Barahona – Pedernales

It is a city located in the southwest of the Dominican Republic in the province of Barahona, on the bay of Neiba. It is one of the most important cities on the island, with a busy port and a wide range of ecotourism attractions. It is also a sugar and industrial center. It has a population of more than 130 thousand people, which makes this city an important point in the southern region for future projects.

The name is due to the surname of the Spanish count called Santa Cruz de Barahona, who stayed in these lands when it was still depopulated. There is another version that says that the name comes from the union of the two words “Bahia” and “Honda”, but the first has greater credibility.

Generally called the “Pearl of the South”, Barahona is one of the geographically furthest destinations from the main tourist destinations, which gives it a great advantage because it is home to an extraordinary wealth of landscapes and biodiversity that combines white sand beaches with the turquoise sea, mountains with waterfalls, natural parks, lakes with many endemic species, coffee production (the best in the country), it is also a sugar and industrial center and much more.

The Barahona region is one of the best Ecotourism destinations in the Dominican Republic, where we promise that you will have one of the most beautiful experiences of your life.

With a population of over 130,000 inhabitants, Barahona is one of the most important cities on the island, it has a busy port and a wide range of attractions (handicraft markets, shops, etc.).

The name is due to the surname of the Spanish count called Santa Cruz de Barahona, who remained in these lands while it was still depopulated.

Once out of the fast pace of the city, you will immerse yourself in a postcard-like decor with fishing villages whose sand is dotted with canoes and views of mountain ranges that seem to come from the sky and fall into the turquoise sea of ​​the Caribbean.

More than 7,700 square kilometers, the province of Barahona offers you the largest lake on the island and in the Caribbean, the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, which is part of the only UNESCO biosphere reserve. With more than 2,000 meters high and where unique species have been established. These include at least 180 species of orchids, 32 of which are endemic, rhinoceros iguanas, and more than 100 species of birds along marked trails. As you complete this desert, you will discover rivers and waterfalls to reach pebble beaches, which offer a unique coastal landscape in the Dominican Republic and caves nestled in thick fern forests that take you to refreshing baths in blue sinkholes.

Barahona is a destination that offers you one of the largest varieties of activities on the island. From sports activities or if you prefer to just walk or ride a mountain bike, if you choose to relax or venture, you will be in the right place.

Let’s continue the road to the extreme southwest of the province. Welcome to the PEDERNALES on the border with neighboring HAITI. As you follow the coast, the desert landscape where iguanas and cows share the territory, lined with wild beaches and a deep turquoise sea, where you will discover the most important reserves in the country.

Pedernales is home to the famous Playa Bahía de Las Águilas, the jewel in the crown of one of the Dominican beaches, dominated by impressive karst cliffs, untouched since pre-Columbian times.

Parks, lagoons and lakes that are home to endemic reptiles, birds and wild flora. The Jaragua National Park, second jewel in the natural crown of the Dominican Republic, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, is home to hundreds of species of flora and more than 130 species of birds, including the famous pink flamingos, located in the Oviedo lagoon . American crocodiles reproduce and live in the hyper saline waters of Lake Enriquillo, the largest lake in the Caribbean, located 43 meters below sea level.

Ideal places to escape the large crowds of the capital or the tourist beaches, you can sleep there near the virgin beach and live the ecotourism experience, experience one of the best thermal baths, in a charming and comfortable environment. Absorb the wild natural environment of this province and stroll along the beach, the forests, swim in pools fed by rivers, between caves or climb the mountain and enjoy the freshness provided by the height of 1,300 meters above sea level.