This small fishing village serves as a portal to several different areas and adventures. Two of the country's major national parks, Parque Nacional Jaragua to the southwest and Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco to the north serve as borders making the village an excellent base camp for hikers. Pedernales also provides easy access for those visitors wishing to explore Haiti, whose border is just to the west. Two rarely visited islands are just a boat ride away from the village: Alto Velo and Isla Beata. The rocky, scrub-brush environment of Isla Beata sets the scene for Taino caves which features enough rock art to fill a coffee table book. Alto Velo has been referred to as a giant stone sailboat protruding out of the water. The high rocky land of this small island provides habitat for the world's smallest reptile, the dwarf gecko measuring less than two centimeters across, or the size of a Dominican peso coin.