I feel like most of the time DR1 is about problems and solutions, and ways to avoid getting ripped off.
For me, a huge part of the Republica Dominicana, is the adventure!
I was shocked the other day, while looking for a remote waterfall on the Rio Rejoya and having gotten advice to stop at the Tubagua Ecolodge for help finding a guide, that the owner had not heard of those waterfalls, only Los Charcos Militares. I'm also constantly shocked at how many people I meet in the DR that have never visited a lot of these places I am always trying to find.
I do what I can to find interesting places, and bring people with me to enjoy them, and I think DR1 should be a good resource for finding these places, so I'm going to try and document some of my favorites!
Starting with Rejoya! (Alternate names Rejolla, and Juan de Nina. The sign under the Brugal logo at the turn in Camu says Juan de Nina.)
This series of waterfalls is on the Ruta Panoramica between Santiago and Puerto Plata. I had never taken the route because I heard it is in bad condition, but I took it in a car (jeepeta in the shop...always breaking the darn thing) and felt very comfortable on the route. It's halfway refinished, halfway a decent condition dirt road, and the third half is old asphalt. Way better condition than the shortcut from Santiago to Azua through San Jose de Ocoa or the road to Bahia Las Aguilas. The only problem is the spot where you turn to get to the parking for Rejoya, there is a small stream you have to cross and some deeply rutted roads. Our Skoda Octavia handled it, but I was rather nervous about scraping open the oil pan.
If you want to make a weekend out of it, I do recommend the Tubagua Ecolodge. The rates are ok for gringos, and the views are absolutely incredible! You could go to the beaches in POP and get back in time for dinner, or spend the day hiking in Rejoya.
The actual spot you need to park is in Camu. I do recommend that you get a guide, which we got by stopping alongside of kids who were walking on the road and showing them a picture. The first two didn't recognize the waterfall we wanted, but the third did and took us there. The coordinates are 19°41'29.3"N 70°38'05.0"W
From there, you will be walking for an hour. There is a relatively easy to follow path through the woods, and constant clouds of mosquitos, until you arrive at the first waterfall, which is impressive and beautiful with a large area to swim. From there, you will be climbing. This is not something for people who are scared of heights, unable to pull themselves up a 10 foot rock wall, or scared of walking up small waterfalls. If you hurt yourself, there is no cell signal. If you slip, you could fall down the side of the mountain or down a waterfall, hit your head, break your neck, and drown.
There are several more waterfalls that you can stop at, until you get to the largest and most beautiful. After this, there are really nothing more worth seeing. Technically on top, there are a few small ones, but we haven't found a way to get from the bottom of this fall to the top, and the ones on top aren't impressive enough to make the trip.
There is another route your guide might take you on to return. This route is on the side of the mountain, and even though it's covered with trees, there are frequently places where you will need to be extremely careful. You will want to wear shoes for this hike, or boots, that have good grip, and they will end up covered in mud and water as you will be crossing rivers and climbing waterfalls several times. But the route back is slippery and you need to have good shoes. I did mention that this is easily the most dangerous hike I have ever done in DR and you are at extreme risk of danger, and far from any help or cell signal, right? Hence why, even that I know where it is now, I will ask a local kid to take me there in the future. Easily worth a thousand pesos, to have someone there who can run and get help if you need it.
It took us an hour and a half to reach the biggest fall, and an hour and a half to get back. My phone says we climbed over 60 stories. But I already have plans to return in a few weeks! One thing I am going to do different: I am going to get a sturdy rope and tie it around a tree on the 10 foot rock wall climb, and leave it there. Having a rope, with a knot every foot or two, turns it from a relatively scary and precarious free climbing experience, into a much more secure feeling climb.
Like I said, this is the longest hike, and most dangerous hike, but the waterfall was more beautiful than Salto Alto in Bayaguna, or El Limon. And we were the only ones there, it felt like magic!
For me, a huge part of the Republica Dominicana, is the adventure!
I was shocked the other day, while looking for a remote waterfall on the Rio Rejoya and having gotten advice to stop at the Tubagua Ecolodge for help finding a guide, that the owner had not heard of those waterfalls, only Los Charcos Militares. I'm also constantly shocked at how many people I meet in the DR that have never visited a lot of these places I am always trying to find.
I do what I can to find interesting places, and bring people with me to enjoy them, and I think DR1 should be a good resource for finding these places, so I'm going to try and document some of my favorites!
Starting with Rejoya! (Alternate names Rejolla, and Juan de Nina. The sign under the Brugal logo at the turn in Camu says Juan de Nina.)
This series of waterfalls is on the Ruta Panoramica between Santiago and Puerto Plata. I had never taken the route because I heard it is in bad condition, but I took it in a car (jeepeta in the shop...always breaking the darn thing) and felt very comfortable on the route. It's halfway refinished, halfway a decent condition dirt road, and the third half is old asphalt. Way better condition than the shortcut from Santiago to Azua through San Jose de Ocoa or the road to Bahia Las Aguilas. The only problem is the spot where you turn to get to the parking for Rejoya, there is a small stream you have to cross and some deeply rutted roads. Our Skoda Octavia handled it, but I was rather nervous about scraping open the oil pan.
If you want to make a weekend out of it, I do recommend the Tubagua Ecolodge. The rates are ok for gringos, and the views are absolutely incredible! You could go to the beaches in POP and get back in time for dinner, or spend the day hiking in Rejoya.
The actual spot you need to park is in Camu. I do recommend that you get a guide, which we got by stopping alongside of kids who were walking on the road and showing them a picture. The first two didn't recognize the waterfall we wanted, but the third did and took us there. The coordinates are 19°41'29.3"N 70°38'05.0"W
From there, you will be walking for an hour. There is a relatively easy to follow path through the woods, and constant clouds of mosquitos, until you arrive at the first waterfall, which is impressive and beautiful with a large area to swim. From there, you will be climbing. This is not something for people who are scared of heights, unable to pull themselves up a 10 foot rock wall, or scared of walking up small waterfalls. If you hurt yourself, there is no cell signal. If you slip, you could fall down the side of the mountain or down a waterfall, hit your head, break your neck, and drown.
There are several more waterfalls that you can stop at, until you get to the largest and most beautiful. After this, there are really nothing more worth seeing. Technically on top, there are a few small ones, but we haven't found a way to get from the bottom of this fall to the top, and the ones on top aren't impressive enough to make the trip.
There is another route your guide might take you on to return. This route is on the side of the mountain, and even though it's covered with trees, there are frequently places where you will need to be extremely careful. You will want to wear shoes for this hike, or boots, that have good grip, and they will end up covered in mud and water as you will be crossing rivers and climbing waterfalls several times. But the route back is slippery and you need to have good shoes. I did mention that this is easily the most dangerous hike I have ever done in DR and you are at extreme risk of danger, and far from any help or cell signal, right? Hence why, even that I know where it is now, I will ask a local kid to take me there in the future. Easily worth a thousand pesos, to have someone there who can run and get help if you need it.
It took us an hour and a half to reach the biggest fall, and an hour and a half to get back. My phone says we climbed over 60 stories. But I already have plans to return in a few weeks! One thing I am going to do different: I am going to get a sturdy rope and tie it around a tree on the 10 foot rock wall climb, and leave it there. Having a rope, with a knot every foot or two, turns it from a relatively scary and precarious free climbing experience, into a much more secure feeling climb.
Like I said, this is the longest hike, and most dangerous hike, but the waterfall was more beautiful than Salto Alto in Bayaguna, or El Limon. And we were the only ones there, it felt like magic!
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