# Polo

Polo, Barahona is a municipality of 7,100 people (2014) the Barahona Province in southwestern Dominican Republic. The small town of Polo is known for its strong coffee and having El Polo Magnético (the magnetic pole), an area on a mountain near the village.

## Understand

El Polo Magnético If a car is stopped at the right place, and put in neutral, the car seems to be rolling up the hill. El Polo Magnético is an optical illusion known as a gravity hill which is caused by the shape of the slope and the surrounding landscape.

## Get in

Public transportation: Guaguas (little buses) leave Barahona about every half hour. An easy place to wait is at the park across the street from the bus station to Santo Domingo. Look for a sign/sticker in front of the bus that says "POLO". However, some guaguas and pick up trucks don't have a sign, so flag them down and ask if they're going to Polo. Cost is 100p (Jan 2018). If you're coming from Cabral, cost is 75p (Price increase Jan 2018).

## Get around

The town of Polo can easily be seen on foot.

## See

* Mata de Maiz - natural pools from the river with refreshingly cold water. 1 hour on foot or 15 minutes by car or motorcycle.
* Polo Magnetico - about 20 minutes from Polo. Put your car in neutral and it will look like the car is moving uphill.
* Cafeto Madre - Oldest coffee tree in the country. Over 100 years old.
* Festicafe - an organic coffee festival is held every year the last weekend in November with workshops, performances, and all types of coffee. Dates for 2017: November 27-29

## Do

* Factoria El Toral - coffee factory with tours. Walk through the whole coffee process from seed to finished product. Guides can show the whole process.
* Dancing at the Campo Verde open air discoteca Saturday and Sunday nights
* Hiking along the many trails and old gravel roads for a hike through coffee plantations, small villages, and even views of the Caribbean Sea. It's even possible to hike all the way to the ocean, following the Nizao River. Wikiloc website has trails recorded in the area here.

## Buy

* Market Day every Sunday morning in the main plaza selling used clothes and all kinds of fruits and vegetables from the region.

## Eat

* Comedor Nimelva - small, local restaurant serving delicious Dominican meals. Located next to the main square.
* Street vendors sell empanadas and other small treats

## Drink

* Presidente beer is sold in all colmados. Relax from an exciting day and have a drink hanging out at the main square.

## Sleep

* 18.089397-71.2755551 Hostal Rural Backpackers Polo (IDEAC), Calle Juan Bosch s/n (Located at the bottom of the town), ☏ +1 829-931-6786. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Local accommodation in the mountains of Polo. Costs RD$ 350 a person for a shared room or RD$ 1000 for a private 2-person room. The second floor has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Breakfast and dinner options for an extra price. Located at the bottom of Polo. RD$ 350.
* Villa Altagracia - An upscale, beautiful house that can be rented out for about RD$ 3000 and can accommodate around 10 people. Located in Las Auyamas. The manager lives to the left of the church. His name is Alvaro (829-432-3314) and he can assist you. From Polo, turn left on the gravel road just before the Church of God (Iglesia de Dios) in Las Auyamas.
* Rancho Lembert - Can accommodate up to 14 guests and available through booking.com. Located in Las Auyamas on a gravel road just up the hill from Villa Altagracia.

## Go next

* Guaguas leave the small park on the edge of town near the school to Barahona from 07:00 until 14:00 every 30 minutes. RD$ 100 (2018).
* A gravel road in usually poor condition (must have 4x4 vehicle) takes you down the mountain the back way and you end up in the beach town of Los Cocos, south of Barahona.