Cenotes + Springs
Tucked inside lush rainforests, cenotes and spring-fed pools are breathtaking in color—sparkling, clear turquoise and emerald—and offer refreshing, cold swims in nature. In Punta Cana, look out for Scape Park’s Hoyo Azul—or blue hole—or the Ojos Indígenas Ecological Reserve, both offering easy rainforest hikes to reach the cenotes. Perhaps the most famous DR springs of all are the 27 Charcos de Damajagua in Puerto Plata, where you can leap or slide to your heart’s content into deep azure pools. You’ll find plenty more fresh water escapes, including Cabarete’s El Choco National Park, and along Barahona’s hiking trail toward Cueva de la Virgen.
With so many lush hills, you’re bound to find your favorite natural pool, available to enjoy any time of the year.
Cenotes + Springs in
Dominican Republic
Puerto Plata’s crown jewel attraction offers a day of hiking through thick forest, crossing footbridges and passing numerous flora before eventually reaching a rocky hilltop where you’ll begin making your way down by jumping or sliding down a series of waterfalls!
Stop at this river park for an easy dip in the fresh, calmer waters of the Yaque del Norte river. There are a handful of benches and picnic tables. Bring your own food and drinks for a lovely day out.
Tucked in the lush forests below the Bahoruco mountain range, a thirty-minute hike through a lush rainforest leads to this huge cavern and its emerald-colored pools.
Tucked along the scraggly Atlantic coastline of Río San Juan, swim in the calm natural pool surrounding the cave or view its rock composition from ceiling to floor while you float on crystal clear turquoise waters.
Cueva del Chicho is one of the most outstanding underground caves; its aquamarine, sparkling fresh waters draw many hikers and it also holds numerous petroglyphs.
This pristine bathing spot is a local favorite on weekends, when families flock here to cool off in the fresh water streams of the Rio Camú. Beware of the cool temperature before jumping in!
El Choco National Park offers a world of nature for hikes, mountain biking, swimming in fresh water lagoons, and cave exploration. Stretching 78 square kilometers (30 square miles), a handful of hiking trails take you through thick tropical forest along cacao and coffee trees, and into caves dating back millions of years.
Tucked inside Scape Park, in the Cap Cana area, this “blue hole” cenote offers a refreshing swim in natural, cool spring waters. Surrounded in lush rainforest, Hoyo Azul sits at the foot of a 75-meter (246-foot) tall limestone cliff covered in vegetation.
La Ciénaga is one of the most scenic riverside villages and serves as a gateway to the journey towards Pico Duarte. Spend an authentic day out in a mountainside village, taking in the verdant mountain scenery and agricultural life, and colorful wooden homes dotting the landscape.
You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see a natural cascade tumbling from the hills on the left hand side of the highway–just like a smooth curtain, hence the name “cortina”–while the pool and restaurant area are across the road.
#naturallyDR
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