the Dominican Republic isn't your average Caribbean island it's a vibrant
place rich in culture and full of life and although it may be known for its
sandy beaches the island is home to an array of landscapes climates and natural
wonders this is an island full of surprises
the first is a sight that is invisible to most travelers of the cursed of Punta
Cana sits one of the country's most unique museums a museum full of history
and life it can only be found over 20 feet underwater divers have the chance
to explore a 17th century shipwreck as it sits within the Caribbean reef in
this living museum of the sea the museum was inaugurated in May of 2019 and since
then visitors have explored rare coral shells turtles and fish while navigating
around cannons anchors and other artifacts from a historic shipwreck the
area is protected from commercial fishing and non recreational diving the
restrictions preserve maritime heritage and help increase fish populations the
museum is just a short boat ride and scuba dive away from the coast it's not
only a recreational dive site it also shows rich histories and
flourishing biology's of the Dominican Republic a next spot is one of the
largest protected areas in the country
along the Dominican Republic's northeast coast is one of the country's crown
jewels las its's National Park los ITSs which translates to mountainous land is
home to lush rainforests stunning mangroves caves adorned with petroglyphs
and hundreds of bird species loss I tesis was established as a national park
in 1976 it covers an area of over 618 square miles so it's no wonder the
park's rainforests were a filming location for Jurassic Park from the 100
foot rock formations suddenly jutting out of the water two different caves and
mangroves the park is home to some incredibly diverse habitats while las
itss is in a remote part of the island many visitors make the journey to
experience the beauty and variety of landscapes once inside they can hike or
kayak their way through the massive park
next up is a canyon short to spark a bit of curiosity within the mountains and
winding river system just outside the town of Cabarete is one of the country's
most unique sites the magic mushroom a curiously shaped Canyon it's rounded at
the top and thinning at the bottom giving it the appearance of a mushroom
cap after a 45-minute drive from town to the
canyon entrance visitors hike and swim through the jungle for full reaching
magic mushroom along the way there are ample opportunities to cliff jump of
some of the Caribbeans most spectacular waterfalls once visitors reach the magic
mushroom they can rappel down almost 200 feet into the freshwater streams while
hiking to magic mushroom visitors will come across gorgeous spectacular
waterfalls and beautifully sculpted rock formations we're still on the northern
coast but this time we're high up the province of Puerto Plata is home to one
of the country's most iconic sights Mount Isabel de Torres visitors have the
option to hike their way up or take the Caribbeans first-ever cable car to the
top the cable car was built in 1975 and brings visitors up over 2,600 feet above
sea level to the highest point in puerto plata atop the mountain there is a
replica of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that was erected in 1917
and panoramic views of Puerto Plata rolling green hills and the Atlantic
Ocean beyond the sights from the top there is
a botanical garden at the peak full of lush greenery and rare tropical flowers
Mount Isabel de Torres is the main attraction within the Isabel de Torres
National Park it is the most visited national park in all of the Dominican
Republic and last we venture south to shake things up in a place that looks
far different than the others
on the southern coast of the island in the last calderas Peninsula the
Dominican Republic's landscape transforms into a stretch of desert like
fields known as the dunes of Bonny the arid climate and topography contrasts
sharply from other regions in the country the sand itself is very smooth
due to the abundance of quartz and feldspar and the area is full of endemic
flora the June stretch over nine miles and the tallest dune is over 114 feet
high the dunes of Bonny are the largest sand dunes in all of the Caribbean in
1996 these genes were declared a national monument visitors can walk
through the dunes or if they are adventurous enough ride down on a sand
board the landscape feeds directly into the ocean as the dunes are located right
next to playa Salinas
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