Punta Cana, Bavaro, Cap Cana \u2014 the touristy Dominican Republic is comfortable. The unusual Dominican Republic is unforgettable.<\/em><\/p>\n The Los Haitises National Park<\/strong> is a unique landscape \u2014 dozens of karst mogotes (jungle-covered conical hills) rising from a bay of calm waters. You reach it by boat from Saman\u00e1 or Sabana de la Mar. The caves hold 2,000-year-old Ta\u00edno petroglyphs. The mangroves shelter pelicans, frigatebirds and ibis. It's the Dominican Jurassic Park \u2014 and there's almost nobody there.<\/p>\n Bah\u00eda de las \u00c1guilas<\/strong> lies in the southwest, in Jaragua National Park \u2014 8 km of immaculate white sand without a single building. Reachable only by boat from Cabo Rojo or by 4\u00d74 on a rocky track. No sunbeds, no vendors, no umbrellas. Just the turquoise sea and the desert. It's the country's most beautiful beach and almost nobody knows it.<\/p>\n The Lake Enriquillo<\/strong> is the largest lake in the Caribbean \u2014 and its lowest point, 40 m below sea level. The water is salty, the landscape semi-arid, the heat crushing. Cabritos Island at its center shelters the Caribbean's largest population of American crocodiles and rhinoceros iguanas found nowhere else. The contrast with the turquoise beaches of the coast is striking.<\/p>\n Constanza<\/strong> sits at 1,200 m altitude, in a valley surrounded by pine-covered mountains. Cool temperatures (10-20\u00b0C), terraced market gardens, strawberries, flowers. The landscape is improbable for the Caribbean \u2014 you'd think you were in the Guatemalan highlands. The Japanese village of Colonia Japonesa, founded by immigrants after World War II, produces organic vegetables sold across the country.<\/p>\n The 27 Charcos<\/strong> (27 waterfalls) of Damajagua, near Puerto Plata, are a natural water park \u2014 you climb up the canyon over the falls, then come back down by jumping and sliding into turquoise pools. The excursion (7, 12 or 27 waterfalls depending on your level) is led by local guides. The income funds the community of Imbert. Spectacular and responsible.<\/p>\n The Dominican Republic has two semi-precious stones unique in the world. Larimar<\/strong> (blue pectolite) is found only in the Sierra de Bahoruco \u2014 a sky-blue to deep-blue stone, mined artisanally.Dominican amber<\/strong> is among the most transparent in the world \u2014 the amber museum in Puerto Plata displays specimens with 25-million-year-old fossilized insects, made famous by Jurassic Park. The amber mines of the Cordillera Septentrional can be visited.<\/p>\n The village of San Rafael de Yuma<\/strong>, in the east, holds the fortified house of Juan Ponce de Le\u00f3n \u2014 the conqueror of Puerto Rico and mythical seeker of the fountain of youth. The stone house is one of the few 16th-century colonial structures still standing outside Santo Domingo. Next door, Parque Nacional del Este<\/strong> protects Saona Island, the coral reefs and the manatees.<\/p>\n For logistical bases, refer to our Dominican Republic Practical Guide<\/a>. For inspiration, our travel journal<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n1. Los Haitises: the Halong Bay of the Caribbean<\/h2>\n
2. Bah\u00eda de las \u00c1guilas: the beach at the end of the world<\/h2>\n
3. Lago Enriquillo: the lake of extremes<\/h2>\n
4. Constanza: the Switzerland of the Caribbean<\/h2>\n
5. The 27 Charcos of Damajagua: the natural waterslide<\/h2>\n
6. Larimar and amber: the Dominican stones<\/h2>\n
7. San Rafael de Yuma: Ponce de Le\u00f3n's stronghold<\/h2>\n
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