Baseball, rum and Cardi B—these are just some of the things that people know of the Dominican Republic. Some of the best professional baseball players in the world are from the Dominican Republic: Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, and Pedro Martinez. That’s because baseball is a favorite pastime in this country of 10.7 million people. According to statistics, 40% of baseball players in the different American leagues come from this North American country.
This country, the second largest in the Caribbean, also produces the best tasting rum, according to alcohol connoisseurs. The rum in the country is known to be smoother than those manufactured in other countries because of the lengthy process. Among the most popular brands from this country are Barcelo, Bermudez, and Brugal.
Then there’s Cardi B, another international celebrity with Dominican roots. The rapper was born to a Trinidadian and Spanish mother and a Dominican father.
The Dominican Republic has a total land area of 48,671 square kilometers (12 million acres). A large part of the country is home to hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches. Tourists are also drawn to this perfect island getaway. Natural resources are also rich in the Dominican Republic, which are painted with ecological, cultural, and historical significance.
Here are 10 of the best national parks in the Dominican Republic:
1. Cueva de las Maravillas National Park
Cave of Wonders National Park—this is what the name of the park means in English. And a world of wonders! It is not just a park full of wonders, it is also filled with historical significance. Physically, the park, established in 1997, is about 800 meters long and is located 25 meters underground. It has a total area of 4.5 square kilometers.
Previously known as Cueva Jaguar until 1949, the park’s most famous attraction is the ancient paintings on the cave walls by the Taino people, the indigenous people of the Caribbean. The Tainos were also the earliest inhabitants of the nation. There are around 500 paintings and engravings inside the cave made by black and red markers: 10 rock engravings and 472 pictographs. Around 144 of them are abstract. There were drawings of humans, animals, and geometric forms.
Of course, the cave is still home to some wonderful stalactites and stalagmites. The park is also home to a thriving plant life that includes species of arraijanes, black Cuba, bighorn coffee, big stick, cane juice, carboy, cat’s claw, guayiga, jasmine, lignum vitae, pegapalo, stick donkey, stick hen, Pringamosa, Yaya brown, and yellow Caya.
2. El Choco National Park
So many interesting things happen at this park. There is something for everyone here: hiking opportunities, various swimming areas, caving activities, horseback riding events, and mountain biking trails. The centerpiece of the park is the limestone caves that are said to be over five million years old. The river systems that connect the caves are great for swimming. The lake within the caves is also pristine and great for swimming as well.
Other features of the park include forests and lagoons. The park is also home to some hiking and biking trails. Horseback riding is also another great way to explore the entire park, which has thriving cacao and coffee trees. The area is also significant for the medicinal plants that grow there. There are also various species of orchids in the area.
As far as animals are concerned, there are bats, because of the cave system, lizards and birds.
3. Isla Cabritos National Park
The centerpiece of this park is the Lake Enriquillo, a hypersaline lake. The lake is not exclusive to the park, though, which has a total area of 375 square kilometers. This lake is known to have the largest population of American crocodiles in the Caribbean. Isla Cabritos is the only island in the lake.
The vegetation surrounding the lake is a dry forest, although, the park also has some mangroves. The park is quite arid, which is why the cactus thrives in the area. Some of the cacti species are flowering plants. The deserted island is home to a large population of Ricord’s and Rhinoceros iguanas, which are considered endangered species. They are believed to be direct descendants of the dinosaur species. Some of these iguanas are as large as house cats. The park also has some crocodiles, largely from the lake, and thousands of birds. Flamingos are also abundant for some months. There are some egrets, too.
The area is largely undeveloped, which keeps the natural resources pure. Everything tourists see in the park is mostly untouched.
4. Jaragua National Park
In the Pedernales Province lies this park noted for its large population of Caribbean flamingos, which flock the Lago de Oviedo. The park has a total area of 1,374 square kilometers (339,522 acres), more than half of which is marine. This makes the protected area, established in 1983, the largest protected natural resources in the Caribbean region. Named after a Taino region, the park has some dry forests, mangroves, and scrub.
One of the attractions of the park is Beata Island, a triangle-shaped and fairly flat area. It was discovered during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1494. This part has mostly mangrove swamps, beaches, and sandy coves. The island also has some sinkholes and cenotes. The Alto Velo Island, on the other hand, lies on an underwater mountain range.
The Bahia de las Aguilas, also known as Eagles Bay, is an eight-kilometer beach. This marine resource also has an abundance of marine life. Then, of course, there is the Lago de Oviedo, which is a great birding area. The area is also home to some Rhinoceros iguanas.
5. Jose Armando Bermudez National Park
This park is in the central and northern areas of the Central Mountain Range, the highest mountain range in the country. The area is also known as the Dominican Alps. The park was established as early as 1956.
