Seeking feedback on San Francisco de Macoris and eco points

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Wise Owl

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Dec 10, 2015
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Hello everyone, my name is James and I am new to this forum. I find it very useful and full of really interesting observations. I particularly like how people are willing to help one another and of course, I like those who have a sense of humor too.

I was interested in traveling to DR for the first time and I am planning to go very soon - mid January at the very latest.

My interest is in natural parks, ecology, and freshwater systems (rivers, aquifers, lakes). I have seen little coverage of San Francisco and the hotels are sparse. I thought it might make for a good place to start out traveling from Santiago, then go southeast to Presa Bao, staying perhaps in Sabana Iglesia. From there I would plan to go west into the large national park.

Does anyone have any suggestions for must-see ecological settings? I thought I could take a shuttle service for the major destination points and then find locals to assist on things like accessing canoes.

I have a basic knowledge of Spanish.

Thank you in advance.
James the Wise Owl
 
K

Kipling333

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Jan 12, 2010
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The large national park..I suppose you mean los Haitises . If you do mean that park , then it is best to attack it from Sabana de la mar where you can rent boats to get to the various parts. There is also a hotel at the edge of the park got to from Sabana de la mar . There are also numerous small hotels iin Sabana de la Mar but I think they get very full around Christmas time. I had a go at it several months ago but there are not even tracks in much of the Park and there is no real fresh water system . You can also get into the park from the Las Americas to Samana tollway but I have not done it that way .Will be interested to read your report .
 
SantiagoDR

SantiagoDR

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Sabana Iglesia is pretty nice and the lake up there is beautiful, drove up to the lake a few times on my motor bike.

Super cold water source , semi-lived there when dating my 1st Dominican wife, no water heater... brrrrrr.

Heard a couple years ago that drugs maybe a problem in that area now.
 
W

Wise Owl

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Dec 10, 2015
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San Francisco and parks inquiry

Hello everyone,
This is a great forum and I appreciate any feedback on my upcoming first trip to the DR. I will land in Santiago and go east to San Francisco. Looks like a sleepy city of about 200,000 people. I am going to go southwest to a really big lake and then go further west to the large national park in the interior.

I am interested in ecology and freshwater systems, and the Lake - La Presa de Rincon - abuts a national park.

My question is why so little has been said about San Francisco? Looks kind of sleepy, but picturesque. I thought I would take shuttle services between major destinations, but look to locals or a tourist booth for getting to the Lake and the Park.

I realize this is an open ended question, but if anyone has any great parks to suggest or advice on the interior generally, much appreciated.

Thanks, James 'The Wise Owl'
 
C

chic

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Nov 20, 2013
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nice are you going fully outfitted???4x4 trailer/ tent trailer etc... what are your plans? tv show what???
 
D

Dolores1

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Take note the Presa de Rincon you mention is in La Vega, about an hour's drive south from Santiago. You will need to rent a SUV because from what I recall some of the roads getting there are not good.

Why are you headed to Presa de Rincon? Do you have updated information that there are facilities there for tourism?
 
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Dolores1

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From San Francisco, you can travel to Playa Grande, Cabrera area in the north east. Visit Laguna Dudu, Playa Grande and Laguna Gri Gri (Diamante, Caleton, Cabo Frances Viejo beaches).
 
J

ju10prd

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Wise Owl said:
Hello everyone,
This is a great forum and I appreciate any feedback on my upcoming first trip to the DR. I will land in Santiago and go east to San Francisco. Looks like a sleepy city of about 200,000 people. I am going to go southwest to a really big lake and then go further west to the large national park in the interior.


My question is why so little has been said about San Francisco? Looks kind of sleepy, but picturesque. I thought I would take shuttle services between major destinations, but look to locals or a tourist booth for getting to the Lake and the Park.
Click to expand...

I would describe SFM as anything but sleepy and picturesque. A sprawling bustling hot humid 3rd city on the edge of the flat Cibao valley with perhaps one of the highest drug criminality levels in the country. Personally like most Cibao valley towns you pass through them on your journey and don't stay.

Try and plan your travels around the parks you wish to visit and make sure you select hotels suited to foreign tourists for your first visit.

From Santiago and west into the Cordillera Central you will find all the eco tourism and lakes you seek and a better view of Lago Rincon might be from high above looking down from the road to Constanza. Might be worth asking forum members on such places.
 
