The seaside town of Miches is tucked into a small bay at the southern mouth of the Bahía de Samaná. The town itself doesn’t offer a lot to a traveler and is mainly a stop-off point for transfer to Sabana de la Mar, a town located west along the same shore. This coastline, which stretches from the easternmost edge of El Seibo province and across the coast of Hato Mayor to Sabana de la Mar in the west at the junction to the Parque Nacional Los Haitises, is sometimes referred to as La Costa Esmeralda and is home to two lagoons, Redonda and Limón. The beaches near here are less manicured and more on the wild side.

Highway 104 leads you away from Bávaro to the absolutely stunning Playa Limón (turn off in the town of El Cedro in a northerly direction) and Punta El Rey (turn off in the town of La Mina). Playa Limón is three kilometers of unparalleled beauty that draws tour groups occasionally but, for the most part, is not over-crowded. In fact, near Playa Limón is the scientific reserve at Laguna Limón, a freshwater reserve that meets up with Playa Limón at the coast and is well known for the fantastic bird-watching within its wetlands and mangroves.

Just around the curve of the coastline, into what becomes the southern edge of the mouth of the Bahía de Samaná, is Punta El Rey, truly a breathtaking beach.

Getting to Miches

Taking a guagua to or from Miches is relatively easy. They leave Higüey on the half hour all day until 5 p.m. (US$4) and will drop you at the gas station on the eastern edge of Miches. Guaguas headed for Sabana de la Mar (US$2.50) leave every 25 minutes from the western end of town.

Motoconchos will be around the gas station for you to hire if you need to get around town, or to some of the area’s beaches. Expect to pay around RD$100, but you can haggle prices and secure the price before hopping on.