Top Choice Seafood in Bahía de Las Águilas
Rancho Tipico
A longstanding cradle for sustenance at Playa Las Cuevas, the closest point to Bahía de Las Águilas with infrastructure, Rancho Tipico does fresh seafood and some of the best mofongos (mashed plantains with meat or …
Top Choice Mexican in San Juan de la Maguana
Rincón Mexicano
Owned by a Mexican (who does the cooking) and her Dominican husband, this airy, immeasurably pleasant restaurant pumps out authentic Mexican tacos (RD$110), as well as enchiladas, fajitas and the like. Chase it all …
Top Choice Dominican in Ázua
El Meson Suizo
This classy-for-Àzua place is one of the southwest's better spots to eat. Excellently prepared mofongos (mashed plantains with meat or seafood), pasta, meat and fish – try the surprisingly delicate fish in garlic sa…
Cave in San Cristóbal
Reserva Antropológica Cuevas del Pomier
Visiting this reserve is like reading a history book written in stone. There are 57 limestone caves in the area 10km north of San Cristobal, five of which (containing almost 600 paintings) are open to the public – t…
Gorge in Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco
Hoyo de Pelempito
Part of Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco, the ‘hole’ at Pelempito is actually a deep gorge formed when the Península de Pedernales rammed into Hispaniola umpteen million years ago. The tourist office, perched at t…
National Park in Península de Pedernales
Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco
This national park, replete with orchids and birds, covers 800 sq km of mostly mountainous terrain and is notable for the rich variety of vegetation that thrives in its many climates, ranging from lowland desert to …
National Park in Lago Enriquillo & Isla Cabritos
Parque Nacional Lago Enriquillo & Isla Cabritos
This park comprises Lago Enriquillo, an enormous saltwater lake 40m below sea level, and Isla Cabritos, the island at its center which supports various cacti and other desert flora. Park residents include an estimat…
Nature Reserve in Península de Pedernales
Parque Nacional Jaragua
This park is the largest protected area in the DR. Its 1400-sq-km includes vast ranges of thorn forest and subtropical dry forest, and an extensive marine area that spans most of the southern coastline, including La…
Museum in San Cristóbal
Castillo del Cerro
San Cristobal's strangest sight, currently used as the National Penitentiary School, was built on Trujillo’s orders for himself and his family in 1947 (at a cost of US$3 million), but he reportedly hated the finishe…
Cultural in Península de Pedernales
Festival de Café Orgánico de Polo
Held in the small town of Polo, nestled on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco, this festival sees local coffee growers celebrate the end of the coffee-harvesting season. There’s a ‘coffee parade,’ lots of…