The Mountain Regions of DR

When expats talk about the mountain regions of DR, the town of Jarabacoa normally is the first mentioned.

There are a lot more places to explore and imo more interesting.

Here is one: Rancho Arriba.

It is a short drive on a new scenic road at a turn in Piedra Blanca  at km 60 on Autopista Duarte that takes you to Rancho Arriba, the home of the Induban coffee nursery. The town and area are well worth a visit and this article in yesterdays Listin Diario explains why.

Agriculture brings prosperity to the Morrón valley

Nature: Rancho Arriba is a land of prosperity. This impressive valley has served to establish a solid agro-industry that makes it a mandatory economic reference.

https://listindiario.com/la-vida/2021/1 … del-morron



In its fertile lands, a good part of the agricultural production grows that adorns the tables of many Dominicans and foreigners, since the great economic strength of its producers lies in the export of vegetables, which they pack in the same municipality, in Nizao or in Sabana Larga , to start a long journey that will take them to the Dominican docks and from there to the United States, Canada and other markets.

As in the entire province, the practice of open field agriculture continues, but the bulk of municipal production takes place in approximately 1,375,000 square meters of greenhouses installed there. The seas of plastics have imposed their rhythm on the agriculture of the valley and today they constitute the main source of employment for the natives of the community and for hundreds of Haitian nationals who have found a welcome in this land. Greenhouses are used for the production of short-cycle vegetables, such as bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and other items. Its producers are well organized.

But in the municipality of Rancho Arriba we also find a coffee tradition that has extended for decades and that has as protagonists both small and medium producers, as well as large emporiums. The extensive coffee production of this valley is very notorious, because when traveling through its main land route we find part of these lush and beautiful fields, which adorn themselves with a well-cared for and abundant coffee production. But just as they produce it, the community members also roast, grind and strain it; and it is a pleasant experience to have a coffee from pilón, in a traditional kitchen sheltered by yaguas or zinc.

With a total area of ​​203.53 square kilometers and an average altitude of 699 meters above sea level, Rancho Arriba is a municipality that enjoys cool temperatures throughout the year, averaging 21 degrees Celsius, and falling substantially during the winter. This climate is one of the great attractions of this aboriginal land, and has motivated wealthy people to build summer houses in the area.

The central part of Rancho Arriba is located 33 kilometers from Piedra Blanca and 31.4 kilometers by road from San José de Ocoa, a journey that is bumpy in the final section, Nizao-Rancho Arriba, with 12 kilometers that present multiple holes and difficulties for the rapid transit. The construction of this section has been an important pending task for many years and has been accepted by the current rulers, although, for reasons of legal ties, there seems to be no quick solution. The drivers who travel there have called the road as "the egg carton", due to the similarities they present. Faced with such conditions, visitors and agricultural industrialists prefer to travel along the road that connects Rancho Arriba with Piedra Blanca.

Sightseeing

The charms of this valley have been the inspiration for many projects related to tourism. In areas like Montenegro we find beautiful villas, with luxurious pools and well-maintained facilities, belonging to wealthy families, often used for family activities or to encourage real estate investments in the area. Tourist constructions are not limited to this place and spread throughout the municipality, where there are small paradises that combine the benefits of nature with artificial comforts. In Rancho Arriba there is a wide inventory of natural and cultural resources, accessible to all visitors; in some cases only as observers, in others as protagonists of the adventure of taking a good dip, crossing part of the valley on horseback or tasting an exquisite sweet or Creole dish.

Some of its attractions are the following:

Aboriginal exhibition in Tell Alpin: it is a remnant of the cultural project La Ruta delTaíno, dedicated to exalting the aboriginal origin of this population. There we find objects belonging to the pre-Columbian era as well as beautiful replicas, transferred from Yamasá and other areas that share the Arawaka brotherhood. In the place you can taste succulent dishes, with a well-seasoned goat meat being the protagonist. There are also overnight facilities.

Falls and puddles: such as the El Cachón waterfall, the pools and waterfalls of La Bocaina, La Estrechura (with its counterpart in El Pinar), La Peñita and the various circumstantial spas that form in the Nizao and Banilejo rivers.

Wide terrain abounds for outdoor hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and thrilling four-wheel motorcycle adventures, all of which have become frequent and found a growing number of participants.

