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 real live mexicana (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. Ch…
Top Choice Dominican in Ázua
El Meson Suizo
This slightly upscale place is one of the Southwest's better spots to eat, so getting stuck in Àzua isn't a total loss. Excellently prepared mofongos (mashed plantains with meat or seafood), pasta, meat and fish – t…
Top Choice Seafood in Barahona
Brisas del Caribe
The kitchen here dishes out fresh seafood as the seasons dictate (though the seasons sometimes affect consistency as well). The perfectly sized seafood-soup appetizer (RD$190) has more seafood than broth, and the ze…
Cave in San Cristobal
Reserva Antropológica Cuevas del Pomier
Visiting the Reserva Antropológica El Pomier 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…
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 …
Nature Reserve 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. Varying from 40m to 4m below sea level, the island (closed to visitors indefinitely) …
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 Cristobal
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…