Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NATIONAL PARKS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The DR, home to some of the largest and most diverse parks in all the Caribbean, has set aside over
10% of its land as
parques nacionales
(national parks) and
reservas científicas
(scientific reserves)
and is doing a reasonably good job of protecting these important local resources in the face of external
pressures.
»
Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez
This 766-sq-km park (
Click here
)
in the humid Cordillera
Central is blanketed in pine trees, tree ferns and palm trees.
»
Parque Nacional del Este
In the southeastern part of the country, this park (
Click here
)consists of
dry and subtropical humid forest, with caves featuring Taíno petroglyphs, as well as the sandy beaches
of Isla Saona. Look out for manatees and dolphins off the coast.
»
Parque Nacional Isla Cabritos
In the southwest, this park (
Click here
) is a 24-sq-km island sur-
rounded by the saltwater Lago Enriquillo. It is a refuge for crocodiles, iguanas, scorpions, flamingos,
crows and cacti.
»
Parque Nacional Jaragua
At 1400 sq km, this is the largest park (
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) in the DR. It is made
up of an arid thorn forest, an extensive marine area and the islands of Beata and Alto Velo. The park is
rich in birdlife, particularly sea and shore birds, and its beaches are nesting grounds for hawksbill
turtles.
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Parque Nacional José del Carmen Ramírez
This 764-sq-km park (
Click here
) is home to the
Caribbean's tallest peak - Pico Duarte - and the headwaters of three of the DR's most important
rivers: Yaque del Sur, San Juan and Mijo. Although there is occasional frost, the park is considered a
subtropical humid mountain forest.
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Parque Nacional La Isabela
On the north coast, this park (
Click here
) was established in the 1990s
to protect the ruins of the second European settlement in the New World. An on-site museum contains
many objects that were used by the earliest European settlers.
»
Parque Nacional Los Haitises
On the Bahía de Samaná, this park's (
Click here
) lush hills jut out of
the ocean and are fringed with mangroves, tawny beaches and several Taíno caves. Bamboo, ferns and
bromeliads thrive, along with the Hispaniolan parakeet.
»
Parque Nacional Monte Cristi
This 530-sq-km park (
Click here
) in the extreme northwest con-
tains a subtropical dry forest, coastal lagoons and seven islets. It is home to many seabirds. American
crocodiles also inhabit the park's lagoons.
»
Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco
In the southwest, this 800-sq-km park (
Click here
)
stretches
from desert lowlands to 2000m-high tracts of pine. Along with the broad range of plant life (orchids
abound), it's rich in birds, including the endemic white-necked crow.
»
Parque Nacional Submarino La Caleta
Only 22km from Santo Domingo, this 10-sq-km park
(
Click here
) is one of the country's most visited. Containing several healthy coral reefs and two ship-
wrecks, it is one of the top diving spots in the country.