Vultures

Immigrants from Cuba to our country at the beginning of the 20th century, the red-headed vultures have spread to various areas, with Rancho Arriba being the home of a large colony of these scavengers. It is common to meet them, both in the sky and on the ground, courting cattle carcasses. By feeding on dead meat, they remove a lot of contamination from livestock areas. Being Rancho Arriba an area populated with large numbers of cattle, the vultures have found there an ideal area for their subsistence and reproduction.

Nightlife and youth

Rancho Arriba presents the virtues of rural life combined with urban life. The offer is constantly growing, as a result of the flow of visitors from Piedra Blanco, Ocoa and other municipalities. At present, various businesses are engaged in nightly festive activities, with a lot of attendance.

He expresses faith in the future of Rancho Arriba and considers that the youth of his municipality are progressive, they need to continue to support sports and to create sources of employment, since most of the occupations available to young people are in agricultural work. As we well know, "taking days" only provides money for a basic development.

Horsemen

In recent years, equestrian activity has taken a leading role at Rancho Arriba. Although it is a tradition of the place, the integration of riders from all over the province and from other localities has been notorious, to the activities held by various organizations linked to equines. The showiness of the beasts, their outfits and the elegant cowboy hats make horseback riding a rewarding experience for both participants and spectators.

Horseback riding groups coordinate ecotourism tours, both with local and national participation. The organizations linked to these activities have made great contributions to the dissemination of the benefits that Rancho Arriba keeps for internal tourism.

Mahoma

12 kilometers southeast of Rancho Arriba is Mahoma, a section of singular importance for the production of coffee, bananas and other agricultural items. Its rustic road is constantly traveled by traditional Land Rover jeeps, which transport people, do various errands and return to Ocoa with several bunches of bananas on top. This picture seems to go back to the past, since the machines, with several decades of use, continue to make the difficult journey efficiently and constantly.

In Muhammad we find a nature-friendly hostel, called Ecobatey, which has been dedicated to carrying out activities related to sustainable tourism. In the community we also find the Muhammad River, and, with due precautions, it is appreciable to enjoy the puddles that are built or formed from its flow.

KNOW MORE

Rancho Arriba is considered one of the last abodes of the Taínos. The valley was formed by the drainage of the great lake that covered the entire area, to which the chronicler of the Indies Pedro Mártir de Anglería refers.

It was elevated to a municipality in the province of San José de Ocoa by Law 66-00 of September 6, 2000.

A deep lake located on a fertile private property is considered the remnant of the waters that covered the area. This is known as El Ojo de Agua and its charm can be appreciated from a considerable distance. Many community members say that aboriginal objects are still buried or on the banks of some streams.


Now from Rancho Arriba you can head south to San Jose de Ocoa and scenery not too disimilar to the Jura mountains of Switzerland imo. And from there you can head north to Constanza.

There are so many truly  beautiful areas of this country!  Friends of mine spent the weekend camping!  They were in  Los Cacaos  and its not that far from Santo Domingo.

San José de Ocoa, a subtle look from the heights.

https://listindiario.com/ventana/2021/0 … s-alturas-

Observing from the heights the wonderful images of my beloved San José de Ocoa and its surroundings is a unique experience, on several occasions I have had to fly over it and in each one of these I have been pleasantly impressed by the varied landscape that can be seen from the heights. I allow myself to share with you my impressions of the beauty that I have been able to witness from an advantageous position, placed on the tops of the high mountains that surround our beloved town.

With an astonished and fleeting glance from the distance, you can see that beautiful place surrounded by a dazzling set of imposing mountains, daughters of the Central Cordillera, which with their majesties make up an impressive orographic ring, as if it were the giant nest of an enchanted nightingale. that treasures in its interior a beautiful valley adorned with landscapes of incomparable beauty.

It really is a charming and enchanted valley, similar to the bottom of what could have been the crater of an ancient and extinct volcano, dissected into two halves by the rushing currents of the indomitable and meandering Ocoa River. Nestled in one of the most rugged places in our rugged mountain range, trapped between the mountains and the sea, caressed by the cool winter winds from the north and by the warm summer temperatures that come from the south.

