Buggy tour to Macao Beach and Taino Cave: drive rugged trails

Drive rugged forest trails to a cliff-backed beach and a 25-foot cave you swim inside

A buggy tour through the Dominican countryside where you drive your own vehicle to Macao Beach, an underground cave filled with crystal-clear fresh water, and a working farm that produces coffee, chocolate and cigars. The guide speaks French, English and Spanish; hotel pickup and return are included. Children from age 3 are welcome, and you choose whether to ride two, three or four people per buggy at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Buggy tour to beach, cave, and farm

• Receive safety briefing at ranch
• Drive buggy through forests and gardens
• Visit organic farm and taste local products
• Drive to Macau Beach and swim
• Visit underground Taino cave and swim
• Return to ranch and transfer to hotel

The Experience

You pick up your buggy at a ranch where the guide walks through safety rules before you head out. The first stop is a Dominican farm where you spend thirty minutes tasting and learning how local products—coffee, green tea, chocolate, mamajuana and cigars—are grown and made. Then you drive to Macao Beach, where cliffs frame fine sand and you can swim in water that the operator calls the most beautiful in the east. The beach stop lasts about twenty minutes.

From there the buggy takes you to Taino Cave, an underground cavern submerged in fresh water about 25 feet deep. Swimmers jump into the water from inside the cave—a drop of almost a meter—and everyone walks around to see the stone formations and the way light filters through. This leg takes twenty minutes. Once you're back at the ranch, the driver takes you to your hotel.

The tour runs three hours total, including the drive between stops. You'll need at least moderate fitness for the buggy ride and the cave swim; the operator notes the tour is not suitable for pregnant travelers or anyone with spinal injuries or cardiovascular concerns. Infants can ride in a stroller or on an adult's lap, and children from age 3 can ride in the buggy itself.

What’s included

• Buggy rental with safety briefing.
• tastings of Dominican coffee, chocolate, cigars, mamajuana and green tea at an organic farm.
• access to Macao Beach for swimming.
• entry to Taino Cave with fresh water for swimming.
• use of a headset to hear the guide.
• hotel pickup and return transportation.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Carribean Medley Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the two-person buggy if you want to share the drive and the cost with one other traveler; pick the three or four-person option if you're traveling with family or friends and want everyone in one vehicle. Solo riders book the one-person buggy when they prefer to navigate the trails alone.

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Top questions

Can I drive my own buggy, or does a guide drive?

You drive your own buggy on the rugged forest roads between the farm, beach and cave. The guide leads the group and explains what you're seeing at each stop.

What is Macao Beach like when we get there?

Macao Beach is backed by cliffs and has fine sand; it's on the east coast and you'll have time to swim in the water. The stop lasts about twenty minutes.

Can I really swim in the cave?

Yes. Taino Cave is filled with crystal-clear fresh water and you can jump into it from inside the cave—a drop of about one meter. Everyone can walk around the cave and see the formations even if they don't swim.

What happens at the farm stop?

At the Dominican farm, you spend thirty minutes tasting and learning how coffee, chocolate, cigars, mamajuana and green tea are produced locally. It's a working farm, not a museum.

Does the price change if I want to ride alone in a buggy instead of with others?

Yes. You choose at checkout whether to ride two, three or four people per buggy, and the price varies by option. Solo, pair and small-group buggies are all available.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel pickup and return transportation are included in the tour. The guide will arrange the pickup time when you book.