Bayahibe

An aerial view of Bayahibe

Fishing has always been a way of life in Bayahibe

A typical Bayahibe home

Bayahibe is a bustling coastal town

Bayahibe is located just east of the resort Casa de Campo and has some of the most incredibly breathtaking views of the Boca de Chavon Valley. The town itself is basically a small fishing village encompassed by several large vacation resorts. Bayahibe provides one of the entances to the Parque Nacional del Este and Isla Saona. Bayahibe is where most of the excursions to Soana and Catalina Island launch from.

The municipality of Bayahíbe is a proud recipient of the first prestigious European Blue Flag International Certification. This designation honors high standards for water quality, environmental education, environmental management, safety and services. The Dominicus beach is 10 minutes away from the town of Bayahíbe.

Indiana University is assisting the La Romana-Bayahíbe Hotel Association in the establishment of underwater shipwreck parks in the Bayahíbe area to raise public awareness of the value of submerged cultural and biological resources and to preserve these resources for the future. Today four shipwreck parks can be found in the Bayahibe area.

1. St. George
A former Norwegian cargo ship, this modern wreck was deliberately sunk in 1999 in front of Club Viva Dominicus to create an artificial reef.

2. 1724 Guadalupe Underwater Archaeological Preserve
Opened in July 2002, the Preserve is an underwater archaelogical museum created for divers and snorkelers.

3. A replica shipwreck site
In the vicinity of Parque Nacional Del Este and offshore Hotel Canoa, Indiana University is creating a replica shipwreck site to educate the public about the archaeology of shipwrecks and the importance of maritime heritage to Dominican history.

4. Caballo Blanco Reef
This site contains an eclectic mix of New World artifacts including nine 18th Century origin cannons and numerous 16th Century Spanish anchors, bombards, breeches, and versos.