The solid presence of these great mountains capriciously emerged from the deep bottom of the seas, sculpted and molded by time, of varied shapes, contours and heights, with an incomparable climate, creating beautiful landscapes full of contrasts between the green of the hills with the polychrome of its meadows. So much combined beauty has been the source of inspiration for naturalists, writers, poets, painters, photographers and visitors, all of whom are pleasantly impressed by contemplating so much beauty treasured in one place. Dixon Porter, in his campaign diary describes it masterfully, “ The most daring-looking mountains, with their peaks lost in the clouds, surround on all sides, enclosing in this valley fields of the richest grass ……”, Pascual Casado also did it in one of his verses, " And the mountain that rises in the night, like a giant trying the useless feat of reaching the sleeping face of the heavens." These poetic words are simply beautiful, they spring from the depths of his feelings to describe the beauty of the incomparable chain of mountains that shelters the idyllic valley of San José de Ocoa.

... And it is that the multiplicity of environments that San José de Ocoa houses is conducive to finding the perfect combination between the wild and the soft; the high with the low; the arid with the humid; mist and dew; the warm with the cold, dawn and dusk; thunder and lightning; the rainbow with the rain, the stream with the river; the rock with the sand; the sweet with the bitter and the turbulence with the calm.

Everything is included in this blessed land, Porter was not wrong when referring to the Maniel ... " Nature seems to have spent a lot of its skillful hand in this beautiful place, it is by far the most beautiful and fruitful part of the island." Pascual Casado said the same, " This place so similar to a hidden refuge for persecuted Indians or a palenque of black maroons, a small plain between mountains, breathes an inexplicable peace"; and as González Fabra says, “… ..that valley full of greenery and fantasy at a time when it seemed more like an inhabited illusion than a southern town”. Unquestionably Ocoa is greenery, landscapes, exuberance, mountains, nature, flowing water, exquisite people; it is also poetry and it is song.

Those mountains just to the west of Santo Domingo and north of San Cristobal are wonderful and so close to large population centres.

I have not been to Los Cacaos as such but the area has scientific reserves and history.

The Irish born Canadian priest Luis Quin, now deceased, has an impressive  national park in his name between Lo Cacaos and San Jose.

Luis Quinn and his national park

https://listindiario.com/la-vida/2012/0 … e-nacional






You can start heading toward this park by taking a right turn just before the steel bridge on the entry road into Bani from Santo Domingo and follow upstream the Bani river. You will have to ford the river a few times as you get further inland. most locals stop off and enjoy the cool waters of the river.

He sent me some stunning photos!   I will go one day soon!

Awsome post Lennoxnev,

I am sharing this map as I have obtained from its author, Bolívar Troncoso Morales, Director General of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional, the authorization to publish it on our Forum. This map appears in his book "Geografía del Turismo en República Dominicana".

It helps to undertand the key role mountains have played over the centuries. They took part in most of the battles the Dominican fought against the Haitian armies. Mountains clearly cut the country into 3 different pieces : the North, the Southwest and the Southeast, which resulted in 3 completely different accents.

It highlights Santo Domingo's central location when it comes to travelling from one region to another.

(On PC's the map can be clicked twice to enlarge it).

That map reinforces the reality is that DR may have some fine beach resorts but is actually in large part a country of mountains and often spectacular at that. Not your Himalayas, Rockies or Alps, but green tropical, alpine or dry mountains which form barriers that make travel around this country more of a challenge.

Constanza: 5 stops you cannot forget on your next visit

Thanks to the adventures of travelers Carlos Torres and Keila Rodríguez we share a list of mandatory stops on your next visit to Constanza

https://www.diariolibre.com/estilos/bue … EN21795001

Tourism in the Dominican Republic is one of the main pillars that sustains the local economy and currently this sector is struggling to recover from the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic, betting, among other things, on domestic tourism.

Among the many places that the Dominican Republic has is Constanza, a charming municipality located in the province of La Vega, in the center of the country. On this occasion, thanks to the adventures of travelers Carlos Torres ( [at]carlostorresrd ) and Keila Rodríguez ( [at]theadrenalinetraveler ) we share a list of stops that you cannot miss when you visit this city.

According to Carlos “if you are a lover of ecotourism you should give yourself the opportunity to explore Constanza; this place, also known as “the Switzerland of the Caribbean”, has a temperature that can oscillate between 0 and 15 degrees, in addition to the beautiful landscapes that it possesses ”. For Keila, just wanting to enjoy nature, feel the rich climate and want to appreciate beautiful landscapes is reason enough to pack up and go there.

