National Parks

National Parks

The Dominican government created various national parks, natural monuments, biological reserves, marine sanctuaries, wildlife protection areas, national monuments and national recreational areas with Degree No. 571-09.

These new protected areas are:

La Salcedoa Scientific Reserve. Located at the foot of the Rock of the New World, it is protected to guarantee the conservation of exclusive environments, the dynamics of the cloud forest and the abrupt relief of the highest Karstic limestone systems found on national soil.

This zone provides the natural environment for a new botanical species the Salcedoa mirabaliarum, whose national distribution is restricted to these mountainous spurs of the Northern Mountain range. It is under threat from unsustainable cattle farming and other human interventions that involve the displacement or elimination of the associated forest cover.

Dicayagua Scientific Reserve was created to conserve a singular display, perhaps the only or the most expressive of our national lands, of epiphytic cacti on species of riverside trees. Here, the uncommon botanical-physiological phenomena can be observed of “Cayucos” (Cereus sp) and “Pitajayas”  (Hylocereus sp-) , among other cacti, growing and developing on the Saman and other corpulent trees of the Dicayagua River.

Article 3 creates the Sierra Prieta Biological Reserve with the purpose of guaranteeing the dynamism of ecological processes essential to the unique environments and eco-systems on the serpentine soil present there, as well as the rich biodiversity that accompany them. These are represented by multiple native and endemic botanic and zoological species, many of which are threatened or found only in soils evolved from serpentine rock.

The Biological Reserve Lomo Charco Azul was likewise created to conserve representative samples of dry forest and the transitional forest of the northern slopes and foothills of the Sierra de Bahoruco and, in particular, the natural habitat and reproduction sites of various bird species native and endemic to the island. These include the Bay-breasted Cuckoo (Cua), Hispaniolan Amazon parrot (Cotorra), Hispaniolan Parakeet (Perico), Hispaniolan Lizard- Cuckoo (Pajaro Bobo), and many populations of migratory birds of these areas that suffer difference degrees of threat to their survival.

The National Park La Hispaniola was created to conserve the immense cultural patrimony of the historical Isabela Site, its archeological sites, the house of the Admiral, the subsidences and ceremonial squares, as well as natural areas that today preserve the essential qualities of the land during that epic voyage written about in the diaries of Christopher Columbus and historians of the Indies who accompanied him. These include Isabela Bay; mangroves and wetlands at the mouth of the Bajabonico River, the Culebra and its tributaries; crags and marine platforms; intertwined systems of caves and tunnels; fields cultivated by natives; rows of vegetation and the coast of Cabo Isabel, the northernmost of the Hispaniola Island.

Parallel to these conservation efforts of historical patrimony and the original natural environment of these areas, this national park will include principal services required by specialized and mixed tourism, capable of combining eco-tourism with culture, education, and recreation. It will comprise the first milestone of the “Route of the Admiral in Hispaniola,” on land and on sea.

The National Park Saltos de la Jalda is located in the municipality of Miches. It was created to conserve the best of our tropical rainforest on the northern slope of the Eastern Mountain Range or Sierra de Seibo, growing on alluvial soil, where the Magua and Las Lisas Rivers have their headwaters, waterfalls formed on the intermediate hillsides, swimming pools and extraordinary scenery that open before the visible basins extending to the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Samana.

This national park combines the highly specialized biological riches of the broadleaved evergreen forest that grows in the extrusive substrata with the great potential for eco-tourism, recreation and education provided by its hydro resources, swimming pools and natural landscapes that run through or are held in this mountainous area.

The National Park Punta Espada was created to conserve the best example of the tallest and most singular rocky cliff on the eastern shores of the island, where the great Oriental Coastal Plain of the Caribbean ends. It is made up by an immense emerged marine platform and extraordinary vertical cuts that summarize the history of the evolution of these singular sea and coastal areas. They contain multiple environments where a very specialized biodiversity finds refuge, growing in geological heterogeneity defined by its topography.  The profile of the coast, at the foot of cliffs and the elevated plain of its coral platform, is valued for its unique potential for research, recreation and eco-tourism.

This national park has exceptional lookouts at different elevations and in different directions. Recreational, educational and eco-touristic paths can be prepared according to their potential and management category.

National Park Aniana Vargas is located along the Hatillo dam and covers 103 square kilometers.

This park was created to give protection to one of the native habitats with the largest Amerindian cultural diversity who maintain their traditions, habits, and relationship with nature. These Taino settlements were located in the Karstic complexes of the foothills of the Sierra d Yamasa and the meridian boundaries of the great flatlands of the Valley of Eastern Cibao.

This park also gives protection to the evergreen forest mass, the topography and the irregular relief around the Hatillo Dam, its main body and internal kayos, among other natural assets that will be used according to their potential to provide environmental, educational, and eco-touristic services.

The National Park Baiguate was created to conserve the immense carpets of pines and beautiful gallery forests (mixed and broadleaved) found in the mid course of this river, where the walnut appears as a special or prime species of the original forest. The legendary Baiguate Falls is also protected, a bathing area and the site of special rituals performed by the Taino people who settled in this part of the island.

It was set out in this unit of conservation, that the National System of Protected Areas will be studied in detail to develop their potentials in the fields of culture, recreation and biodiversity, to facilitate public use of the areas that have the best conditions to develop eco-tourism and scientific research, two activities that are compatible with their category of management and the primary vocation of their resources.  

The National Park Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deño was created to conserve the only portion of the Central Mountain Range that reaches the Caribbean Sea, where a highly specialized biodiversity is found. Different elevations provide breath-taking views of the Ocoa Bay and Caracoles Beach, beautiful scenery, historical and eco-tourism enclaves of the Province of Azua de Compostela. Adding to these attractions are the multiple sites of Taina prehistory, like the ceremonial native plaza las Charcas of Rio Grande; colonial ruins by the Engineer Cepi-Cepi, and –in more recent times– the Battle of El Numero, all of which have a highly educational, scientific and recreational value.

