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With its pine-covered mountain terrain, comparatively cool climate, and European village atmosphere – such as narrow streets and cabin-like architecture – the heart of the DR’s vast Cordillera Central mountain range has become known as the “Dominican Alps.” Bordered roughly on the east by Highway 1 (which cuts north-south through the center of the country) and rippling west toward Haiti through two big, mountainous national parks, the region is a far cry from the usual tropical stereotypes. While you won’t see any snow-capped mountains here, you will find temperatures that often dip near the freezing point and an unmistakable frost in the air. Understandably, it’s become one of the areas of choice for Dominican weekend homes, as residents of Santo Domingo, especially, try to escape the searing urban heat.
The area has two huge draws for adventurous visitors. The first is a pair of adjoining mountain national parks, Armando Bermúdez and Carmen Ramírez. They’re best known for harboring Pico Duarte – the highest summit in the Caribbean – as well as the next three highest peaks in the Antilles. Pico Duarte itself lures upwards of 3,000 trekkers in some years, and, since it requires no technical climbing, is accessible to most anyone in good shape who’s willing to rough it a bit. The second big lure is the massive Río Yaque del Norte, which provides scenery-studded opportunities for whitewater rafting at both novice and experienced levels, depending on water level.
Whitewater rafting provides thrills for adventurous travelers.
But don’t overlook the area’s other compelling natural attractions. The mountains offer plenty of opportunities for day-hikes and scenic drives. Remote waterfalls provide a variety of sometimes challenging adventures, including canyoning, cascading, rock climbing, and swimming in pristine natural pools. Horseback riders can enjoy trail rides along rivers and through pine forests. Hang gliders, in turn, head to scenically stunning Constanza, a town perched in a fertile high-elevation valley that was carved by the crash of an ancient meteor.
The town of Jarabacoa, which lies along the Río Yaque del Norte in the northeastern stretches of the Cordillera Central, is the base for much of the adventuring in the region. Outfitters use it as the jumping-off point for river-rafting trips, and it also serves as a gateway for the most popular trail to Pico Duarte. The Jarabacoa area hosts a number of thundering waterfalls and other natural wonders as well. Constanza, larger but more isolated and less developed for tourists than Jarabacoa, is the other top resort area in the Dominican Alps. While Constanza doesn’t boast as many organized activities or notable sights as Jarabacoa, its magnificent valley setting ringed by mountains, rivers, and forests is reason enough to come – whether to get active with day-hiking, hang gliding, and horseback riding, or simply to kick back and breathe in the cool mountain air.
- IN THIS CHAPTER:
- History
- Getting Here, Getting Around
- Festivals
- Information Sources
- Sightseeing
- Adventures
Base for Exploration - Jarabacoa
- Side Trip to Constanza