1. Pyramids of Valle Nuevo

For Carlos, this is an experience that you should definitely live when you come to Constanza: a perfect place for those who enjoy camping outdoors under pleasant temperatures that normally range between 14 and 16 degrees during the day and can drop to 0 degrees at night. , depending on the season in which you visit them, so it is recommended to be well prepared.

The pyramids are considered the geographic center of the Dominican Republic . They were built in honor of the dictator Rafael Trujillo, for being the one who managed the construction of the highway between the municipalities of San José de Ocoa and Constanza in 1958.

Three recommendations:

- You must bring your food, since within the park there are no places to buy food.

- The entrance to the park is RD $ 150 pesos per person.

- Access from the town of Constanza is a bit difficult, the road is currently under construction, so it is recommended to arrive in tall vehicles; It is also an option to arrive through Ocoa, the path is shorter and the road is a little better preserved.

2. Path in Green Ebony

Keila Rodríguez recommends visiting one of the trails in this area, as they are perfect for those who like long walks amidst lots of greenery and streams. “Without a doubt, you must do the trail in Ébano Verde, for this it is necessary to first contact [at]fundprogressio and coordinate your visit.

This protected place has an outstanding ecosystem, with landscapes and species of flora and fauna of great national scientific importance, since it is one of the areas with the largest number of endemic plants in the Dominican Republic.

According to the traveler, this path ends right next to “El Arroyazo”, a beautiful and super cold river. In this spa, whose current is born within the forested area of ​​the Reserve, when falling in small waterfalls and between rapids, the water has formed a large pool in the middle of an immense rock. This pool is used by visitors and has become one of the most pleasant baths with waters that average 14 degrees Celsius.

3. Valle Nuevo National Park

Carlos Torres explains that the Dr. Juan Bautista Pérez Rancier National Park, better known as “Valle Nuevo”, is a marvel among the mountains of Constanza. This place has a unique biodiversity in the Caribbean, where the main hydrographic basins of our country are born, for this reason it is also known as "The Mother of the Waters".

The park is located 2,200 meters above sea level and has a high ecotourism potential because it houses places such as the Salto de Aguas Blancas, Las Pirámides and the Monument to Caamaño, as well as a unique biodiversity in the region.

When you come, do not miss the opportunity to explore its surroundings and enjoy its pleasant temperature surrounded by unique vegetation, Valle Nuevo is a highly recommended place if you are looking to connect more with nature and live unforgettable moments. “It is a beautiful area to walk and learn about part of its history,” says Keila. It also recommends visiting Villa Pajón if you want to know a heavenly lodging place that is well away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

If they come it is necessary to use a 4x4 vehicle, the road is currently under construction and is in a better condition. Remember not to leave garbage inside the areas of this park, take a bag for your garbage.

4. White Water Falls

"The Salto de Aguas Blancas is one of the best known and most visited attractions within the Valle Nuevo Park, known for its very cold waters and the beautiful contrasts that its surroundings display," says Carlos. This place is located specifically in the place El Convento de la Ciudad de Constanza, and has two waterfalls in which temperatures of up to 10 degrees are recorded, so if you are going to go in to bathe you must be prepared to withstand an intense cold.

They recently enabled a path through which you can climb to the top of the waterfall and where you will find viewpoints to take photos with impressive views, it takes approximately 40 minutes depending on the step you go, so you cannot miss the opportunity to climb and take an epic photo from the top.



5. Divino Niño Monument

Keila recommends going up to the Divino Niño monument, where you will get the best view of the Constanza Valley and where you will take beautiful photos. This place is 15 meters high and is located near the town. Constanza residents visit this monument to Christ as a place of spirituality and to enjoy its panoramic views. In addition, in this place, there is an offering chamber, a souvenir shop and a chapel where mass is celebrated once a month.

Constanza is at a heightof 4000ft and it does get cold at nights especially at this time of year. Up in Valle Nuevo frosts are common. It is a must visit destination in DR.

There are hotels and guest houses available and they get busy at weekends. One possible choice is https://www.altocerro.com/#alojamiento.

For the more aventurous one can drive from Contanza through Valle Nuevo down to Rancho Arriba and San Jose and really appreciate the Cordillera Central.

Ruta Cibao Sur: from the mountain to the sea

https://listindiario.com/la-vida/2021/1 … ana-al-mar


The Chilean Tourism Promotion Office (OPT Chile) together with the Clusters of Jarabacoa, Constanza, San José de Ocoa, Azua and Barahona are working for the tourism of the Dominican Republic. They have just presented the Cibao Sur route to a group of travel agencies in that country, tour operators and representatives of the Copa airline.

