Services - Transports - Guaguas

The public bus service (similar to life in a sardine can!) runs daily along the main highway. The price to go from Cabarete to Sosua is 10 RD$ and from Cabarete to Puerto Plata 40 RD. Exact change is a good idea as they never have change.

To catch a guagua stand by the side of the road and wave your arms at one as it passes. For longer trips, you'll often have to change guaguas at major towns.

Public transportation within, and between towns and villages, is for the most part conducted in privately owned mini-vans, called Guaguas. They are easy to recognize because they'll push their horn as they approach, and the driver's assistant, the Cobrador (fare collector), is likely to be hanging out of the side door waving you in. This form of transport is quite cheap but the vehicles tend to be in poor condition - broken windows, doors that don't close properly, etc. These mini-vans normally hold 12 passengers but occasionally they will carry up to 20 people, a chicken or two, and who knows what else! They stop anywhere and everywhere along the main road to drop off passengers and pick more up. Taking this kind of journey is always an adventure. They tend to try to cheat tourists on the fare so make sure you confirm the rate before you get in.