Category:

Ecotourism

Adventure

Religious

Location:

Bani is bounded on the north to San Jose de Ocoa who had been one of the municipalities in the province Peravia until 2001, the south by the Caribbean Sea, east of the province of San Cristobal and west of Azua.

Peravia has a territory of approximately 1.275 km ², within which there are 2 towns and 9 municipal districts. Their Towns are: Bani and Nizao. Its municipal districts are: Catalina, Carreton, El Limonal, Las Barias, Matanzas, Paya, Sabana Buey, Villa Foundacion and Villa Sombrero.

About Bani:

• Bani is the capital of Peravia province of the Dominican Republic and it was founded on March 3^rd, 1664 by the Spanish Manuel de Azlor and Urries. Its status was made official in 1764 as a town and many know this place as the City of Poets.
• Bani is named in honor of the headman named Paní, subaltern of Caonabo, whose name means “plenty of water”. The town of Bani has two dams which represent the most important of the country that are Higüey-Avocado and Valdesia.
• Bani was the scene of the Battle of Las Carreras which happened on April 21, 1849 between the Dominican and Haitian troops and where the Dominican army was victorious.
• In the territory of Bani, Maximo Gomez was born on November 18, 1836; the Dominican who is more admired and revered in Cuba because it endorsed the cause of freedom and independence of that country.
• Bani is also a land of many great professional baseball players including Miguel Tejada, Mario Melvin Soto, Erick Aybar, Willy Aybar, Juan Melo, Luis Vizcaino, among others.
• Peravia province and the town of Bani are famous for their flavoring desserts like “Dulce de Leche” and “Dulce de Coco con Leche” made out of coconut and milk.
• This town also grows a wide variety of mangoes that has a good reputation throughout the country and led Bani to get a special recognition of being named the “Capital of Mango” in 2005.

Climate:

Its climate ranges from subtropical dry and very dry. The vegetation is subtropical and the average annual temperature is 26 ° C and at times could go down to 12 ° C.

How to get there?

• By Air: Through the Maria Montes International airport (BRX) located in Barahona or the Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo.

• By car: Direct access through Sanchez Highway going west departing from Santo Domingo. The trip takes about an hour.

Attractions:

Las Dunas (Bani Sand dunes):

The dunes are located specifically in the town of Las Calderas Bay between the towns of Matanzas, Las Calderas and Salinas. Its area consists of about 15 kilometers and a maximum height of 35 meters. It is a protected natural area and unique in its appearance that is unmatched by any other region of the island. The way the dunes are formed is a phenomenon rarely seen in the world and visiting it is a unique and unforgettable experience. After you travel all the dunes, you will encounter the gorgeous beauty of the sea.

This part of the south coast of the island is rich in natural resources that surprises with a unique landscape of a large area of fine sand and simultaneously reveals the charms of desert and dry nature in the Caribbean.

As for the rich flora found in the place you can find several endemic species such as olives and other plants like cactus, sea grape and “Cambron”. About its fauna, you will find in the Dunes of Bani many black gulls, lizards, pelicans and the “Barrancoli”.

Salinas Beach:

Salinas Beach has easy access and is a dark sand beach ideal for windsurfing. This beach has an area especially for tourists run by the Ministry of Tourism and a private company for the enjoyment of the community. Within the area is forbidden to cook food or light fires. It is a well visited beach by locals during weekends and holidays. The beach has a large parking area, restaurants and small boats for rides with the beautiful view of the beach surrounded by mountains.

 Salinas de Bani:

Salinas de Bani are salt mines that are produced in terrace slowly evaporating from seawater. Las Salinas de Bani is one of the most important sources of natural resources of salt in the Dominican Republic.

By visiting the Salinas, you can watch the process of extracting salt from inception to completion, and if you're lucky you can talk to the workers who kindly give you an explanation of how the process is. You can visit Las Salinas at no cost, take pictures and even play with the small piles of salt after its extraction.

It is located just minutes from Bani. Los Almendros Beach is a rocky beach with strong waves, that many only visit to relax, sunbathe, take a family picnic or enjoy a beautiful landscape with a rich fresh breeze.

Maximo Gomez Museum:

The Museum Maximo Gomez was established in the place where Gomez was born with a small square, built in his honor with the collaboration of the Cuban government. The museum has a small space with photos, copies of documents and a chronology of his life. It is open to the public at 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 and 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Rule:

Devotion to the Virgin of Our Lady of Rule dates back to colonial times, when Archbishop Fray Domingo Fernandez de Navarrete founded the Parish of Rule in 1863. The Cathedral celebrates the festivities of the Lady of Rule every November 21st. In this temple the painter Jaime Colson began work for painting, but he could not finish the project. It was recently taken over as part of the refurbishment of the Cathedral, behind which there is now a plaza with murals of the founders of Bani.

Historical Museum Ortiz Family:

When you visit Villa Sombrero area, you must make a stop at the Historic and Natural Park of Los Guayacanes where the historical museum dedicated to General Family Faustino Ortiz is. This Museum was built to honor the patriotic independence and commander-in-arms Faustino Ortiz who is originally from Bani. The museum is located directly opposite to the Immaculate Conception High School.

Sanctuary of San Martin de Porres:

It is a place of pilgrimage for believers built the community of Las Tablas. To reach the Sanctuary of San Martin de Porres will have to take the road to the community of Las Tablas, which begins next to the Free Industrial Zone. The ride is uncomfortable, but observing from afar the temple built in stone, means that the sacrifice is worth the trip. The sanctuary was built at the initiative of the deceased priest Juan Roberto Jaime whose tomb lies at the foot of the shrine. The sanctuary gets crowded with pilgrims every November 3rd due to the celebrations of St. Martin de Porres.

Tips:

Bring a bathing suit, hat, sunscreen, tennis or walking shoes because the beaches have rocks.

Take your camera with you to take for beautiful landscaping pictures.