The concept is called 'From the Mountain to the Sea', a new product that aims to increase the competitiveness of the Dominican Republic and add new ones to the traditional tourist offer.

The new route is part of the activities of the South West Tourist Corridor project: South Coast and the Serrano Tourist Corridor, developed with international cooperation funds, and whose starting point is the Santiago de los Caballeros airport.

The clusters of the south west, supported by the person in charge of the OPT of Chile, Gabriela Macneil, reconfirm their commitment to publicize products typical of sustainable tourism, which promotes local entrepreneurship, the gastronomic offer and accommodation of small dimensions respectful of the environment environment and the natural and cultural resources of each province of the Dominican Republic. The travel agents and tour operators in Chile have expressed great interest in the new travel offer and received with great enthusiasm the invitation award with which they will be able to discover the new Cibao-Sur route.

Itinerary

This new tourism product includes the joint or separate visit of mountain destinations with their characteristic agro-tourism routes, nature routes and low-density accommodation offers with a highly personalized and authentically Dominican service. The route lends itself to different types of visitation depending on the time and budget of the tourists, who decide to get to know this new destination.

The itinerary that begins in the mountain area of ​​Jarabacoa, includes coffee farms and pine forests, suitable for hiking and cycling routes and mountain sports, travels through roads until reaching Constanza, known for its exquisite gastronomy, associated with the production km0 and its natural and cultural attractions of mountains, valleys and waterfalls, production of flowers and fruits. Then it arrives in San José de Ocoa, an emerging destination with its attractive mountain trails and rivers and a rich gastronomy based on local products such as fig sweets, corn arepa, associated with its original and unique agricultural production, as well as its new tourism projects located in Loma Taton.

Leaving the mountain area, the route reaches Barahona, with its attractive landscapes and spas rich in local gastronomic traditions, its refreshing baths and its offer of high-end, as well as family accommodation.

From Barahona the itinerary continues until reaching Azua, with its rich beaches, Caobita, white beach, snails and natural and historical monuments, such as the Plaza de la Batalla of March 19 and the ruins of the Mercedarias, among others. From Azua, visitors can return to the capital to see the beautiful colonial zone of Santo Domingo and return to their country of origin.

Seems a very good itinery.

double posted by the software and so deleted

Interesting article today in El Dia about the main tourist mountain town, Jarabacoa,  which doesn't paint a rosy picture:

The replacement of green spaces by cement changes the profile of Jarabacoa

https://eldia.com.do/la-sustitucion-de- … jarabacoa/


The construction of a complex for villas implies the felling of hundreds of trees, and with this the splendor of the green area is diminished in the space that is replaced by concrete.

This is also a concern for community members of Jarabaco, so the municipality authorities are working on a land use plan.

Mayor Yunior Torres explained that they have some regulations that perhaps were positive for the development of the municipality when they were created, but now they realize that they are a mitigating factor that is damaging.

Among these damages, he points out that, since it is a tourist town, the Ministry of Tourism must be involved in regulating development, but they have a resolution of 2004 that prohibits the vertical growth of the city that limits constructions to two, three and four levels in some areas of the urban center.

"So I wonder, with that demand we have for residential projects, if we continue to grow horizontally, invading agricultural areas and green areas, where will we stop," he questioned.

The businessman Omar Rodríguez, one of the pioneers in the tourist development of Jarabacoa and who has been there for 45 years, narrates that when he started with the Baiguate Ranch, he did so because of the weather conditions, the vegetation, the spas and the tranquility that prevailed.

However, today he says that he challenges any Jarabacoense or people who are investing, to tell him if he is advancing or retreating, and argues that the decline is increasing because the municipality has become a real estate center that he considers is not going to nowhere.

He adds that the spas are highly polluted due to the lack of a treatment plant, that vegetables are being indiscriminately planted in the open in protected areas, that there are chicken farms that release water into the rivers and construction companies that wash materials that go to the river, the last user being the town, which receives this contamination.

“What is happening to Jarabacoa is that its resources have made it great, nobody is defending them because the authorities are each on their own side.

First we have to put the institutions of order in the same speech, because the National Police is that everything falls on them. It has to do with noise, but there is no environmental prosecutor because the Minister of the Environment does not want to put it, he has been asked by all means and they have not done it, "he said.

