The most beautiful natural sites to discover North Coast

A cable car, inaugurated in 1975, makes it easy to climb this high hill - the Loma Isabel de Torres, a national park - which stands like a sentinel above Puerto Plata. Trujillo decided to build a fortress here because of its height (the hill rises to just under 900 metres above sea level) and the panoramic views it affords. By posting sentries here, the town was protected, or at least able to retaliate if attacked from the sea. In fact, although the summit (where you'll find a cafeteria) is often trapped in the clouds, today the mirador has become a tourist attraction in its own right: the panorama over the city and the entire bay is breathtaking! The statue of Christ the Redeemer, more modest than its counterpart on the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sits enthroned above the dome of this fortress, watching over the city. The other attraction of Loma Isabel de Torres is its botanical garden. Engineer Benjamín Paewonsky is responsible for this complete creation, which dates back to 1973. You can follow paths lined with no fewer than 600 local plant species (594 trees and flowers to be exact), while discovering the reconstruction of a traditional Taino habitat. A recommended visit, and a great way to cool down when the heat in the heart of the city becomes stifling.

The trip through the Gri Gri lagoon takes about an hour. The boat glides slowly through a network of shallow channels in the middle of a dense mangrove forest. The scenery is magical and breathtakingly beautiful. We advise you to make this excursion early in the morning, as this is the time when the birds are present. After the visit to the Swallow Cave, you will swim in the clear waters of Caletón Beach. A pleasant outing alternating between physical effort, admiration and relaxation.

Many commercials have been filmed in this exquisite little bay, bordered by green, transparent waters and shaded by almond trees with abundant foliage. Excursion boats stop here for a swim after touring the Gri Gri lagoon.

It can also be reached by road, 3 km after Río San Juan. It takes about 10 minutes to get there. There, on the sand, a few restaurants, roughly equipped with tables and wooden benches, await the visitor to offer him grilled fish, salads and fruit juices..

Few people know it, even Dominicans, but the country's north coast is home to a colony of manatis . This mammal, measuring 3 to 4 meters and weighing up to 300 kilos, has made its home in an estuary surrounded by mangroves to the east of Punta Rucia. Long hunted by local communities, only 10 remained in 1996. It was then that the authorities decided to protect the area by creating a protected sanctuary dedicated to manatee conservation. One of the results of this project was the opening of the Ciudad Manatí information center in 2013.Here, local guides will tell you all about the manatee and its habitat during a guided tour through the mangroves, where you will be introduced to the different types of manatee. The highlight is the viewpoint from which you can watch the manatee come to the surface to breathe. According to the guides, you have a 90% chance of seeing one! Today, over fifty representatives of the species inhabit these waters. A fine example of successful animal protection and responsible tourism.

Alsoworth a visit: Finca la Protectora. An agricultural and craft farm producing coffee, avocados and cocoa, among other products. It is accessible by quad or 4x4. It is also possible to sleep on site (rather basic). A wonderful discovery of an eco-responsible place in the heart of lush nature.

Cayo Arena, from its original name Cayo Paraíso, is an essential visit of the north coast. Located at 20 min of boat of Punta Rucia, it is a small isolated sand bank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, protected by a coral barrier. Its size varies according to the tides; it is advisable to go there at low tide, when the island is larger and the beach more beautiful. On the beach, 2 cane roofs are installed to provide some shade. The surrounding water is calm, turquoise and crystal clear, and the sea bed is spectacular. The name of Paraíso has never been so justified! With the help of a mask (usually provided with the transport), you can admire the perpetual ballet of tropical fish in an explosion of colors. The corals are not to be outdone, forming a veritable underwater forest whose diversity amazes. The corals are (for the moment) in a good state of conservation, but the increasing number of visitors does not bode well for the future. During the high season, up to 500 people crowd the island, which is barely larger than a tennis court. Our advice: sleep in Punta Rucia and negotiate to leave early in the morning, so you will have the island and its seabed all to yourself, and the sensation for a few hours of having reached paradise.

The association of fishermen Astrapuca (+1 809 931 8626) offers tours to Cayo Arena (1 000 pesos / person - minimum 3 people). The tour lasts about 2 hours and includes a tour of the mangroves and a snorkeling stop.