C

Chirimoya

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The city does not have much going for it unless you like car dealerships, narco-deco mansions and plastic fast food joints. The surrounding countryside is attractive enough.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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South Coast
Wise Owl said:
Hello everyone,
This is a great forum and I appreciate any feedback on my upcoming first trip to the DR. I will land in Santiago and go east to San Francisco. Looks like a sleepy city of about 200,000 people. I am going to go southwest to a really big lake and then go further west to the large national park in the interior.
Click to expand...

How long will your trip be? Are you renting a 4WD vehicle?

Which lake in the southwest are you visiting, Lago Enriquillo?
 
J

ju10prd

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My question is why so little has been said about San Francisco? Looks kind of sleepy, but picturesque. I thought I would take shuttle services between major destinations, but look to locals or a tourist booth for getting to the Lake and the Park.


My guess is the OP is interested in the large lake to the south west of SFM and somehow SFM has attracted his attention. Lago Hatillo to the south is more interesting but I would never dream of staying in Cotui to visit, rather a day trip to enjoy the tranquility and 'trucha'.

Since he is arriving in Santiago and seeking advice on eco touristy things, I believe we should be offering him advice on the lakes near Janico (believe there is a new road in those parts?), Jarabacoa and Constanza.
 
W

Wise Owl

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Dec 10, 2015
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Thank you Everyone! I am going to do my homework!

Thank you everyone for being so conscientious and I apologize for the delay in responding.

It is clear from the feedback that I really need to get my game plan together both in terms of using common sense in the interior, but as important, getting a handle on the water situation.

The DR is an amazing place to study ecology in relation to human development. I first became interested in the topic when I read Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel". It is a bit of an armchair ecological history of civilization, but one thing he highlighted was the stark difference between policies in the DR and Haiti.

I have experience on coastal aquifers in arid climates - specifically on the west coast of Mexico. I am lucky in that I can get access to resources to travel for these reasons and so this is the basis of my focus on the DR.

I will be sure to send out a link once I get the project up and running on my website, but thus far I am finding some preliminary material that talks about the complex relationship between island coastal aquifers and the interaction with inland aquifers. In Florida, this is a really big deal because ocean inland incursion is not stopped by coastal barriers (i.e. cliffs) and the State's topography is at particular risk ... not news. The DR has a couple of interesting things happening at once. My interest in going into the interior is to look at the 'inner ring' of the DR's aquifer system.


From what I can gather, the government did a good deal of moving water around on the surface after WWII, but I as I mentioned I am just starting to get a handle on the situation. I am a nerd - I am not an eco-warrior, but I find it interesting to see how populations build up on areas with unintended consequences. I am happy to share my findings in the public domain. I found a couple of articles in Developments in Water Sciences: "The planicie costera oriental coastal aquifer (Dominican republic) a general framework analysis supported by conceptual groundwater modelling"

There is an interesting Inter-American Development Bank Technical Note from 2012 (IADB), that has some detail on the four transboundary aquifers with Haiti. This is why I was focusing on the Ramirez and Bermudez Parks respectively to see if they are the down spout for recharging one or all four of the aquifers.

I found a 2005 report from UNESCO on a project related to this however I am finding that these studies tend not to get finished - usually due to internal project management reasons.

I will check back with my firmed up itinerary and I really do genuinely appreciate the assistance. I will also share names of some of the experts I find and again once this project gets some legs, I will be sure to post the link. I will also do a better job replying!

Stay well everyone,
James "Wise Owl"
 
CristoRey

CristoRey

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San Francisco is a beautiful little town here. Unfortunately looks can be a little deceiving. For a short vacation
I?d say its too dangerous to walk around after
6pm due to the amount of hard core crack addicts roaming the city center looking for their next fix.
Much safer in Santiago although some areas of this sh*thole aren?t without problems.
 
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J

ju10prd

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Since your interest as stated is primarily in the Bermudez and Ramirez National Parks, Jarabacoa and Constanza are the nearest towns to the East and within easy reach of Santiago with good choices of accommodation available . They are both quite picturesque especially Constanza in it's high valley imo.

San Juan is also a town close to the south of the Ramirez park but would be a long journey from Santiago.

The lakes near Janico are fed from Bermudez park it would appear and are reservoirs for Santiago
 
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