He emphasized that if noise is to be controlled, which he points out as the main problem, it is up to the Environment to solve it. He also criticized the General Directorate for Traffic Safety and Land Transport (DIGESETT) because Jarabacoa being a tourist town only works until six in the afternoon, leaving without the service they offer at night.

He fears that when the conditions that attract vacationers are no longer there, people will leave Jarabacoa and go to other ecotourism centers in the country that have paradisiacal places.

"My opinion is that the State has to intervene in Jarabacoa if it wants to save the first ecotourism center in the country," he warned.

Productive areas

The generation of agricultural products has less and less space in the coveted lands of Jarabacoa, which, when experiencing the growing demand, is more attractive to negotiate for construction than to plant them.
“There has been a displacement of the productive areas.

This is crazy because there is no land use plan and anywhere they open a street and build an urbanization.

There are areas that were agricultural, today do not talk to anyone about agriculture, it is as if they found gold from under the ground, "explained Rodríguez.

Processing facilities

- Pollution

The lack of a treatment plant is greatly affecting Jarabacoa due to the contamination of the tributaries. The Mayor's Office has built some mini-plants with a capacity for 50 homes to mitigate the direct impact of wastewater.

The hotel system is in danger

Displacement. The businessman Omar Rodríguez warned that the hotel system of Jarabacoa is in danger and this is due to the incidence of the home rental company Airbnb, so he considers that if the government does not control it, the hotel offer will disappear completely, for unfair competition.

It specifies that of some 350 rooms in small hotels in the municipality there are more than a hundred out of service.

With the tourist impact in Jarabacoa, many people are renting their homes to visitors through the Airbnb digital platform, which increases the accommodation offer for vacationers who travel from all over the country and abroad to enjoy the natural attractions of the miniciple

Jarabacoa has offers for fun in air, water and land

https://eldia.com.do/jarabacoa-tiene-of … -y-tierra/

Not only in the real estate area is the impact of the growth that Jarabacoa is having at present, but this is also generating a greater movement in the entertainment offers that are by land, air and water.

Here activities such as four wheel trips, horseback riding, rafting and paragliding are generated, which are having better results as the number of visitors to the different areas of the municipality increases.

The four wheel excursion business is growing.

Fabio Herrera established a four Wheel excursion business a year ago, and talks about how favorable the boom in visitors has been, which has allowed him to grow and create jobs with the acquisition of more motorcycles and the sale of accessories.

As for the noises that many complain about, Herrera explains that problems will always arise, especially because Jarabacoa was a very quiet area where small things were done, but when a big movement is made, the change will be felt.

He is aware that where the engines pass the noise and dust they raise annoys nearby residents, so among the other groups that are dedicated to the business, about five, are meeting with people to listen to them and find a way to cause as little noise as possible.

“I understand that it affects them, but what are we going to do, are we going to stay small all the time? We have to grow ”, indicates Herrera, after warning that their vehicles are silent and represent few risks for customers.

On horseback

Another business is that of horses in the La Confluencia park, where a group of 25 young people has organized to share the visitors without the need for a competition to reach the customer first.

Rafting is a discipline that is practiced in the area.

These young people have around a hundred horses on site, ready to ride clients along one of the three established routes that run through different areas of the municipality, according to Estarlin de la Cruz, who has been carrying out this activity in the same space for 25 years.

Between the mountains

As attractive aquifers are the cold waters of the Yaque and Jimenoa rivers, which although they are born in different points, come together to become one in the place called La Confluencia, just where President Luis Abinader inaugurated a park three months ago .

There are also the Jimenoa and Baiguate falls, which are visited by tourists from all over who make the journey in the middle of the mountains. In the latter, the water sport rafting is practiced.

And for those who want to increase their adrenaline, there are paragliders, an adventure through the air that starts from the top of the mountain, which is also part of the tourist attractions.

These activities are generating greater dynamism in the local economy, as well as creating jobs.

The president of the Cardenal Sancha neighborhood council, Zoila Carmona, highlights that tourism has been beneficial for the town due to the contributions it produces, and points out that visitors express that they feel well received in Jarabacoa because of the treatment they receive from its people. .

Horseback riding is another of the offers available to those who visit Jarabacoa. Jose de Leon

He says that tourists also take the opportunity to visit the nearby religious temples and to learn about the gastronomy offered by the different restaurants and informal establishments.

