The most beautiful natural sites to discover Central

The cold and warm waters of the Yaque del Norte and Jimenoa rivers come together to form a large lake in the turbulent remous. The show is fascinating of power and spray. On Saturday evening, Dominicans come to the streets and let the national bachata pass away. The place then becomes a small improvised dance trail. On Sundays, the atmosphere is much more family with a possibility of horse riding.

The beating heart of the city, it is the meeting place of the Santiagueros, the departure point of cabs and horse-drawn carriages, the place of work of the small shoeshine boys and the lottery ticket sellers. One can spend hours resting in the shade of the large trees while observing the hustle and bustle of the area. In the center, the traditional Victorian shaded gazebo and all around nice wooden houses. An emblematic park that will be a must-see, just like the central park and Calle Benito Monción.

The heart of the city, both peaceful and central. The square has undergone profound renovations between 2015 and 2017, on plans by architect Daniel Pons, offering the city a new space, modern and pleasant to live.

This waterfall has the advantage of being accessible by means of an airstrip with a small walk of ten minutes. Very impressive, El Salto de Baiguate presents itself in the form of a liquid avalanche of metres high, framed by an amphitheatre of greenery where fruit trees and plants with medicinal virtues are legion. The natural swimming pool is superb. You can also go to horse in two hours, motorbike or 4 x 4. The Salto is now operating for the irrigation of nearby farms.

This waterfall is located away from Jarabacoa, in the middle of nature. After having parked your car, you have to follow a torrent by a steep path for about a hundred meters in a heat that quickly becomes overwhelming despite the altitude. At first, you can hear a dull, heavy rumble in the surrounding heat, then the waterfall reveals itself in all its splendid violence. The waterfall crashes in a large natural basin, in the middle of a majestic site unfortunately disfigured by the hydroelectric power station and the tourist installations.

Charming and shaded, it is the place to meet at all Jarabacoa on the weekend and in the evening.

An excursion to Pico Duarte is an extraordinary experience! The ascent to the highest peak in the Caribbean, which reaches an altitude of 3,098 m, is demanding but unforgettable (if you are well equipped). The variations in altitude and temperature as well as the difficulty of the ascent on barely marked and steep paths require excellent physical condition and an iron will. The 23-kilometre (46-kilometre return) hike takes two to three days, through a changing and majestic landscape, sometimes arid, sometimes shrouded in a mystical mist. On the first day, we cover the La Cienega-La Comparticion route (2,450 m) where the visitors' centre serves as a stopover, and the next day we reach the peak at night in a few hours.

Itis in the village of La Cienega, at an altitude of 1,100 m, 55 km from Jarabacoa via Constanza, that you will buy the permit giving access to the national park, for the modest sum of 100 pesos. To do the hike in good conditions, it is essential to hire a local guide, the only ones qualified for this kind of hike (daily budget: 200 pesos per person, plus 300 pesos for a transport mule, 350 pesos for a saddle mule, and 400 pesos for the guide). Hikers wishing to save their strength can make part of the journey on the back of a mule - to be negotiated with local farmers who offer mules used to the rigours of this climb.