<< Cordillera Central || By Air >>
Christopher Columbus himself ventured into the northeastern fringes of the Cordillera Central as early as 1494, near what is now the industrial city of La Vega, 18 miles northeast of Jarabacoa. The explorer founded a settlement there now known as La Vega Vieja, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1562. Some of the old foundations and other remains can still be toured in what has become a national historic park.
The mountain town of Constanza, which was essentially cut off from the rest of the country until a crude road there was built in the late 19th century, was the scene of two unusual events during the 1950s. The then-dictator Rafael Trujillo, who was constantly trying to transform the economy of the DR throughout his reign, imported about 200 Japanese families to work the fruit and vegetable fields around Constanza and improve the agricultural output of the region. The old Colonia Japonesa – now mostly a collection of tumbledown shacks – can still be seen there, though most of the Japanese who remained have moved to more upscale dwellings. The year 1959 brought a bizarre invasion by Cuba, when the then-new Castro regime tried to overthrow Trujillo in an attempt to bring a more Cuba-friendly government to the DR. A Cuban force landed in Constanza only to be routed by Trujillo’s forces; most of the Cubans were later executed.
Ironically, perhaps, the past few decades have indeed seen a revolution in the mountain area’s economy – based on adventure travel. For those who like to experience adventurous activities that go beyond the tropical standards of sand and sea, the Dominican Alps have become ground zero in the DR.
<< Cordillera Central || By Air >>
