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Almost every adventurous traveler to the Dominican Republic will visit at least one – and most likely several – of the island’s national parks and scientific reserves, which preserve and protect a growing portion of the DR’s mountains, forests, deserts, wetlands, and flora and fauna. Located in every major region of the country, they range in size from less than 10 square miles to hundreds, and together total about 12% of the nation’s land area. The country’s highest and lowest points, its most endangered-wildlife areas, much of its remaining virgin forest and most fragile desert land, its biggest mangrove swamps, and some of its most beautiful and remote beaches all lie within the national park or scientific reserve system.
As of 2004, the country had 14 national parks and seven scientific reserves, though the parks department has been upgrading some scientific reserves to national park status, so the numbers will continue to grow. Some parks have few or no tourist facilities, or even roads. Some, such as Los Haitises south of the Samaná Peninsula, are reachable only by boat, while some of the most rugged parks, such as Jaragua or Sierra de Bahoruco, can be negotiated for the most part only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. One national park (Submarino La Caleta) is nearly all water and geared to divers and snorkelers. Some others, such as La Isabela (site of the second European settlement in the New World), are of mainly historical interest.
Also overseen by the national parks department are a variety of national monuments, recreational areas, ecological corridors, and panoramic routes, totaling about 70 in all. As you travel around the country, watch for the bright yellow and green “Parque Nacional” signs. There’s often a ranger station nearby, where you’ll typically need to pay a fee of RD $50-100 to enter the park.
