Activities in Dominican Republic

Land Activities

Hiking to Cuevas José María

A fun activity to do is hiking into the interior of Parque Nacional Los Haitises to the Cuevas José María, a set of stunningly beautiful caves 10km from Bayahibe. Inside them is a treasure-trove of Taíno rock art, including 1200 pictographs depicting the major events of Taíno mythology and some historical events, including a 1501 peace treaty that the Taínos established with the Spaniards.

Trekking up Pico Duarte

Two national parks, Bermúdez and Ramírez, protect much of the mountains, cloud forests and pines present in the Cordillera Central, each encompassing over seven hundred square kilometres. By far the best way to explore the region is on an organized trek up Pico Duarte, at 3087m the tallest mountain in the Caribbean, which is actually located between the two parks but generally approached via Bermúdez.

The first leg of the trek is a comfortable 4km riverside stroll to a bridge across the river at Los Tablones. Once over the river, however, the climbing starts for real and you’ll gain over 2000m in the next 14km, mostly on a badly eroded track that wends its way through some wonderfully wild woodland. Regular stops at official picnic sights allow you to get your breath back and to peep out through the canopy for a glimpse of the totally pristine wilderness that surrounds you. You’ll spend the night in a ramshackle cabin at La Comparticíon and then scramble up the last 5km at around 4.30am to be on the bare rocky summit for sunrise. It’s quite a stirring sight to watch the sun creep over the horizon, casting a bright-red hue on the banks of cloud beneath your feet.

Treks can be made any time of the year, but hikes should never be attempted without a waterproof coat, winter clothing, a sleeping bag and hiking boots. You’ll also need to bring enough food for yourself and the guide (this is best bought in Jarabacoa). It’s definitely worth considering the two tour operators who operate trips up this trail: Iguana Mama, in Cabarete; or Rancho Baiguate, in Jarabacoa, as they’ll take care of all the logistics for you.

Water Activities

Whale-watching

Humpback whales have used the Dominican Republic’s Samaná Bay and Silver Bank coral reef sanctuary as a nursery and breeding ground for untold millennia. They return each winter after spending nine months fanning out across the North Atlantic and by mid-January more than twelve thousand of them move around the waters of the country’s northeast coast. They’re at their liveliest in Samaná’s tepid depths, as males track females, compete for attention and engage in courting displays, while mothers teach their calves basic survival skills.

Whale-watching as a local tourist industry was begun in the 1980s by Kim Beddall, then an itinerant scuba instructor with no formal training as a marine biologist although she’s since been instrumental in the implementation of a code of conduct for whale-watch boats. Beddall still runs excellent whale tours through her Whale Samaná/Victoria Marine operation, Malecón (tel & fax 809/538-2494; US$38), and if you’re here during the season, you won’t find a more enthralling excursion.

Boat Tour of Parque Nacional del Este

The Ruta Litoral - the standard 2.5-hour boat tour - hits three main areas of interest within the park. First up is Cueva Arena, a large grotto that has numerous Taíno drawings of families, men hunting, supernatural beings, whales and sharks. You can stop for a half-hour at the beach cove here if you’d like, from which you get a good look at Cayo Willy Simons - once a hideout for the infamous pirate - recognizable by the dozens of birds circling around: pelicans, herons, terns, frigates, even an occasional falcon. The next stop is to grottoes San Gabriel and Remington, both with Taíno faces carved into their walls. From here you’ll pass the ruins of a 100-year-old banana wharf, with pelicans perching on the remaining wooden supports, to reach Cueva de la Linea, which was once intended to hold a railroad station for the sugarcane that was grown in the area.

Windsurfing

CABARETE is a crowded international enclave that owes its existence almost entirely to windsurfing. The main beach, Playa Cabarete, has ideal conditions for the sport, and the multicultural cross-section of its aficionados attracts a growing community from across the globe.

Diving and snorkelling

Near the town of El Castillo, draped over a steep hillside above Playa Isabela, which attracts few beach-goers and is instead marked mainly by small wooden boats, is an intact coral reef where there’s a healthy, multicoloured reef bed that’s home to thousands of tropical fish and sea creatures. The Rancho del Sol hotel can arrange diving and snorkelling trips.