CARIBBEAN
S-h-h-h-h, The Dominican Republic’s
Little Secret: Its Southwest
Bio-diversity, cave paintings.
D . O. C H R I S T I A N R I E G E R
F
rom the tropical
rain forests that
surround the
10,000 foot Pico
Duarte (the tallest mountain in the Caribbean and
the tallest east of the
Mississippi), to the
shores of the Discovery
Coast (the north shore),
to Santo Domingo's rich
history, to the golf
courses at Punta Cana,
Casa de Campo and
Playa Grande, and the international restaurants
that cluster around the
popular tourist destinations, the Dominican
Republic offers a variety
of tourism product that
invites vacationers to its
shores and to return,
again and again.
Wild Flamingos foraging in the Barahona-Pederales eco-region of the Dominican Republic.
But rarely visited, and
should be visited by more
Barahona. Pederales is a small fishing village bordered by
vacationers, is the Dominican Republic’s southwest.
This island nation has a change of scenery at almost every two of the Dominican Republic’s major wilderness parks, the
turn in the road, but the southwest region of Barahona and Parque Nacional Jaragua on its southwest and Parque
Pederales is the most diverse ecologically. It varies from dry Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco on its north. Consequently, the
forest sea shore, to desert, to coffee plantations, to humid, town is a good center for hikers and trekkers. Being close to
tropical rainforests, and, believe it or not, a pine forest. In the the border with Haiti, it also a convenient jumping off place
high mountains, the temperature can range from 78 to 32 de- to visit this culturally different country.
Not far off shore from Pederales is the isle of Alto Velo where
grees Fahrenheit in one day. How’s that for eco-diversity?
Planted amongst all this are two salt water lakes (Who knew, the world's smallest reptile lives, the dwarf gecko. When full
right?), one being the largest in the Caribbean. One is 40 feet grown it measures less than two centimeters, about the diambelow sea level. The whole area provides a haven for a large eter of an American dime.
Wanna see cave paintings? The nearby island of Isla Beata
variety of birds and reptiles.
Because of its rich diversity in a relatively small area, UN- abounds in caves that have wall paintings left by the Taino
ESCO declared a Biosphere Reserve of Enriquillo-Bahoruco- Indians, the immediate predecessors to the Spanish colonizJaragua, where there are flamingoes, spoon bills and papa- ers. On the land side, near the town of San Cristobal, is a segallos. Two types of iguanas live here — you can see them ries of forty caves, the Cuevas de Borbon. Among them, the
dash around on tip toes like a flash of lightning — American Cuevas de El Pomier has more than 5,000 petroglyphs and
several thousand Amerindian wall paintings. That is enough
crocodiles, and turtles hatching out of their eggs.
The two main towns of the region are Pederales and to give someone a lifetime of study as to what they all mean.
16 • NOVEMBER 2009
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CARIBBEAN
MINISTRY OF TOURISM, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
It is also home to thousands of bats.
Near Barahona, three hours drive west of the capital city of
Santo Domingo, are miles of secluded beaches, many bordered by spectacular cliffs. The people here live simply and
modestly. (After all, the tropics take care of their heating bill,
the night sea breezes take care of the air conditioning, and
the climate provides a bounty of year-round food. Do they really need toasters and pop tarts?)
Locals live in the nationally famous Atejemani house that
they build with intertwining sticks and branches.
A short distance south of Barahona is the beach at the small
town of San Rafael. It has strong ocean surf as well as a calm,
fresh-water pool formed by a waterfall from a stream flowing
from the nearby mountains.
Get Out There and Do It!
The Eco Tour Barahona company offers adventure and
trekking tours throughout the Barahona area. The tour that
gets you out to the greatest variety of countryside in one day
is their horseback riding expedition. The day starts with riding along Paraiso beach and to photograph pelicans at their
early morning fishing.
The ride then follows a path uphill where the riding group
visits the coffee plantation "Café de las Mujeres" on the edge
of the mountain facing the village of Paraiso. In addition to
coffee and cacao, riders sample a variety of fresh, off-theplant, tropical fruits: mangoes, guava, coconut, passion fruit
and pineapple.
Lunch is on the shore, next to a waterfall and a natural
swimming pool at the Rio Nizaito on the Rancho Platon,. After
lunch, the tour returns to Paraiso down along the river. On the
way riders meet isolated farm families who love to share a
moment of their life with travelers.
Because they have calm horses, this adventure is suitable
for children and beginners. They also offer more difficult oneday treks or ones over several days with campsite stay-overs.
Where to Stay
Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge is a member of the Small Luxury
Hotels of the World. In this capacity, it joins only two other
members in the Dominican Republic, The Casa Colonial
Beach & Spa in Puerto Plata on the north coast, and the Sivory
Punta Cana in Punta Cana on the east coast.
The Lodge sits on a hilltop with a panoramic view of the
Caribbean nestled within a vast tropical forest of rivers and
mountains. How’s that for fresh air?
In 1976, it was built as a summer house for the Schiffino
family. In 1991 they added nine bedrooms to the original
three and opened a country inn.
Half the bedrooms have a king a size bed and half have two
full-size beds. All have modern tropical furnishings and a private balcony overlooking the sloping hill and over the
Travel World News • www.travelworldnews.com
The dry-forest coast line portion of the remote, southwest region of
Barahona & Pedernales. Go to the beach here and you could very well
be the only one in these crystal clear waters.
Caribbean.
They are all air-conditioned, and have such handy-dandy
little human creature thingies as a wine cooler and an ipodready clock radio. The graphic art on the walls is by conservation photographer Eladio Fernandez. His recent book,
Hispaniola, a Photographic Journey through Island
Biodiversity, it was published by Harvard University Press.
The rates are extremely low for luxury-rated accommodations, $130.00 for weekdays, and $170.00 for weekends plus
26% tax, per room, double occupancy, including breakfast.
Yes, breakfast on the terrace in the middle of a huge park and
over looking the Caribbean in a really small hotel where you
are treated like family.
And now for the bonus, these rates are good all year: summer, winter, Christmas, Easter, you name it. Considering the
price of luxury these days, that is mighty cheap.
Here is the important point, the kicker, the selling point. Up
through 2008, vacationers were looking to be personally pampered on a luxury vacation. Today, pampering is considered
to be more of a natural experience. At Casa Bonita, you get
both. Can’t beat it.
Dominican Republic,
www.godominicanrepublic.com,
www.ecotourrepdom.com, www.casabonitadr.com
NOVEMBER 2009•
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