Traditions

—1—
Work break The Jarabacoans keep alive the tradition of closing the commercial establishments at 12 noon and reopening at 2:00 pm
—2— Reserved
Monday Mondays are not for working in Jarabacoa, that is the day that the natives They have reserved for parties and rest.

Cuevas de Pomier.

Located in the foothills of the Cordillera Central north of San Crisobal is the Anthropological Reserve of Cuevas del Pomier which houses many paintings of historic signficance. They are also accessed through a working quarry for coralina stone and that causes some alarm for historians.

Yesterday the President by decree a commission to research this prehistoric site of significance:

Abinader appoints commission to convert Cuevas del Pomier into the prehistoric capital of the country

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … a-del-pais



The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, created a technical-scientific commission to direct the research work that supports the recognition of the Cuevas de Borbón or Pomier Anthropological Reserve, located in San Cristóbal, as the prehistoric capital of the Dominican Republic.

Through Decree 705-21, issued this Monday, the prime minister appointed several ministers to carry out these inquiries, which will be headed by the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, together with the Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Culture.

The commission was created in order to value the fauna and flora that the aborigines used as their food, as well as the extinct species whose remains have been located in the area of ​​the Caves of Borbón or Pomier.

This reserve has petroglyphs and pictographs that should be valued, in addition to the investigation of their connection with other Mesoamerican cultures.

Phil Lehman, from the DRSS Foundation (Dominican Republic Speleological Society); Manuel García Arévalo, from the García Arévalo Foundation; Clenis Tavarez María, anthropologist at the Museum of the Dominican Man and Juan Almonte, paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History.

The Caves of Borbón or del Pomier, located in the Borbón section of the San Cristóbal province, have more than 6,000 prehistoric paintings and approximately 500 cave engravings.

In addition to having tourist potential, the Cuevas de Borbón or del Pomier Anthropological Reserve constitutes an archaeological and anthropological heritage, which is why they are of great interest for the study of the Amerindian groups that inhabited the Caribbean islands.

Tours can be found starting in nearby Santo Domingo for those interested in visiting such sites.

Thank you for taking the time to do this for us readers!  So much to see and learn in this beautiful country. vv 

Dominicans are increasingly domestic tourists and the newspapers regularly print articles about travel destinations here. I thought it a good idea to share some of them to expats who haven't yet ventured inland and around the country. Travelling over the years around DR was the way I began to understand and appreciate this diverse land and its peoples beyond the beaches.

So far the posts have been about part of one mountain zone only - Cordillera Central. The south, west and north of this range hold many interesting places too. Perhaps someone can share their experiences of the areas north of Jarabacoa and the resevoir lakes of Santiago and Moncion? And Pico Duarte, the tallest peak in the Caribbean. Has anyone been to the top?

Hi, I also find this thread very interesting and appreciate your sharing this info about the mountainous regions of the DR. Those archaeological finds look amazing!

To answer your question at the end, yes, I have been to the top of Pico Duarte, twice. I lived in Jarabacoa for 3 years in the 90’s, teaching at a small  English speaking boarding school that was there at the time.  Every summer we took our students on a week long trip up and down Pico Duarte, led by an elderly Dominican guide and his small team of assistants and mules.  I imagine the tour business has probably increased there by now. 

It took about 2 and a half days to reach the top, at our pace, anyway.  There were 2 primitive campsites along the way.  At the second one, the air was noticeably cooler, and we were all wearing warm jackets when we reached the peak, even though it was the middle of July! Climbing back down, we took a detour and hiked into a gorgeous valley by a pure mountain stream. Spent a day there, relaxing and getting to know a family that lived there;  they even showed me how to milk one of their cows! 

It was a wonderful experience, one I would love to do again someday.

Jennifer great to hear you went to the highest point in the Caribbean and thanks for sharing this with us. You mght encuourage others!

Being in Jarabacoa you must have used the La Cienaga trail?



https://www.dominicanabroad.com/hiking- … -republic/

Hmmm not sure what trail we took. We drove quite aways up from Jarabacoa before reaching the park entrance. First day of hiking was through bamboo forests, not too much altitude. Second day the trail was steeper, along dry dusty switchbacks, before entering a foggy cloud forest with lots of pine trees, no more palm trees.  The guides cooked some good rice and beans for us, from the provisions carried by the mules. I preferred sleeping in a tent rather than the wooden cabins at the campsites, due to rats scurrying around those cabins at night.

