One of the main treasures of the Dominican Republic is the national parks, with a representative biodiversity and different ecosystems, allowing greater protection to the endemic flora and fauna of the country. These protected natural areas represent 12% of the territory of the Dominican Republic under various categories.
1) Cotubanama’ National Park (aka Parque Nacional del Este)
Located at the eastern end of the southeastern peninsula of Hispaniola, it presents a coastal ecosystem and serves as home to a variety of tropical fauna and flora, counting more than 500 flora species, 300 types of birds, and including long stretches of diamond white beaches on Saona and Catalina islands. Visitors can hike the land portion, accessible from Bayahíbe village, to explore a handful of the park’s caves and freshwater springs along marked trails of varying difficulty, or go birdwatching. You can visit this park from Punta Cana by booking one of our Saona or Catalina island tours.
2) Lake Enriquillo and Isla Cabritos National Park
Lake Enriquillo, in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, is characterized by low rainfall throughout the year and its varied and rich fauna. In addition to dozens of tropical bird species, the American crocodile and two endemic iguana species stand out: rhinoceros iguana (cyclura cornuta) and Ricord iguana (cyclura ricordi).
3) Jaragua National Park
Located in the southwest corner of the country, Jaragua National Park is the largest protected area in the Caribbean with an area of more than 1300 square kilometers. It includes dry forests, mangroves and thickets. Bahia de Las Aguilas inside the park, is considered one of the best beaches in the country. It stands out for the Bay of Eagles, one of the most beautiful places in the province, and the Laguna de Oviedo that is known for its great diversity of birds.
4) José Armando Bermúdez National Park
Covering the north and central slopes of the Central Cordillera of the country, this national park presents beautiful mountain landscapes and cool and cold temperatures during most of the year. It stands out for its high rainfall, Creole pine forests, ebony and mahogany, and rich fauna that includes some endangered species.
5) José del Carmen Ramírez National Park
Located in the Cordillera Central in the province of San Juan, it is the oldest national park in the country. It has a pleasant mountain climate, a lot of hydro-logical resources, beautiful forests of Creole pines and abundant birds. It stands out for having the highest point of the Antilles, the Pico Duarte, whose elevation exceeds 3100 mt.
6) Los Haitises National Park
Located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic, it consists of a huge limestone plateau, conical hills, caverns, islets, a humid subtropical forest and a large mangrove area. Given its different habitats, it has a great diversity of mammals, reptiles and birds, including some rare species endemic to the island. To learn more about this park check this article. Also in case you wanna see it with your own eyes, our day trip to Los Haitises from Punta Cana is one of our most succesfull excursions.
7) La Caleta Underwater National Park
La Caleta Park is the first underwater park in the Dominican Republic. Located a few kilometers east of Santo Domingo, it is one of the most visited destinations in the Caribbean by both domestic and foreign divers. Its main attraction is the Hickory ship that was sunk in 1984 and serves as a habitat for reef fish.
8) Monte Cristi National Park
Located northwest of the Dominican Republic, it is characterized as one of the driest regions of the island. In addition to its coastal lagoons, beaches and mangroves, there is the Morro de Montecristi, an imposing plateau that is the symbol of the province, and the Seven Brothers Cay, one of the main destinations for bird watching in the Caribbean.
9) Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
Located between the provinces of Pedernales, Independencia and Barahona, this national park is the largest protected area in the Dominican Republic (1226 square kilometers), it houses an important sample of the island’s tropical mountain ecosystems, and a diverse wealth of Flora and fauna.
10) Valle Nuevo National Park
Located in the center of the country on the highest plateau in the Caribbean Sea area, it stands out for its extensive forests of Creole pine (Western Pinus), and high ecotourism potential with its hiking, camping and wildlife observation activities. Given its high elevations, temperatures can fall below 0°C over the years.
11) Three Eyes National Park
The Dominican Republic’s Three Eyes National Park is a nature reserve and open-air limestone cave system with a series of crystal clear lakes known as the “eyes.” Located in the capital, Santo Domingo, just ten minutes by car from the popular Colonial Zone, the park provides a sweet respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. This park can be visited from Punta Cana booking our Santo Domingo City Tour.
12) Sierra Martín García National Park
It is a protected area in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. It has an area of 31 950 hectares and was declared a national park in 1996. It protects a variety of fauna and flora that includes cloud forests and about 105 species of birds. Administratively it is located between the provinces of Azua and Barahona, and owes its name to Punta Martín García. Its highest point is the so-called “Loma del Curro” which reaches 1343m.
13) Isabel de Torres National Park
One of the smallest national parks in the Dominican Republic (15 square kilometers), is located southwest of San Felipe de Puerto Plata. After a tour in the first and only funicular of the Dominican territory, is the “Corcovado” de Puerto Plata, a beautiful replica of the Christ of Corcovado de Rio de Janeiro.
14) National Park Cueva de las Maravillas
It receives its name from the cave located inside the park, Cueva de las Maravillas, “Cave of Wonders” (until 1949 called “Jagual Cave”) known for its ancient paintings made by Taino aborigines. It is 800 meters long and 25 meters underground. It has an area of 4.5 square kilometers and was declared a national park on July 22, 1997. Inside the cave you can see around 500 paintings on the walls and engravings where black and red color predominate, made by the Tainos, ancient inhabitants of the island already extinct. This park can be visited from Punta Cana with our combo tour Cave of Wonders + Altos de Chavon .
15) Nalga de Maco National Park
The Nalga de Maco peak is a mountain composed of two mountain ranges. It is located in the Central Mountain Range in the Dominican Republic, especially south of the municipality of Los Almácigos, province of Santiago Rodríguez. The mountain and its surroundings were declared a National Park in 1995 and covers an area of 278 square kilometers.
