Las Dunas de Baní

Wind and current have piled sand along a low peninsula on the south coast into a dune field running about fifteen kilometres, with individual dunes up to thirty-five metres high, the largest such formation in the Caribbean. The setting is unexpected: dry thorn scrub and cactus behind, the sea on both sides, and pale sand ridges in between that shift with the wind. It is protected as a natural monument, with marked paths, a viewpoint over the whole field, and salt flats and mangroves at the landward end. The Bay of Las Calderas beyond is a naval area with restricted access, which has kept development off this stretch of coast entirely.

What you actually see

• The dune ridges - up to thirty-five metres, running along the peninsula.
• The viewpoint - the whole dune field with sea on both sides.
• The dry forest - cactus and thorn scrub inland of the sand.
• The salt flats - evaporation pans at the landward end.

When to go

November to April is cooler; the south coast here is among the hottest and driest parts of the country, and midday on the dunes is punishing. Early morning and late afternoon give both better light and bearable temperatures. Wind is constant.

Honest expectations

There is no shade whatsoever and the sand reflects heat, so this is genuinely uncomfortable in the middle of the day. Facilities are minimal. Sandboarding is not really a thing here and the sand is too damp and firm for it. Parts of the peninsula are restricted naval land and marked as such.

Nearby

Baní is half an hour north; Santo Domingo is ninety minutes east.