National parks of the Dominican Republic. Parque Nacional del Este National Park del Este

National park Este (Del Este National park) in the city of Punta Cana of the Dominican Republic includes the southeastern outskirts of the island of Hispaniola, the entire island of Saona and several small islets. Administratively, the park belongs to the province of Altagracia,
located between the towns of Boca de Yuma and Bayahibe. The area of ​​the national park is 310 km2.
The nature of the Caribbean is so magnificent that it is worth moving to the Dominican Republic for good. The easiest way to do this is by boarding a boat or boat in Bayahibe.
Those arriving by car can enter the park through specially designed entrances at the western end of Bayahibe and at the eastern end of Boca de Yuma.

The Del Este National Park is mostly visited by fans of ecological tourism in the Dominican Republic. The coast is overgrown mangrove forests in the area of ​​the Las Calderas Bay, representatives of the fauna and flora of rare species live in the local tropics,
among which there are also endemics, and in the depths of the peninsula there are about 400 caves, on the inner walls of which there are preserved drawings and pictograms applied by those who lived here
even before the arrival of Columbus by people.
When planning to visit this most popular natural attraction in the Dominican Republic, it is worth getting a repellent against tarantulas and wasps, which live here in huge numbers. Also, it is better to put on sneakers and look at your step more often.

We have already written about Saona Island on this site. We only add that the territory of the island has an incredibly picturesque natural beauty.
and gorgeous beaches covered with white coral sand. Lagoon Pisina-Natural - the best place on the island for swimming. Take your food with you as the restaurants are expensive and the quality of the food is not the best.

Park Del Este (Parque Nacional del Este) is located in the east of the Dominican Republic, and covers an area of ​​430 km2. Part national park Del Este is part of the water area Caribbean and the mainland, including the famous Saona Island. From the village of Bayahibe, boats and boats leave for the island of Saona, if you decide to go on a sightseeing tour of the island on your own. The mainland part of the park is of great interest for tourists to explore, as it contains a large number of limestone caves, hills and hollows-wells, formed from rains over millions of years in soft limestone rocks. They are whole cave complexes, which keep traces of the culture of the indigenous people. On the walls of many caves, drawings and pictograms made by the hand of the Taino Indians have survived to this day. Since the soil of the park is very porous (limestone), you will not see any rivers, streams or lakes on the territory. For this, deciduous trees grow in large numbers, including wild olives, red and guaiac trees. In the park are pronounced natural areas: dry subtropical jungle and dry forest tracts

Animal world the park area, in comparison with the great variety of birds and plants, is unusually poor. All types of mammals can be found here, including the chain-tailed hutia (a rodent the size of a cat), the snake-tooth (a small animal with a narrow muzzle, secreting poisonous saliva).

The coastline of the park is heterogeneous: sheer cliffs Hanging menacingly on the eastern side of the peninsula, in the south, into the mangroves of the Calderas Bay. The western side of the park pleases tourists and divers with its quiet beaches, coral reefs and clear water of the Caribbean Sea.

The water area of ​​the park is rich in populations of manati and dolphins. Manatees, very similar to manatees, have thick skin covered with bristly hair and extremely developed lungs. They do not live at great depths, they are even found in large rivers and lakes, penetrate there through the mouths of rivers. The main food for manati is freshwater and marine plants. Manatyas are often hunted by fishermen, since their meat has good taste and fat is valuable.

The eastern entrance to the park is at the village of Boca del Yuma: the trail runs along the coast and ends at the mangrove swamps. The western entrance and the local park office are located in the village of Bayahibe.

In the province of La Romana, there is the amazing Del Este Nature Reserve. It was founded in 1975 and occupies 792 square kilometers. The national park consists of the mainland and the small island of Saona, also called Bounty Island. The island, discovered by Columbus in 1494, can be reached by a pleasure boat. Since this is a protected area, large-scale construction is prohibited here. An exception was made only for residents of the island village of Mano Juan, who sell souvenirs and thus earn their living. Now Saona is a multi-meter white beaches, mangrove and relict forests, where more than fifty different types of plants grow. The islet is also famous for its caves, which in the 16th century served as a refuge for Indians who were hiding from the Spaniards. For tourists sightseeing tour around the city, then they can relax on one of the beaches of the island. The sea off the coast of Saona is ideal for diving.

The mainland part of the reserve is no less interesting than the island one. It consists mainly of deciduous forests. The Taino Indians used to live in the local dry subtropical forest. Now, only the well-maintained beaches in the western part of the park remind of human activities in these places. 112 species of birds live on the territory of the reserve. To see at least some of them, you need to go deeper into the jungle. Lovers of boat trips can watch turtles, bottlenose dolphins and manatees. Yachts with tourists usually ply along the coast, from where the mangroves are clearly visible.

Del Este National Park in the most extreme point southeast of the Dominican Republic. The park is the main natural attraction of the country. The territory of the park is quite large - it captures big peninsula and the adjacent island of Saona. Lovers of travel and adventure, as well as true connoisseurs of relaxation in the bosom of pristine nature will get the greatest pleasure here.

A small number of limestone terraces, entirely covered with forests of subtropics, represent the mainland of the reserve. Local soils are very porous and easily absorb moisture, as there are practically no lakes or rivers. Therefore, this part of the park is dominated by deciduous trees. The fauna in the Dominican Republic is not very diverse, but in the Del Este Park there are all the native species of mammals, and there are also rare, endangered species among them.

The coastline of the park is a rare example of the diversity of the Dominican Republic landscapes. Mangroves and sheer cliffs alternate here. Near the coast, with enough luck, you can see bottlenose dolphins and very rare Caribbean manatees. The western coast of the park is occupied by beaches with clear water and very beautiful coral reefs - a dream for diving enthusiasts.