Bani

Baní lies in a dry valley on the southern side of Hispaniola, between the mountains and the Caribbean coast. Rivers descend toward the plain, and the surrounding country supported rural settlements before the town was formally established. In 1764 local residents purchased land from the owners of the Cerro Gordo cattle estate to create a town, under the governorship of Manuel de Azlor. The new settlement was dedicated to Our Lady of Regla. Its foundation brought together inhabitants of the surrounding countryside in a recognized community along the route between Santo Domingo and the western districts of the island.

The later city of San José de Ocoa also lies nearby.