We also took a different trail on the return trip since we veered down into the valley for a day of rest. By the cold river there we saw petrographs in the big rocks, presumably left by the Tainos.

I'll have to look up a map of that area to try and guess what trails we took.

I would definitely recommend this climbing experience for those interested in the great diversity of the DR.  We were moderately prepared as far as fitness levels, but taking a full week to complete the trip made it very doable. Not everyone was in great shape in our group but nobody had to ride the mules due to exhaustion. Just a twisted ankle on a student earned a free mule ride one day.

Here is an article in Diario Libre today about a waterfall in the Cordillera Oriental:

Cascada Blanca: a true spectacle of natural beauty in El Seibo

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … IF29799760



The White Waterfall is a spectacular waterfall that measures 75 meters of free fall, with an impressive natural pool below, with fresh and crystalline water, offered by the community of Pedro Sánchez, in the province of El Seibo.

This natural beauty, which is made up of five waterfalls, is ideal for lovers of ecotourism and adventure, immersed in the forests of the La Herradura hill, where the Seibo river is born with its fall.

Visits to this waterfall come from local towns, different regions of the country (Higuey, Santo Domingo and Santiago) and even foreigners (Americans, Canadians, Russians, etc).

This spring is the source of water to supply several communities in Pedro Sánchez and the areas that compose them.

It is said that during the journey the visitor can enjoy different fruits that inhabit the area.

In addition, there is a gigantic split stone in the place that could be used as a camping area, which makes it a very popular excursion for nature and ecology lovers.

Wonderful natural spectacle

The White Waterfall is a wonderful natural spectacle offered by the Seibo River and the Pedro Sánchez community, for the full enjoyment of nature lovers, as stated by the hiker Francis Silvestre Mercedes.

La Loma la Herradura, as this part of the Eastern Cordillera is known, said it is an area with a great diversity of trees, plants and birds that adorn the route, which gives rise to a large number of springs and waterfalls that supply to the impressive river Seibo.

This natural condition, he understands, is what makes the Seibo River waterfalls one of the highest and most impressive in the region, compared to the Cibao waterfalls.

"During the access route to this waterfall we found centennial trees, medicinal plants, bohucos used by the locals to make traditional drinks and innumerable pools that you can enjoy until you reach the greatest show," he explained.

How should people be prepared to visit the waterfall?
Note that to visit the place, you have to wear comfortable sports clothing, preferably tennis, bring repellent and contact the local service company so that you have a memorable trip, since many people, not knowing the place, have been lost.

In addition, it is not recommended for infants, or for people with reduced mobility and who are not in good physical shape.

“Nature lovers love this excursion because of the direct interaction they have with plants, animals and the Seibo river itself. They always expect to walk a lot to get there, but they find a moderate level 35-minute walk ”, he highlighted.

Visits to the waterfall

Visits to this waterfall, as well as other activities in the Municipal District of Pedro Sánchez, are organized by the company “Rincones de mi País”, from its branch in Pedro Sánchez, a tour operator specialized in sustainable tourism of adventure, nature, culture and cycle tourism, which brings together local services and provides security to visitors who choose to enjoy the place.

Perdro Sanchez is a town midway between Miches and El Seibo on route 107.

I thought our 'snowbird' members might (might not?) like a Dominican reminder of back home and a touch of frost on the ground here now in DR in Valle Nuevo.

Low temperatures freeze water and grass in Valle Nuevo

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/destacado/b … lle-nuevo/

Constanza.-The low temperatures registered in the last 48 hours in the Valle Nuevo area, with a totally cold climate in some communities, is managing to freeze even the water in some points.

For this Wednesday, January 12, 2022, for the second consecutive day, the temperatures of Valle Nuevo showed a moderate decrease, reaching 0 degrees Celsius in the Rancho en Medio area, in the temporary camping area.

At the entrance to Alto Bandera, he managed to freeze the dew on the grass and minor vegetation of these spaces.

Last Tuesday, the temperature dropped to minus 1 degree Celsius.

The low temperatures in this area of ​​the municipality of Constanza in the La Vega province and in rural communities of Ocoa in the southern region, make Valle Nuevo become the most visited points by those who love cold climates.

At the point where the pyramid is located, every year, hundreds of visitors come to camp, despite the fact that at the end of January the temperature can be as low as minus three degrees Celsius.

https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/poi … piramides/