, Dominican Republic

We hired a motoconcho again today for a motorcycle run with friends to Punta Rucia, a lovely beach with shaded tables and chairs under the trees and a multitude of food vendors.  The ride through the countryside is quite beautiful and interesting as there is so much to see in the Dominican Republic.  On the way there we took the road that leads you to the river which you must cross without a bridge – check out the video of Chuck and his motoconcho.  It is quite hot and humid here in the D.R. so the bike ride and the swim on the beach was a great relief.  We have made new friends here, some are cruisers and some were cruisers who now live here and some have opened businesses.  For those friends of ours that think all we do is drink fancy drinks with umbrellas in them, you are right, check out the picture!

Bruce Van Sant, Author Living in the Dominican Republic

We purchased a book way back in the States titled The Gentleman’s Guide To Passages South because we were told we must have this book to sail to windward from Florida on south.  This book shows you how to safely and comfortably take your boat against the Trade Winds in places where you rarely get the wind you want.  The author, Bruce Van Sant, has been living in the Dominican Republic for quite a few years now.  We were very fortunate to spend an afternoon with Bruce at the Marina Puerto Blanco here in Luperon.  He is full of interesting and colorful stories as he has sailed all over the world and is now 76 years young.  He was kind enough to sign our copy of his book and allow us to take a picture of him for our blog.  He has another book, Margarita Cat – Sketches of the Cruising Life, which we purchased for our Kindle after he gave us a synopsis of the book and referenced a section called, John Deere Town.

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

We hired Nino, a local taxi driver, to take us to Puerto Plata for the day with our boat buddies, Jack and Penny.  Puerto Plata is a large city with an international airport about 45 minutes east of Luperon.  We took the cable car (the only one in the Caribbean) up 2,565 feet to Isabel de Torros, the second tallest mountain in the Dominican Republic.  The views are spectacular and the top of the mountain is filled with tropical botanical gardens, cave, and a statue of Christ that resembles the one in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.  Our next stop was the Amber Museum including the newly discovered stone here in the Dominican Republic, Larimar, the color of the blue waters of the ocean.  Next was the church square over 100 years old with many pigeons (palamos in Spanish).  Many of our friends would agree the next stop was the most fun, Brugal Rum Factory with free rum tasting at the end of the tour.  Brugal Rum is made here in the DR and thousands of bottles made daily.  Our last tourist stop was the Museo Fortaleza Colonial San Felipe, a fort guarding the entrance to Puerto Plata built in the 16th century.  Our taxi driver, Nino, took us everywhere all day in Puerto Plata and back to Luperon for 1800 pesos, $40 US Dollars.