The nerve centre of the city, it is the meeting place par excellence. Its pretty green and white octagonal gazebo with two-level galleries is an exact replica of the original from a not so distant time (1880) when municipal orchestras used to entertain on Sundays. There are the traditional shoe-shine boys, lottery ticket sellers, motoconchos, drink sellers, fruit sellers, chulamia (yucca fritters, a local specialty)... All around the park, buildings of pure Victorian style stand guard.

Located beyond the coral reef, the group of seven islets, huddled together like seven brothers (hence their name), served as a refuge for numerous privateers and pirates. You can camp here by requesting permission from the harbour master's office. Sea turtles come here to lay their eggs between November and February. The beaches are numerous, rather narrow and of black sand. The most spectacular is Morro beach, which looks more like Etretat than the traditional tropical beach.

It divides the locality into two parts: to the west, the Dominican village of Los Charamicos, and to the east, El Batey, more developed touristically. The sand is very white and the water incredibly crystal clear. Beautiful panoramic view of the bay. But the beach is much too crowded with sunbathers and water sports enthusiasts... It is difficult to escape all kinds of solicitations. We have to wait until 5pm for the place to regain its peaceful aspect. The pink and orange swirls of the sunset are then the most beautiful of shows.

Planted with palm trees, this charming beach is framed by two rocky barriers. You quickly lose your footing and the waves are sometimes big. Not recommended for children! Chiquita beach is less crowded, and therefore quieter, than the main beach. The beach bars of the hotel Casa Marina are there to quench all thirsts and small appetites by proposing some food to be nibbled. Many water activities are offered, starting with surfing, the main activity. Be careful, here the sun is strong, protect yourself.

The excursion takes about 2 hours and is walking through the countryside and tropical forest (predicting what to drink). You will discover six caves. In the past, cave Indians were living there. Once the emotion has gone, you'll take a look at some of the taino objects and ceramics exposed in a pompously cave called museum, visit a Dominican farm and maybe make a stop in a river in fresh waters or in one of the caves.

Next to the former, it is reached by a small trail. Apart from that, you can walk through the heart of the mangrove forest, a lair of hundreds of white herons or vultures.

This beach located west on the exit of the Río San Juan lagoon was a former cemetery. You can reach the hotel in front of the Bahía Blanca.

This rocky cove is a dream swimming pool with translucent waters. Think of your masque and snorkeling palms!

It extends behind the village. With a little luck and tenacity, there are many bird species. Fishing and hunting are prohibited.

The lagoon consists of a series of canals forming labyrinths between mangroves. They contain many species of birds. We can get there by renting the services of a fisherman.

This rocky promontory was christened by the great admiral who found him a form of slug slug. Recently declared national park, the Morro is the subject of a reforestation operation. After taking a stony trail, you have to take a trail that leads to the top within thirty minutes walking. From the summit, the show is grandiose. Around the Morro are planted ten white crosses symbolizing the Ten Commandments. Provide a antimoustiques bomb.

One kilometer before reaching the village, La Enseñada beach unfurls its magnificent bay, with its lagoon of transparent turquoise waters, shallow because of the coral reef. The beach is immense. You can take a secluded swim without fear of being bothered by your neighbors. If you ask them nicely, for a few dozen pesos, the fishermen will grill you some fish - a real treat while you're enjoying the beach! At weekends, the beach comes alive. Pick-ups pour in with families picnicking to the sound of merengue and salsa.

Montecristi is the island's first saltworks area, even before Bani and Azua. The rectangular basins that extend out of the town towards the sea are particularly beautiful in the evening, at dusk, when they take on a beautiful pink colour under the last rays of the setting sun. In the early morning, the show is also pretty. Good to know: almost all the salt consumed in the country is produced by evaporation of sea water.

On the road from Samana to Cabarete/Puerto Plata, we find this spot, ideal to take a break for an hour and enjoy the crystal clear waters at 25°C of the two lagoons connected between them by a 20 meters underground stream (useless to tell you that it is useless to try to make the crossing!). A zip line is on the spot for those who would like a little more sensations! You can also simply jump into the water from one of the points located around the water hole. A real little cool stop!