Cabo Rojo-Pedernales

Cabo Rojo sits in the Pedernales Province at the southwest tip of the Dominican Republic. The cruise terminal is a recent development, built with a lazy river, a Ferris wheel and live music to keep passengers entertained near the port. Step past the terminal gates and the scene changes completely. This part of the coast is still largely undeveloped, with turquoise lagoons, mangrove forests and tall cliffs dropping into the sea. Bahía de las Águilas, a long white-sand beach about 30 minutes south, is often empty except for pelicans and the odd fisherman. Flamingos wade in the saltwater lagoons near Oviedo, and iguanas sun themselves on the rocks along the shore. The area has a few small restaurants serving fresh fish and plantains, but not much else in the way of tourist infrastructure. That rawness is what makes it worth the stop.