DK Travel : Dominican Republic : Places of interest

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Horse-drawn Carriages

Small horse-drawn carts clip-clop up and down Santo Domingo’s scenic Malecón as well as around the atmospheric Zona Colonial. Similarly relaxed and child-friendly sightseeing takes place in Santiago, where the focal point is the central Parque Duarte. Prices for a fixed time should be negotiated before you set off on that exciting ride.
Horseback Riding

Almost every all-inclusive beach resort will either offer or be able to recommend horseback riding facilities. The small, normally patient Dominican horses are a good way to introduce kids to riding, especially on soft sand. More ambitious excursions in mountain terrain are available for experienced riders through specialist companies.
Juan Dolio

This long strip of hotels and guesthouses set on the coast is not really a town as such, but an extended tourist enclave. Dating from the 1980s, when investors saw the potential of a new resort on the South Coast, it features mostly modern architecture and well-designed hotels. Most of the action revolves around the beaches, which range from the fairly rocky to the sublimely sandy. The latter are normally situated by the larger all-inclusive hotels, where different water sports are on offer.
La Ciénega

The tiny rural village of La Ciénega de Manaboa is the starting point for the popular hike to the summit of Pico Duarte. The office for Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez is situated to the north of the village, and it is obligatory to register here and hire a guide. There is a rudimentary camping ground by the park office, where some climbers spend the night before setting off early the next morning. The Ciénega Trail is about 28 miles (45 kms) and usually takes a minimum of three days.
La Isabela

The site of Columbus’s first permanent settlement in the Americas is full of historic interest and natural beauty. Looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, the bluff where the explorer established a European toehold contains the foundations of a warehouse, chapel, and rudimentary hospital. The Parque Nacional La Isabela museum explains the site’s significance, while the cemetery nearby is an atmospheric patch of tomb-stones and acacia trees (see La Isabela Bay).
La Romana

This town boasts some pretty houses from the turn of the 19th century in the gridiron area around the Parque Central, as well as a large, sprawling market area where you will see all manner of everyday and exotic produce. The town is famed for its baseball players, but its real attractions for visitors are the nearby luxury resort of Casa de Campo and the unique replica Tuscan hilltop village of Altos de Chavón.
La Vega

One of the earliest European settlements, La Vega was an important base for gold-mining in the Cibao Valley during Columbus’s time, but was later flattened by an earthquake. The modern town reveals nothing of that period. There’s little either of Victorian-era boom time, when some imposing public buildings appeared. The most conspicuous structure these days is the concrete modernist Catedral de la Concepción de La Vega, apparently intended to capture the spirit of the colonial period. La Vega really comes into its own each February, when it stages one of the country’s most celebrated Carnival celebrations (see Carnival), and the construction of masks from papier-mâché becomes an art form.

La Vega
Lago Enriquillo

Probably the country’s most intriguing natural phenomenon, this huge saltwater lake is eerily atmospheric in its spectacular natural setting. The lake also forms an inland ecosystem, with its mixture of saline water, ancient fossils, and varied wildlife. Chief among these are the American crocodiles that inhabit its main island, the Isla Cabritos.
Laguna Gri Gri

The exotic, mangrove-lined lagoon comes almost into the center of Río San Juan, and boat trips start from a jetty at the northern end of Calle Duarte. Tours take about two hours and pass through the mysterious lagoon landscape. There are crocodiles in the lagoon and a profusion of birdlife, encouraged by the area’s environmentally protected status. The Cueva de las Golondrinas (Swallows’ Cave), a subterranean passage formed by an earthquake, is home to countless birds, and there are more caves along the Atlantic shoreline.
Laguna Rincón

Filled with fresh rather than salt water, Laguna Rincón, near the village of Cabral, is another surprisingly large lake, the country’s second biggest after Laguna Limón. You can get close to the water on the small road from Cabral which skirts the lake, but the best way is to take a guided boat trip (see Boat Trips). The lagoon and surrounding land forms an officially protected Reserva Científica (Scientific Reserve) and is home to a colony of freshwater slider turtles, found only on the Hispaniola Island.