Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOUCH THE SKY - CACHÓTE'S CLOUD FOREST
About 25km (1½ hours' drive) west of Paraíso on an impressively bad road - you ford the same river
half a dozen times - sit the remote cabins of Cachóte. At 1400m you're in the heart of Caribbean
cloud forest, where a low mist hangs heavy over the trees. It's here that seven rivers spring from the
ground to supply the coastal towns below.
In order to protect the water supply, coffee-growing was ended in the 1990s, and today, with the
help of Peace Corps volunteers, cabins have been constructed and short trails built in the regenerating
forest.
The cabins themselves are rustic but comfortable, and each has one large queen-size bed and a
triple-decker dormitory-style bunk. Prices start from RD$1400 per person per night with lunch for one
to two people and get cheaper the larger the group. More expensive all-inclusive packages are also
available. You can camp for RD$300 per person per night for up to five people if you have your own
tent (but you must pay for cooking services - RD$1000 - even if you brought your own food). Trans-
portation is not included in the price. Hiring a 4WD and driver can run upwards of RD$6000 for up to
10 people, but it's more economical (and less comfortable!) to catch the local transport for folks living
in the mountains (RD$400 per person) in La Cienega or Barahona.
Contact
Ecoturismo Comunitario Cachóte
( 829-863-8833;
soepa.paraiso@yahoo.com
)
at
least two weeks in advance to book or Ecotour Barahona (
Click here
), which runs a day-trip to
Cachóte (US$119), stopping at the small communities along the way; and can arrange overnight stays.
Hikes in the area offer great birdwatching (45 types of endemic birds have been identified here, in-
cluding the Dominican parrot, Cotorra Hispaniola) and visits to a traditional Dominican mountain vil-
lage. Guides can point out plants in the area used in medicine and even local Haitian Voodoo.
TOP OF CHAPTER
South of Barahona
Sights & Activities
Paraíso
About 35km south of Barahona is the aptly named town of Paraíso (population 13,500),
with a spectacular beach and mesmerizing ocean - who knew there could be so many
shades of blue? Paraíso is a good budget alternative to Barahona, and is walking distance
(or
motoconcho
distance) to the
balneario
(swimming hole) at Los Patos. If you're driv-
ing, be sure to check out the
mirador
(lookout) just north of town - the views of the beach
and ocean are jaw-dropping.
BEACH
Los Patos
BEACH, SWIMMING
