| Bayahibe | |
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| — Distrito Municipal — | |
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Bayahibe
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Province | La Altagracia Province |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,000 (approx) |
| Time zone | Eastern Caribbean Time (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 809 |
Bayahibe is a town in the Dominican Republic, located about 10 miles east of La Romana on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Founded as a fishing village in 1874 by Juan Brito and his family, who came from Puerto Rico, the town is now a touristic destination.
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Bayahibe is an indigenous word. Its meaning is not known for sure, but there are many names that include the tainos word Baya. "Baya" is the name given to it to a bivalve mollusk, like clams that are glued to the rocks or roots of mangrove trees. "Jib", or "Hib" (is the same word) is the name that gave the Indians a sort of sieve manufactured from sticks used to sift cassava flour.
Bayahibe Beach, a public beach, is located less than a mile from the town center, and Dominicus Beach is in about three miles distance. Bayahibe serves as an embarkation point for boat tours to Saona Island, a thinly inhabited island with extensive beaches located in a national park. In the vicinity of Bayahibe and Dominicus Beach, numerous large resorts are located.
Scuba Diving is probably the most common tourist attraction in Bayahibe. There are close to 10 scuba diving shops scattered around the main beach. There are many shops that take scuba divers to the many dive sites around the area. There are over 20 official dive sites located near Bayahibe and all are accessible from the dive boats in the area. There are 3 Shipwrecks in the area including Atlantic Princess, St George and Coco[1].
In Bayahibe grows a small group of plants that are extremely important to the biological characteristics of this area: in particular, the Pereskia quisqueyana. This plant species is endemic to Bayahibe[2]. Pereskia quisqueyana is known for its beautiful flowers[3]. The popular name by which this pink flower is known is "Bayahibe Rose."
On October 12, 2002, the French world record-setting free-diver, died while attempting to free-dive to a depth of 171 metres (561 ft) off the coast of Bayahibe.