Bayahíbe
Distrito Municipal
Bayahibe Beach, Dominican Republic
Bayahibe Beach, Dominican Republic
Bayahíbe is located in the Dominican Republic
Bayahíbe
Bayahíbe
Coordinates: 18°22′N 68°50′W / 18.367°N 68.833°W / 18.367; -68.833
Country Dominican Republic
ProvinceLa Altagracia
Population
 • Total2,000 (approx)
Time zoneUTC-4 (Atlantic)
Postal code
23000
Area code809

Bayahíbe is a town in the Dominican Republic, located about 10 miles (16 km) east of La Romana on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Founded as a fishing village in 1874 by Juan Brito and his family, who came from Puerto Rico, the town is now a tourist destination.

Etymology

Bayahíbe is an indigenous word. Its meaning is not known for sure, but there are many names that include the Tainos word "Baya." "Baya" is the name given to a bivalve mollusk, like clams that are glued to the rocks or roots of mangrove trees. "Jib" (or "hib") is the name of a sieve manufactured from sticks used to sift cassava flour.

Tourism

Sunset in Bayahíbe beach

Bayahíbe Beach, a public beach, is located less than a mile from the town center, and Dominicus Beach is in about three miles' distance. Bayahíbe serves as an embarkation point for boat trips to Saona Island, a thinly inhabited island with extensive beaches located in a national park. Numerous large resorts are located in the vicinity of Bayahíbe. The town has an Albergo Diffuso.


Bayahibe beach.

Scuba diving is practiced in Bayahíbe—Bayahíbe. There are three shipwrecks in the area including the Atlantic Princess, St George and Coco.[1]


Cueva del Chicho is a cave in the Cotubanamá National Park,[2] that has Taino petroglyphs.[2]

The Bayahibe rose

Pereskia quisqueyana is a species of plant endemic to Bayahíbe.[3] It has a pink flower and is known as the "Bayahíbe rose."

Death of Audrey Mestre

On October 12, 2002, Audrey Mestre, French world record-setting free-diver, died while attempting to free-dive to a depth of 171 metres (561 ft) off the coast of Bayahíbe.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Diving DR. "Dive Sites". Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  2. 1 2 "Natural Caves". Bayahibe Village. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  3. ↑ PUCMM. "Pereskia Quisqueyana" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  4. ↑ Christopher Clarey. "A free-diver's death : Tragic plunge to the limits". Retrieved 2014-10-08.
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