One Of Our Favorite Anchorages

We've been in Luperon for two weeks now waiting for weather. It's turned out to be possibly our favorite anchorage to date.

When we arrived in the harbor (towed in during light winds by our new friends, Peter and Mary aboard S/V Neko), the earthy smells, green mountains and cool breeze were welcome after the beautiful but barren Bahamas. The picture telegraphed that the Dominican Republic is a real place, not just a postcard.

Luperon harbor

Leo, the manager at Puerto Blanco Marina, greeted us upon arrival and helped us (and Neko) through immigration and customs. Anyone who has read cruising reports on Active Captain or elsewhere (as we did) would have some trepidation about this procedure. In short, it's been advertised as a shakedown. We found it to be quick and relatively painless. According to Leo, things have been changing for the better with a new, honest commandante. The previous local chief of immigration acquired a reputation for being on the take.

Since getting here, we've spent most of our time in the harbor or at the nearby village, but we've also ventured out to Puerto Plata and to the "27 Waterfalls" (recommended!). A few boat projects and a lot of time to relax.

Miguel, Leo and Scott at Puerto Blanco Marina restaurant and bar

The marina is basically a single dock with only a few spots for transients. It's inexpensive and the restaurant (and the wait staff), very pleasant. It's not fancy, but very functional. Leo apparently has a long-term lease on the property, which had fallen into disrepair under the previous owner. He's making a concerted effort to renovate it. Miguel seems to be in charge of the restaurant operations and doing a fine job of it. The harbor itself is surrounded by mangroves and extremely well protected. If for some reason you couldn't get south for hurricane season, this would be the place to wait it out. Moorings are available for $2/day (that's not a typo!), or you could just anchor -- lots of room and the holding is reputed to be very good.

For anything from laundry service (cheap and excellent) to boat repair, "Handy Andy" is the man. Just ask, everyone knows everyone else here. When I first met Andy, he handed me a flyer with a list of his services and a phone number. I'm leery of touts, but Andy proved to be an honest broker and an all-around good guy. His English is not bad at all and he proved extremely helpful.

So, the final test for us is the check-out procedure. The DR does require you to acquire a despacio to leave each port, even if you're going to another Dominican port. Clearly it's a money-making thing and a bit onerous if you're on the receiving end, but that's the way it is. This part of the process could still prove aggravating, but we shall see.

The point of this post? Luperon has, in our view, gotten a bum rap -- or else, the problems it once had are fading into the background.

For anyone thinking of following in our wake, we give this place two thumbs up!