Eastern National Park, Dominican
Republic. February 10-12,
2009
Declared
a national park in 1975, Parque Nacional del Este (National Park of
the East, tel. 809/833-0022, office hours 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. daily) is
in the southeastern end of the country in the province of Altagracia
between the towns of Bayahibe and Boca de Yuma. Its surface area
includes the entire peninsula south of those two towns and is 808
square kilometers, of which 420 are land (including the islands of
Catalina, Saona, and Catalinita), while 388 square kilometers are
oceanic.
The peninsula is a combination
of subtropical humid forest and dry forest with an average rainfall of about
120 centimeters a year. This region is notoriously hot. But if you can stand
the heat and are interested in bird-watching, this park is a good location
to spot 114 types of birds, including rare ones such as the white-crowned
pigeon (columba leucocephala), the Hispaniolan parrot (amazona
ventralis), the brown pelican (pelecanus occidentalis), the
red-footed boobie (sula sula), the magnificent frigatebird (fregata
magnificens), the barn owl (tyto alba), and the herring gull (larus
argentatus).
Topographically, the changing
sea levels over the last million years created the peninsula out of
limestone, resulting in a series of terraces and cliffs along the shoreline.
Throughout the peninsula, traces of pre-Columbian Taíno life abound in
subterranean tunnels and caves where many pictographs have been found.
Although there are over 400 caves in the park, only Cueva del Puenta can be
visited by foot. It holds a small example of Taíno drawings depicting their
culture along with many stalactites and stalagmites. To access this cave,
first go to the ranger post at Guaraguao (about five kilometers past
Dominicus Americanus). For the US$3.50 entrance fee, you will get a guide
who will walk with you a little over half an hour to the site.
The park’s coastline offers a
variety of coral formations and is excellent for diving, especially along
the western side. The eastern side of the peninsula has more limestone
cliffs that drop off dramatically into the ocean. The southern tip has
mangroves and saltwater lagoons and is a good spot to find birdlife. Many
animals whose existence is threatened live in this protected area. Manatees
(trichechus manatus), the bottle-nosed dolphin (turisops
truncates), and various sea turtles swim the waters. The rat-like
solenodon (solenodon paradoxus), the hutia (plagiodontia aedium),
and the rhinoceros iguana (cyclura cornuta) are found on land.
Because the National Park of the
East is between the busy tourist destinations of Bayahibe and Punta Cana/Bávaro,
it is becoming more popular for excursions. In June of 2005, the La Romana
and Bayahibe Hotel Association along with the Ministry of Environment
announced they would be working together to open an ecotourism center
located in the Valley of La Sabila, near Bayahibe. This visitor’s center
will be created along with ecological trails allowing access to view the
various endemic species of animals and birds that live in the park. This
center will also offer opportunities to view pre-Columbian cave art as well
as snorkeling and swimming in selected caves.
For now, though, one of the most
popular ways to gain access to the park is to hire a boat guide in the
Bayahibe harbor. Your guide will take you along the shore, and from there
you can hike into the park. If you’re coming via car, there are
entrances in both Bayahibe on the western edge and Boca de Yuma on the
eastern side.
Dominican
Republic Workshop - Presentations
Eastern National Park,
Dominican Republic.
February 10-12,
2009
|
Agenda
|
Hábitats Costeros Marinos en el
Parque Nacional del Este-
Francisco X. Geraldes |
|
Eco efectividad y valoración de
recursos marinos
OAS -
Richard Huber |
|
Parque Nacional del Este - Ekers
Raposo |
|
Subsecretaria de Recursos Costeros
y Marinos
-
Nina
Lysenko |
Site |
|
Codopesca en la Gestión de los
Recursos Costeros y Marinos -
Marcia Beltrán |
|
Belt |
|
Parque Nacional del Este -
Mariam Matias |
|
Line |
|
Valores de Servicios del
Ecosistemas Costeros y Marinos en el Parque Nacional Del Este -
Enrique Pugibet |
|
Valoración De
Los Ecosistemas Costeros Marinos De La Republica Dominicana -
Francisco X. Geraldes |
|
Sistema de Evaluación y Monitoreo
de los Recursos Costeros y Marinos en Republica Dominicana
- Nina
Lysenko |
|