The National Park Luis Quin was created to protect and promote the potential and enormous treasure of natural resources within the hill La Tachuela, the 2nd highest (1545 mt. over sea level) at the eastern extreme of the Central Mountain Range, and its eastern surroundings, as well as the many waterfalls and water courses that originate there. They are dominated by the Bani River on the south and the Jiguey Brook on the north, including the Jiguey and Aguacate (in the mid course of Nizao River) dams. The park also protects the environment and associated ecosystems, from the dry forest to the cloud forest.

Paragraph I: It is mandated that this unit of conservation of the National System of Protected Areas be intervened to accommodate public use, to develop eco-tourism and for scientific research, among other activities compatible with their category of management and the primary vocation of their resources among which are many waterfalls, springs, water courses, reservoirs, mangroves, riverside forests, and – above all- the great diversity of their associated flora and fauna.

The National Park Amina was created to guarantee the conservation of the grandeur of landscapes of the sinuous cuts or meandering canyons naturally occurring in the river as it advances though banks of hills or low-elevation mountains that run parallel to the Cibao Occidental or in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range, creating a visual spectacle that is unique in the national territory and where there remain excellent examples of the dry and transitional forest of the Northeast Line.

This national park contains beautiful parts of the Amina River and world-class natural swimming pools, as well as a very specialized biodiversity, among other natural treasures that will be used according to their potential to provide multiple environmental, educational and eco-tourism services.

La Gran Sabana National Park was created to conserve the most unique examples of the immense plain of the Neiba Valley, the eastern portion of the Hoya de Enriquillo, dominated by its highly salted soils and wetlands. It was made by the elevation of the bed of an ancient sea channel that joined the bays of Neiba and Puerto Principe, where the substrate is dominated by crusts of salt, devoid of natural vegetation or lacking native trees, except for succulent plants, coastal bushes and cacti, among other flowering and animal species in desert-like conditions. These areas will be determined in further studies.

This protected area has a great educational, scientific and recreational potential. It has a singular ecosystem that clearly illustrates the most extraordinary great recent geological events registered in the natural history of the La Hispaniola Island. For this reason, the most appropriate areas for educational, recreational and eco-tourism activities will be identified, selected, and studied.

Anacaona National Park was created to conserve the integrity and virgin landscape of the eastern Sierra de Neiba and the cuts, faults and geological processes that changed the mid course of the Yaque del Sur River, transferring the mouth of the river from the Plena de Azua (Puerto Viejo) to the Neiba Bay, and leaving in its trail bends, canyons, and crags that separate the Sierra de Neiba from the Sierra Martin Garcia, among other natural formations to be studied in further research.

This new protected area is the only conservation unit of the national System of Protected Areas with a botanical cover occupying the majority of its territory that is still virgin and intact. Here, the evolutionary processes that gave rise to the hyper-xerophytes and transition forests can be studied within the national geography. It will also permit unraveling the first stages of volcanic phenomena that extends from the Alto Velo Island to the peaks of the Central Mountain Range, crossing the mid course of the Yaque del Sur River. Studies and research have been ordered as pertinent to take advantage of the immense potential for scientific, educational and eco-tourism development.

The Natural Monument Punta Bayahibe was created to put into order and take advantage in a sustainable manner of the great tourism potential related to the singular area and the huge cultural and historical significance of Punta Bayahibe, as well as the variety of natural coastal elements, water and botanical resources present. These are deteriorating rapidly due to unplanned use of the seafront, points, coves, water flows, natural ports, the Rose of Bayahibe –which is native to the area and the only endemic fruit tree of the La Hispaniola Island as well as Bayahibe, known as the Cotoperi – and the archeological sites of native people located in this natural enclave.

The Natural Monument Laguna Gri-Gri was created to guarantee the physical integrity and beauty of the mangrove that surrounds the springs of this great subterranean river, emerging at the edge of the town Rio San Juan and in the middle of a lovely gallery forest inhabited by birds. It follows the meandering water passage that soon leads to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the navigable route to the famous Cave of the Swallows, in use at present for recreational and ecotourism activities on the northern coast.

Natural Monument Las Marias, located in the Sierra de Neiba, was created to conserve the natural beauty of crystal clear waters and monumental palms that surround the southern margins of the many springs born at the foot of the Sierra and along the Galvan-Neiba highway. The area deserves special attention to strengthen its recreational and ecotourism potential, as well as the ecological role of the wetlands and forested, random patterns of vegetation along the Neiba Valley.

Natural Monument Jima Falls was created to conserve the mid course of the river of the same name, where many waterfalls are formed and a very singular example of the tropical rainforest is conserved. It is one of the points with the highest rainfall on national territory. Therefore, many biological values associated with the area encourage the development of scientific research, recreation, and ecotourism activities, among others that must be studied and exploited according to their category of management.

National Monument Jimenoa Falls was created to conserve the grandiose scenery of the plunging river of the same Taino-language name, with other minor falls nearby that are located in the mid basin. It is also to conserve the mixed and broadleaved forests (broadleaved and coniferous) surrounding them, plus the neighboring areas of the mid basin – the upper Camu River, where excellent examples of the damp broadleaved forest remain. These areas will be designated for the development of different nature tourism activities: ecotourism, trekking, horseback rides, swimming, and the observation of birds, orchids, and mountain scenery.

This protected area will be duly equipped, according to the norms established in Category III of the Worldwide Union for Nature, to intelligently take advantage of the infinite range of environmental, recreational, and educational services that make up or are associated with the unique, benign climate of this geographical zone of the country and the diversity of the flora it holds.