The park protects great biodiversity. Among the most abundant plant life is the pale magnolia tree, which is considered an endangered species. This tree is endemic to the park and most of the Central Mountain Range. The park is also home to some Hispaniolan pine, which is endemic to Hispaniola island. This is a broadleaf tree that grows to as much as 850 to 2,100 meters. There are also some ebony trees in the park. The most important part of the ebony tree is wood, which is multi-colored wood grain.
Another tree that is abundant in the park is the West Indies mahogany, which is the national tree of the country. This is also endemic to the Caribbean and southern Florida. Another flora species that are endemic to Hispaniola island and abundant in this park is the Dominican butterfly bush, which grows in rocky, limestone ravines.
6. La Caleta Underwater National Park
Established in 1986, this is the first underwater park in the Dominican Republic. It is also considered a great diving spot in the country. The coral reefs in the park are amazing and provide an exciting experience for divers and snorkelers. The marine park used to house the shipwreck Hickory, which was also another underwater tourist attraction. The wreck was later removed to free the area for some reef development.
The country aims to develop this park as an ecotourism destination. This means that not only will authorities encourage tourism in the area, it will also pursue conservation and education tourists about the protection of the park’s natural resources.
The park is also historically and culturally significant. In 1972, archaeologists found 373 skeletons of indigenous people from the pre-Columbian era. The remains were traced back to the first inhabitants of the island: Late Elenoide, Late Taino, and Ostionoid. They also date back to the year 650 AD. The theory was that the deaths were related to an epidemic that hit the community. The discovery was also important in studying the burial practices of ancient communities.
7. Monte Cristi National Park
Covering 550 square kilometers (135,908 acres) of the Dominican Republic, this park comprises beaches, lagoons, and mangrove swamps. The views in this park are just amazing with different natural hues. A panoramic view of the park is best seen at the El Morro de Montecristi, which is the highest elevation of the park that is mostly flat. This promontory is 242 meters high.
The stunning water bodies in the park are the El Saladillo Lagoon and Yaque del Norte River. Part of the park is this little group of islands known as Siete Hermanos Cay. Another part of the park is the National Reserve of Villa Elisa.
The area is one of the driest in the entire Dominican Republic, but it is still home to thriving vegetation including some indigenous plants like the Sabia montecristini. Among the animals in the park are the American crocodiles and various amphibian species. The mangrove swamp and some of the lagoons are also home to many bird species. Among them are bubi birds, cuckoos, and pelicans.
8. Perez Rancier National Park
This is the youngest national park in the Dominican Republic. The park is in the highlands of the foothills of the Cordillera Central, a mountain range in Hispaniola. The park is 900 square kilometers (222,395 acres) of pine forests and bushland.
The park was established in 1996 but concern over the area’s natural resources was raised as early as 1983. Authorities noticed that overuse has caused erosion and landslides. It was designated as a natural reserve then but was later elevated as a national park and named after the Honduran geographer Juan Bautista Perez Rancier.
While still in the middle of recovery, the park is still a great hiking area with its refreshing breeze and thriving vegetation.
9. Sierra De Baoruco National Park
This park is located in the Baoruco Mountain Range, which traverses the provinces of Baoruco, Barahona, Independencia, and Pedernales. There are red sandstone landforms that interestingly interspersed with the thriving green vegetation.
There are forests in the park ranging from dry and humid. Among the most common trees are the big broad-leaf trees and pines. More than half of the country’s total orchid species are found in this park, which is also home to some 32 endemic species. The different park habitats also house some 50 species of birds with 19 of them being endemic. Among the most common flying residents are the common ground dove, kestrels, and tropical birds. Solenodons are also abundant in the park.
The park is also noted for the blue-colored larimar. Also called Stefilia’s Stone, a larimar is a rare blue silicate mineral pectolite that is only found in the Dominican Republic. A number of them could be found at Sierra De Baoruco.
10. Valle Nuevo National Park
This park is home to so many hiking and mountain-climbing opportunities through its central mountain range. The highest peak is at 2,200 meters. The most famous attraction of this park is not a natural resource, though, but a man-made one: the Las Piramides de Valle Nuevo. This colossal pyramid is located in the middle of the mountain range. The pyramid has four identical sections carved by Spanish artisans.
The park is also home to the Reserva Scientifica Ebano Verde (Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve). The highest point of this part of the park is Golondrina Hill, which has an elevation of over 1,500 meters. Then there is the Piedra Letra da, which has an altitude of over 1,300 meters. The attractions atop are gargantuan rocks carved with Taino faces.
Another major attraction in the park is the Salto de Agua Blancas, the 83-meter waterfall. The climb to the waterfall is lined with green ebony and pine trees. There are other bodies of water in the park including the Madre de las Aguas or the mother of water sources comprising several river systems.
Over 500 species of plants thrive in the park including the 138 endemic species. There are also various species of animals, especially birds. The park is also noted for its birding opportunities.