DuDu lagoon is a very compact, but beautiful, well-maintained and unusual attraction in the north of the Dominican Republic. It’s quiet and peaceful on one side (unless it’s a holiday), but there is also extreme entertainment. Dominicans come here in large groups on their days off, mostly young people, but sometimes families with children.
Table of Contents:
- DuDu Lagoon: General Information
- How to Get There
- Useful Information: Price, Operating Hours, Entertainment
- ZipLine at DuDu Lagoon
- Traveler Tips
DuDu Lagoon: General Information
DuDu lagoon is a small karst lake a few kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean coast. It is located almost near the road, on the route between the Samana peninsula and the city of Sosua.
To see the map of the exact location, as well as read about the best places in the country, you can read the article: TOP-30 Dominican Republic Attractions.
DuDu lagoon is private property and, as a result, admission here is more expensive than to municipal attractions. However, the level of service, cleanliness and order is also quite high.
There are quite a few karst lakes in the Dominican Republic. But it is here that they have beautified and created comfortable conditions for rest for both locals and tourists.
It is useful to know:
A karst lake is when the water is absolutely transparent in rock formations. And even if the depth is 20 meters, the bottom is still visible. Karst lakes always have an amazing water color from sky blue to emerald green. The most famous example of ideal karst water systems is the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.
Below are a few facts about DuDu lagoon:
- The lake itself is quite small. Its area is 1900 sq.m. Simply put – its dimensions are about 45 by 45m.
- The lake has an almost circular shape.
- It is located 10 meters below ground level.
- The depth is 25 m. By the way, the bottom of DuDu lagoon is visible.
How to Get There
Since the Dudu lagoon is located 200 meters from the main road connecting the Samana peninsula and the famous northern resorts of the Dominican Republic: Punta Cana, Sosua, Cabarete, getting here is relatively easy.
If you are traveling in the Dominican Republic, you will definitely visit the most famous places in the Samana peninsula, including the whales watching. And you will definitely go to the country’s coolest attraction – the 27 waterfalls. And the road between them is the same – through DuDu lagoon.
If you have read my other reviews or planned a trip to the Dominican Republic, you know that public transport is poorly developed here. But you can get to the lagoon in two ways:
- Regular bus or minibus GuaGua
- Rental car
- There is also a taxi, but it will be very expensive to travel from any city. It doesn’t matter if it’s from Samana or Punta Cana.
The easiest option is a car. The most important thing here is to set the point in the navigator accurately. And do not miss the entrance to the lagoon. There are signs, but the road is narrow and it is easy to miss the turn.
If you are traveling by bus, then you will need to get off at the DuDu stop and walk 200 meters to the entrance. The ticket price is 50 pesos (about 1 dollar). The bus runs every hour from Nagua city or Sanchez.
In general, getting to DuDu lagoon is not difficult. The main thing is to have a map or navigator with you. And do not be afraid to ask the locals for directions.
It is useful to know:
Write down the schedule of all the buses in advance. You will reach the lagoon, but then standing in the middle of the road waiting for a bus to go further is unknown for how many hours. They don’t run here 10 times a day. Only 5-6 trips a day.
Useful information: price, hours of operation, attractions
- Coordinates: 19.564325, -69.908203
- Official website: https://dudu-lagoon-laguna-dudu.business.site/
- Hours of operation: daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm
- Free parking
- Cost of entrance ticket – 350 pesos or about $6.
- Cost of zipline – $1, you can pay for the zipline inside before jumping.
The Laguna Dudu complex is very beautiful, clean, and offers a variety of entertainment options:
- Interesting photo zones
- Restaurant/bar
- A small cave
- Picnic shelters
- Unlimited swimming in the lake
- Jumping from an 8-10 meter diving board as many times as you want for money (jump 1$)
- Simply walking around the beautiful territory
Useful information:
All necessary amenities are provided for tourists including relaxation areas, showers, changing cabins and much more.
ZipLine or Bungee in the Lagoon DuDu
A cable is stretched over the lake at a height of 10m. You can easily find a jumping area. One jump costs $1 or 50 pesos. You need to put on a life jacket and will be instructed only in Spanish. There is a big problem with English here.
Short briefing in English:
- Grab firmly on the rope mounts.
- Gather your courage and push off
- In 5-7 seconds, you will be in the middle of the lake. Hold on tight, the height is great.
- As soon as you hear the sound of the vuvuzela (trumpet), immediately release the mount and fall down into the lake.
Importatnt:
You need to release the mount no earlier and no later than the sound signal. And most importantly: the height is about 10m, when you release the mount and start falling, then hold your hands vertically up above your head. Those who fall with their arms spread apart are hit hard on the water.
Travel tips to the DuDu Lagoon
Here are some useful tips.
- The earlier you arrive, the fewer people there will be in the entire complex. We arrived around 10 am and were among the first. If there is not a long queue for the Bungee, there are enough people who just want to swim in this small lake. And in the morning you can take cool photos here alone.
- It is written at the entrance that you cannot bring your own drinks and food, but in fact, no one checks this. However, there is an inexpensive restaurant here that serves delicious food. By the way, about restaurants in the Dominican Republic, taxes and tips, read the article at the link.
- And most importantly: the place is cool, beautiful, and even a little extreme. But it makes no sense to come here specifically all the way across the country. I recommend to spend about 2 hours for Laguna Dudo. This will be enough to eat, swim, and rest.
- Locals come here almost for all day.
- It takes 2.5 hours by car from Puerto Plata to get here.
- It takes a little more than an hour from Sanchéz.
- Plan your visit to this place on a weekday, since on weekends there are a lot of people here.
Read all about buying a tour to the Dominican Republic for two in the article at the link.
In conclusion: Laguna Dudu in the Dominican Republic will definitely leave a pleasant and bright impression. Because during those vacation days that you spent here, the beach, the ocean and the palm trees definitely got a little boring. And DuDu is a great way to mix things up with new views and emotions.
Great weather and cool bungee jumping!
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Dominican Republic
- Flights at the best prices with discounts
- Car rental: DiscoverCars – a largest international resource
- Hotels and apartments:
- Vacation packages:
- Tours, excursions and extreme activities:
- GetYourGuide – more than 800+ tours and water activities.
- Viator – 3500+ tours and excursions in Dominican.
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo – eSIM with internet package.
- Drimsim – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
- Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel