Very compact, but beautiful, well-groomed and unusual attraction Laguna DuDu (DuDu) in the north of the Dominican Republic. Here, on the one hand, it is quiet, calm (if not a day off), and on the other there are extreme entertainment. Dominicans come here in groups on their day off, mostly young people, but sometimes families with children.
Dudu Lagoon: General information
DuDu Lagoon is a small karst lake located a few kilometers off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This place is almost on the road, on the highway between the Samana Peninsula and the city of Sosua.
Dudu Lagoon is a private property and, as a result, the entrance here is more expensive than other attractions. But the level of service, cleanliness and order is also quite high.
There are quite a lot of karst lakes in the Dominican Republic. But it is here that everything has been refined and created comfortable conditions for recreation for both local and tourists.
Useful to know:In the karst lake, the water is absolutely clear, in the rocks. And even if the depth is 20 meters — you can still see the bottom. Karst lakes always have a stunning water color from sky blue to emerald green. The most famous example of perfect karst water systems is the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.
Below are some facts about DuDu Lagoon:
- The lake itself is quite small. Its area is 1,900 sq. m. If it is simpler, then its dimensions are about 45 by 45m.
- The lake has an almost regular round shape.
- It is located 10 meters below ground level.
- Depth-25m. By the way, you can see the bottom of Dudu Lagoon.
How to get
Since the lagoon is located 200m from the main highway connecting the Samana Peninsula and the famous northern resorts of the Dominican Republic: Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabaret, it is relatively easy to get here.
If you are traveling in the Dominican Republic, then you will definitely visit the most famous places of the Samana Peninsula, including whale watching. And you will also definitely go to the coolest attraction in the country-27 waterfalls. And there is only one road between them-through the Dudu Lagoon.
If you’ve already read my other reviews or planned a trip to the Dominican Republic, then you know that public transport is poorly developed here. But there are two ways to get to the lagoon:
- Regular bus or minibus GuaGua
- Rental car service
- There is also a taxi, but it will be very expensive to go from almost any city. It doesn’t matter if it’s from Samana or Puerto Plata.
The simplest option is a car. The most important thing here is to accurately mark a point in Yandex. Navigator. And do not drive past this shield, as in the photo below. Since the turn to the lagoon is very inconspicuous in appearance.
And if you plan to use public transport. There are daily buses from Sanchez or Nagua to Puerto Plata. You can request to be dropped off at the turnoff to the lagoon. The only thing you need to remember is to make an agreement about this in advance, before boarding the bus. And also control the entire process on the navigator, otherwise the driver may forget and pass by.
Important to know:Write down the schedule of all buses in advance. You will get to the lagoon, and then stand in the middle of the highway and wait for the bus for an unknown number of hours. Here they do not go 10 times a day. Literally 2-3 flights a day.
Useful information: price, opening hours, entertainment
- Coordinates: 19.564325, -69.908203
- Official website: https://dudu-lagoon-laguna-dudu.business.site/
- Opening hours: daily from 9 am to 5 pm
- Parking is free of charge
- The cost of an on-site ticket is 350 pesos, or about$6.
- The cost of bungee jumping is 50 pesos ($1), you pay for bungee jumping before jumping inside the complex.
On the territory of the Laguna DuDu complex, everything is very beautiful, neat and there are some entertainment options:
- Interesting photo zones
- Restaurant / Bar
- A small cave
- Picnic pavilions
- You can swim in the lake indefinitely
- Jump from 8-10 meter bungee jump as many times as you want for money (jump 1$)
- Just walk around the beautiful territory
Useful to know:For vacationers, all conditions are created here: recreation areas, showers, changing rooms and much more.
ZipLine in DuDu Lagoon, or bungee jumping
Rather, it is a bungee jump, it would be more correct to call it that. A cable is stretched over the lake at an altitude of 10m. You can easily find the jumping area. We paid $ 1, or 50 pesos. You were put on a life jacket and instructed only in Spanish. English is a big problem here.
So briefly instruct:
- You hold on tightly to the fastenings on the cable.
- Gather your courage and push off
- It takes 5-7 seconds to reach the middle of the lake. Hold on tight, the altitude is high.
- As soon as you hear the vuvuzela (trumpet) beep. They will show it to you in advance. Immediately release your hands and fly down.
Important:Release your hands no sooner or later than the beep sounds. And most importantly, the height is about 10m, when you release your hands and start to fall, then keep your hands vertically up above your head. Those who fall like sacks with their arms outstretched hit them hard.
Travel Tips: DuDu Lagoon
Here are some useful tips.
- The earlier you arrive, the fewer people there are in the whole complex. We were around 10am and one of the first. If there is no long queue for bungee jumping, then there are enough people who just want to swim in such a small lake. And in the morning here you can make cool photos alone.
- It says at the entrance that you can’t bring your own drinks and food. But in fact, no one controls it. But in any case, there is an inexpensive restaurant and the food is delicious. By the way, about restaurants in the Dominican Republic, about taxes and tips, read the article at the link.
- And most importantly: the place is cool, beautiful and even a little extreme. But it doesn’t make sense to go here purposefully across the country. I recommend that you set aside about 2 hours of time for the Dudu Lagoon. This will be enough to eat, swim, and relax.
- Locals come here almost all day.
- It takes 2.5 hours to get here by car from Puerto Plata.
- Just over an hour from Sanchez.
- Plan a visit to this place along with other cool sights of the north.
In conclusion: Dudu Lagoon in the Dominican Republic will definitely leave a pleasant and vivid impression. Since the beach, ocean and palm trees have definitely become very familiar during the vacation days that you spent here. And DuDu will perfectly dilute the image with new views and emotions.
Great weather and cool bungee jumping!