Often reduced to its resorts and seaside cocktails, the Dominican Republic hides many other treasures for those who take the time to explore it. Having loved this island since childhood, I rode a small 150cc local motorcycle to discover its roads, culture, and people.

“We were only dreaming about freedom.” Out loud, I repeat these words under the tropical heat. A simple, short, striking sentence. A tribute to the book by Henri Loevenbruck that every motorcyclist should, in my opinion, read at least once in their life. On the road and then on the trail, the miles roll by as I follow the northern coast of the Dominican Republic for several hours. I just dreamed of freedom. And now, it is mine.

A Very Special Bond

The idea for this trip emerged when I read the previous issue of Road Trip. Several captivating stories from around the world, all sharing the same ode to exploration. I wanted, in turn, to discover a place before sharing it with my words and photos. Immediately, the destination felt obvious: it would be the Dominican Republic and its paradise-like beaches.

Heading toward the “New World,” that expression used by navigator Amerigo Vespucci to describe Christopher Columbus’s discovery of lands still unknown to Europeans. No need to cross the Atlantic Ocean by boat—I'm already here. Since November 2024, I’ve been living once again in this country that I first discovered at the age of four.

Back then, my father, passionate about windsurfing, had taken us to this Caribbean island located about 6,000 kilometers from mainland France. With my parents, their friends, and my older sister, we settled in Cabarete, a small fishing village that would gradually become a reference for water sports.

After a ten-month stay, my parents moved back to France. Safety, healthcare, and education were the reasons they mentioned. Their friends, however, settled here for good. We returned several times to visit them. At age fifteen, I surfed my first waves on Encuentro beach. A passion was born—and soon, motorcycles were added to it.

When she turned eighteen, my sister moved back here, and I joined her just before turning twenty to prepare for journalism school entrance exams. Once I earned my degree, I covered several stories on the island of Hispaniola, home to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

The Locals’ Motorcycle

November 2024: I meet my newborn niece while getting my bearings again in Cabarete. Having done some research ahead of time, I found a job at Parallel Surf, ten minutes from Cabarete. To travel back and forth between Cabarete and Encuentro, my first investment is to get a motorcycle. My sister happens to know someone who wants to sell a small bike that has been waiting in a garage for a few weeks.

I discover a new brand that even the internet struggles to identify. It’s not a Suzuki, it’s not a Ducati—it’s a Sucati! For less than 500 dollars, I buy a red-and-white 2020 CG 150cc equipped with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine delivering 12.3 horsepower. Far from being a powerhouse, it’s economical (it consumes about 1.5 liters per 100 km). But above all, it’s a motorcycle you find absolutely everywhere on Dominican roads for one simple reason: the parts are shipped from China and assembled locally.

Dangers to Understand

Before hitting the road, a check-up at a garage is essential. Here, no appointment needed—you just need a bit of luck and patience. Inside, the ambiance is Dominican—meaning loud and disorganized—but the work gets done well. The mechanic replaces faulty lights and a dying horn, adds mirrors, and installs new tires. It’s my first time riding a motorcycle in this country. Heading toward Encuentro, I discover the heel-toe shifter system. On the road, almost all riders drive without helmets (even though they are legally required) or with small plastic helmets more suited for construction sites. No way I’m neglecting my safety—I choose a full-face helmet.

Due to its size and weight (75 kg), my Sucati CG 150 isn’t exactly built for long-distance travel. In the first weeks, I only ride between Cabarete and Encuentro—a 10-kilometer round trip along a long straight road. A route that seems simple at first glance. In reality, you must always stay alert. Potholes on the roadside, large pickup trucks passing dangerously close, drivers ignoring traffic lights… The Dominican Republic suffers from a bad reputation.

The analysis of a journalist from Dominican media El Brifin sums it up perfectly: “When someone comes from a country where traffic laws are respected, you only need to look at their face when they arrive here to understand something is wrong. The jungle, as we all call it, is an increasingly serious problem. The Dominican Republic has one of the highest road mortality rates in the world. In 2024, more than 3,100 people died in road accidents. Over 60% were motorcyclists. This is unfortunately no coincidence: only 26% of them wore a protective helmet.” For comparison, mainland France recorded 3,190 road deaths in 2024 with a population almost seven times larger.

Aware of this, I still decide to plan a multi-stage road trip between March and April 2025. From Cabarete, I map out three routes: one west toward Haiti, one south toward Santiago, and one east toward the Samaná Peninsula. By choosing these three itineraries, I stay within 200 kilometers of my starting point.

Exploring this part of the country suits me perfectly, as I want to show another side of the Dominican Republic. When I talk about this country to friends, many associate it with the resort town of Punta Cana. Punta Cana and its all-inclusive hotels. Punta Cana and its mass tourism. With only two or three days off at a time, I neither have the time nor the desire to ride all the way there. I would have loved to return to Haiti to discover the roads around Cap-Haïtien, but the country’s situation prevents me from crossing the border.