How to Get from Punta Cana to Las Galeras by Public Transport

Getting from Punta Cana to Las Galeras by public transport is possible. Yes, my friend. You just have to make a couple of connections, but it can be done — it can definitely be done.

Traveling Around the Dominican Republic by Public Transport

The first thing I want to tell you is that in this country, traveling on a low budget requires a bit of effort, since, as you can imagine, tourism here is built around resorts and all-inclusives. Practically everyone who stays at that kind of accommodation already has private transportation arranged before they even arrive. On top of that, locals are used to that type of tourist, so if you’re not careful, you’ll end up paying double or triple what things are actually worth.

How to Get from Punta Cana to Las Galeras

If you’re into reggaetón (?), you’ve probably heard the word “guaguas” mentioned — that’s what they call the public vans/minibuses that run around the country. Those are the ones you need to take if you want to make the trip as cheaply as possible.

Your first route is Punta Cana to Santo Domingo. You’ll catch the bus heading toward Santo Domingo at the station listed below:

But something KEY you need to say is that you want to be dropped off at the intersection of the Autopista a Samaná and Las Américas, where the Caribe Tours and Asotrapusa bus stops (among others) are located. There are two reasons for this: that’s exactly where the buses to Las Galeras and Samaná depart from, and it also saves you from having to go into downtown Santo Domingo and unnecessarily losing an hour of travel time.

Once you get off on Av. Las Américas, cross the street and you’ll see all the buses there. Getting from Punta Cana to Las Galeras with the fewest bus connections possible is doable if you catch one of the Asotrapusa company buses that goes directly to Las Galeras. Otherwise, take any bus heading to Samaná and from there connect with another mini-van heading to Las Galeras. They leave every 15 minutes, and the last one departs at 6:30 PM.

I hope this helped if you were wondering how to get from Punta Cana to Las Galeras by public transport. From personal experience, I can share the prices for the last two legs of the trip, since my journey to Las Galeras actually started in Bayahibe.

• Santo Domingo to Samaná: 400 Dominican pesos
• Samaná to Las Galeras: 150 Dominican pesos

That’s everything you need to know. If you have more questions, ask me and I’ll help you out, friends!

Traveling around the Dominican Republic can end up being very expensive if you’re not paying attention to prices and what you’re being charged. I’m traveling while doing volunteer work, which saves me on accommodation and also lets me get to know the local culture more deeply. If you’re interested in doing the same, click the on the following link to get a 25% discount on your Worldpackers membership 😀