Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 809-574-6304;
www.granjimenoahotel.com
; Av La Confluencia; s/d/tr incl breakfast from RD$1375/
1870/2400; )
Set several kilometers north of town directly on the roaring Río
Jimenoa, this is the Cordillera Central's most upscale hotel. It's neither on the beach nor
an all-inclusive hotel, but you could easily spend a week here without leaving the extens-
ive grounds, which include a footbridge to a bar on the far bank of the river.
Tables at the hotel's fine restaurant are on a deck along the edge of the river; dishes
(mains RD$550) cover the standard Dominican, Italian and French, as well as guinea hen
and rabbit in wine sauce.
Jarabacoa River Club & Resort
( 809-574-2456;
www.jarabacoariverclub.com
; s/d incl breakfast RD$2150/3100; )
This
rambling multilevel fun-for-all-ages complex sits on both sides of the roaring Río Yaque
del Norte, around 26km south of town on the way to Manabao. White-water rafting trips
put-in the river north of here; you can hang out at the riverside restaurant or cafe, or at one
of the pools and see them pass below. The low-slung two-story building has spacious,
modern rooms but it's the views that are special.
HOTEL
$$
SONIDO DEL YAQUE
A steep walk down several hundred steps brings you to
Sonido del Yaque
(Cabanas Cazuelas de
Dona Esperanza; 809-846-7275; per person RD$500), a community tourism project initiated by
the women of the village of Los Calabazos, around halfway between Jarabacoa and Manabao. It's a
handful of wood and concrete cabins set amid lush jungle above the roaring Yaque del Norte river,
each with bunk beds and a porch. There's electricity, cold-water showers and mosquito nets. Meals
can be made with advanced notice and served in an unfinished two-story wooden structure. It's not
signposted, so coming from Jarabacoa look for a tiny shop at the right hand side of the road.
Eating
All of the accommodation options listed have their own restaurants, especially important
for those located out of town. Plaza La Confluencia, a small, newly opened (and when we
visited, not yet fully occupied) two-story shopping mall (free wi-fi access), has several
places to eat including Helados Bon (ice cream) and Carrito de Moshe (burritos, wraps
and burgers) kiosks and a Pala Pizza franchise. Several modern supermarkets are in the
9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
sells fresh fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs.
