DK Travel : Dominican Republic : The Northwest

The Northwest : Overview & Top 10

Little has changed in this isolated and unexplored area of the country. There are hardly any tourist resorts as yet, and time seems to have stopped still in the sleepy towns and villages that dot the empty landscape. A mix of small farms and bone-dry desert wilderness, the region has little of the lushness to be found elsewhere, suggesting that life here is often hard. Yet, despite the sometimes-forbidding appearance of the terrain, the Northwest has distinct attractions, not least its fascinating ecosystems, best explored in the Parque Nacional Monte Cristi. Its beaches, too, are magnificent, and, because of its out-of-the-way character, less developed than those to the east of Puerto Plata.

For reservations at Luperón Beach Resort, Carretera La Isabela call 571 8303 Gaviota Tours: 571 0337, organize trips to Dajabón and across the border