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Part-mountain range, part-desert, part-coastline – the Dominican Republic’s great southwest is the most geographically diverse region on the island. And for adventurous travelers, it can be the most exciting part of the country to visit. The mountain range, Sierra Bahoruco, is the DR’s second-largest, covered with dazzling flora and lush dense forest. The semi-arid desert is home to terrific opportunities for bird-watching and reptile-spotting. The coastline is stunning, harboring some of the island’s most gorgeous beaches. There are also chances for arduous yet awe-inspiring off-road exploring, both in the deserts and the mountains. Yet the region remains largely unknown and undiscovered, especially by foreign visitors, making it an ideal destination for backpackers and well-heeled travelers alike – or for anyone who prefers an off-the-radar spot to a “wherever-the-pack-is-heading-this-season” kind of place.
Starting west of Santo Domingo and stretching for a few hundred miles along a peninsula to the Haitian border, the southwest is a wide-open naturalist’s playground. It contains the country’s largest protected zone, and includes three national parks and two sizeable lagoons that are habitats for well over 100 bird species, some of them among the most colorful in the tropics. You can also visit a desert-like island in the middle of a vast and striking saltwater lake, which will bring you up close to one of the largest wild American crocodile populations in existence. And, after working up a sweat exploring the desert or mountains, you can relax at idyllic, mostly unpopulated Caribbean beaches, right out of a photo spread in a travel magazine.
Because of its relative scarcity of tourists, the southwest doesn’t have much in terms of fancy accommodations or to-die-for restaurants. Except for the region’s major tourist base, Barahona, and a few resorts along the coast to its south, most of the facilities catering to visitors are eco-minded operations that provide somewhat rustic lodgings. However, you will find an occasional splash of elegance or gourmet cooking, which becomes all the more appreciated in these surroundings.
In this chapter you’ll also find recommendations for exploring the areas along the border with Haiti, which extend from the far southwestern to the far northwestern sections of the country, as well as tips for crossing into Haiti. These far western border areas are among the most remote, undeveloped, and intriguing in the country. Exploring the border towns and backroads will bring you into close contact with another culture as well as offering expansive scenery – if you’re equipped (and game) for some challenging drives.
A long-standing rumor has it that the government plans to turn parts of the coast into another all-inclusive haven. But local environmentalists have persistently lobbied to preserve the area much as it is, and the battle over development continues. The best advice: see it sooner rather than later.
