JARABACOA & CONSTANZA
©Mitur / Jarabacoa
established a farming colony in the 1950s. Coffee plantations. Take time to visit the Industria de Café de Monte Alto or the sustainable coffee plantation of author Julia Alvarez in Los Dajaos. In Los Dajaos, visits are also possible to the aromatic plants farm of José Cruz.
Mountain trekking Reachable by car/4 wheel SUV: Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve. Located in Arroyazo, which is arrived at shortly before Constanza, this scientific reserve at its highest point reaches 1,565 meters. It features the Fernando Domínguez Visitors Center from where walks into the treenamed green ebony forest can be taken. The trails through the 37 square kilometers of the reserve to observe more than 687 plant species are well-kept and the trees are labeled. A chilly river bath comprises part of the adventure. Valle Nuevo Scientific Reserve. Considered the geographical center of the Dominican Republic. Some 17 kilometers from Constanza by way of San 46
José de Ocoa, this is the highest plain in the Caribbean at more than 8,000 feet in height (2,450 meters) and is believed to have once been covered by a glacier during the Pleistocene Epoch (11,000 to 1.8 million years ago). There you will find rustic cabañas where visitors can stay and get a feel for the Caribbean mountains, without the hardship of the hike. Note that temperatures may drop below 32°F (0°C) in winter and spring and you will want to dress accordingly. Reachable on foot or by mule: Located in the Armando Bermúdez National Park, Duarte Peak is the crown jewel of the Caribbean. The Hispaniola Trail takes visitors through mind-boggling scenery of tropical forests, endemic coniferous pine, mountain broadleaf and cloud forests. At 10,125 feet (3,087 meters), Duarte is the tallest mountain in the Caribbean and several routes will lead you to this apex. The shortest and most popular route is that of Jarabacoa-Manabao-La Ciénaga by car. At the Ministry of Environment campsite,
the trip is arranged for the following day, with mules hired to carry the supplies or exhausted hikers. From there, it is a twohour hike to the Los Tablones resting station, with its small crystalline river where you may stock up on water. From there on, only those in good physical shape are advised to continue. This route usually goes through La Laguna on to the height known as “Repentance Hill” and then to the Compartición parador. Travelers have the option of camping at Compartición or continuing on to the parador built near Valle de Lilís, less than an hour’s walk from coveted Duarte Peak. On average the temperatures will range from 54oF (12oC) to 70oF (21oC), dropping in the high areas to below 32oF (0oC) in the early morning hours during any time of the year. At the designated resting spots, usually near watering areas, the Ministry of Environment has posted signs to indicate the amount of distance covered and how much is left to go.