Parque Nacional Los Haitises

Punta Cana & the Southeast


Around 9km west of Sabana de la Mar, Parque Nacional Los Haitises is certainly the best reason to visit this small bayside town. Its name means ‘land of the mountains,’ and this 1375-sq-km park at the southwestern end of the Bahía de Samaná indeed contains scores of lush hills, jutting some 30m to 50m from the water and coastal wetlands. The knolls were formed one to two million years ago, when tectonic drift buckled the thick limestone shelf that had formed underwater.

The turnoff to the park is near the crossroads of Hwys DR-4 and DR-3, at the southern end of Sabana de la Mar (near the bus stop). The road is rough but passable for about 9km. The small casita that houses the park rangers won't charge you, but it'll cost you the RD$100 if you enter the caves.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Punta Cana & the Southeast attractions

1. El Museo de las Ballenas

11.88 MILES

The little-visited, old fashioned Whale Museum is housed in a dilapidated building south of the center. It won't tell you more than you'll get on a whale…

2. Playa las Flechas

12.89 MILES

This small beach, 5km east of Samaná, is easily accessible from town. It's thought by many historians to be the site of a small and short battle between…

3. Cayo Levantado

13.44 MILES

A gorgeous public beach lies on the western third of this lush island, 7km from Samaná. It's the only section that's open to the public – a five-star…

4. Cascada El Limón

14.16 MILES

Tucked away in surprisingly rough landscape, surrounded by peaks covered in lush greenery, is the 52m-high El Limón waterfall. A beautiful swimming hole…

5. Playa Cosón

18.67 MILES

The sand at Playa Cosón, 8km west along the main highway from Playa Bonita, is tan rather than white, and the water greenish rather than blue, but it’s a…

6. Playa Bonita

18.78 MILES

A getaway from a getaway, the appropriately named Playa Bonita (Pretty Beach) is only a few kilometers west of Las Terrenas. It's not without…

7. Playa Rincón

20.33 MILES

Pitch-perfect Playa Rincón, with soft, nearly white sand and multihued water good for swimming, stretches an uninterrupted 3km – enough for every day…

8. Playita

22.43 MILES

Better than the beach in town, Playita (Little Beach) is easy to get to on foot or by motoconcho (motorcycle taxi). It’s a stretch of tannish sand and…

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