 |
| "Sunrise over Punta Cana (8725196053)" by Joe deSousa |
This national park is situated on the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic. The park’s intact coastal ecosystem provides prime habitat for hundreds of species of plants, birds, fish and other marine animals. More than simply Isla Saona, which is all that most people see on a group tour, the Parque Nacional del Este includes eight emerged reef terraces, roughly 400 caverns, some with pictographs and ceramic remains, and Islas Catalinita and Catalina, in addition to Saona. Designated a national park in 1975, it stretches over 119 square miles , the majority of which is semihumid forest.
There’s a park office in the parking lot in Bayahibe, where you must pay your entrance fee and obtain a mandatory wristband. One entrance is at Guaraguao, a ranger post 5km past Dominicus Americanus. The other entrance is in the town of Boca de Yuma, on the eastern side of the park. There is a ranger station there but no formal services. A road leads along the coast for several kilometers and has a number of nice vista points.
Wildlife
As one of the Caribbean's largest marine parks, there is a good variety of fauna. The park is a nursery for 112 of the Dominican Republic's 303 bird species. Eight species of birds are found only on Hispaniola, including the ashy-faced owl and the Hispaniolan lizard-cuckoo. Four species of sea turtles that use the park's shores as nesting sites. Manatees, bottlenose dolphins, and 120 species of fish and an immense coral reef system live in the park's offshore waters. There are occasional sightings of the rare Haitian solenodon, a small bony animal with a long snout and tiny eyes. The park is also home to 539 species of flora, 55 of which are endemic.
Taino Indian Sites
The Taíno were an indigenous people of the Caribbean. Caves played an important role in the lives of the Taino Indians. In fact, their creation myth is centered around a cave located on the island. Stories of the Taino interaction with various plants, animals, spirits and each other can be seen in the elaborate pictographs and stone carvings within the structures. Other Taino artifacts are housed at museums and even an excavated burial ground at a local beach.
Jose Maria Cave
The Jose Maria Cave is Located far into the park near La Romana. From a small outer opening, the cave widens to elaborate interior chambers. Over 1200 individual pictographs have been carefully documented over the past several years. This limestone cavern holds Taino paintings depicting mythological events and a peace offering for the Spaniards in 1503.
Penon Gordo
Located near Bayahibe, Penon Gordo displays a chiseled guardian figure at the entrance of the cave and several Taino paintings.
Insider’s tip: To get a full tour of the Taino sites in Parque Nacional del Este, including some areas that are unknown to tour operators, hire a park ranger as a guide.
Tours
There are many group tour opportunities in and around the national park. Some of the tours include taking a speed boat out to the islands, hiking through various parts of the forest, and cave tours that include snorkeling in the caverns. Be sure to research all tour groups before hiring.
Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you get there and if you want to stay in comfort rather than camping out we can help. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.
Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc.
6008 West Bell Road # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
602-843-5100
rawhidetravel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment