Luperón is a quiet and inviting little town with a lot of expats, yet it’s still steeped in traditional Dominican small-town ways. Example: Once when I was there, a road was closed down to traffic and a man was redirecting cars; upon being asked why, the man replied, “because there is a sick woman who lives on this street.” Traffic had been prevented from passing her house out of respect for the dying.

It is the kind of town where people still know their neighbors and still watch out for one another.

Luperón is on the Bahía de Luperón, which is about 50 kilometers west of Puerto Plata. In this town of 20,000, inhabitants still make their living through fishing. It is well-known for its marina, Marina Puerto Blanca, one of the few safe harbors in the Dominican Republic, where many boats moor themselves in order to stock up on supplies or simply take a break from the sea.

Yachts from all over the world stop here because the natural shape of the bay makes it a shelter from hurricanes. Still, there are not a lot of services and, thus, not a lot of tourists despite a rather sizable expat community.

Getting to Luperón

Entering Luperón from the south, the highway becomes Calle Duarte, which leads you to Avenida 27 de Febrero; this is the main drag, where you’ll find Luperón’s commercial district. From here, the port is east. To get to Playa Grande and Parque Nacional La Isabela, stay on 27 de Febrero; this will turn into the Carretera de La Isabela, which you will follow for 19 kilometers to reach the national park. Walking is the best option for getting around this small town.