Jarabacoa and Pico Duarte
Jarabacoa and Pico Duarte
Jarabacoa and Pico Duarte
Jarabacoa is a town in the Dominican Republic in the province of La Vega, about 30 kilometers southeast of the capital of Concepción de la Vega. Jarabacoa lies at an altitude of 600 meters, so the local climate is somewhat more enjoyable than in other areas of the country. That is the main reason why many Dominicans people came and settled in that area.
Due to its location and the overall image of the countryside, the city is sometimes called “Dominican Republic of Switzerland”.
There are many interesting places in the area that definitely worth a visit. Popular attractions are for example Saltos de Jimenoa and Saltos de Baiguate waterfalls, which are located close to the city. You can go to visit the most beautiful places around the river by your own or by a bike which you can rent here. On your way, you can stop at one of the local restaurants or discos with stunning panoramic views. If you will feel like you need to refresh yourself, you can cool yourself by swimming or bathing in the river.
For those who like more challenging and adventurous sports, you will get the opportunity to go on the river on raft or canoe and experience unusual adventure and fun. You can also visit a ranch that offers accommodation and horse riding.
This place is the perfect place for two to three days trips to the Cordillera Centrale, whose highest peak – Pico Duarte measures 3,098 meters and is the highest peak not only of Dominican Republic but also of the whole Caribbean.
The first person who conquered the mountain was British Consul Sir Robert H. Schomburgk who according to available materials in 1851 named the mountain – Monte Tina. Swedish botanist Erik Leonard Ekman in 1913 named the double peak “Pelon Grande and Pelon Chica.”
During the dictatorship of President Trujillo, the mountain as well as the capital city of Santo Domingo, had to be renamed. And so the mountain was named Pico Trujillo. It was only after the death of the dictator that the mountain got the name Pico Duarte. On the top of the mountain the busta of Juana Pablo Duarte – who is consider as a Father of the country (Padre de Patria) (1813-1876) is standing.
Outputs to the Pico Duarte are only possible with the permission of the National Park and accompanied by an official guide. The entrance to the park with its starting point of the hiking to Pico Duarte is located in La Cienaga, about 30 km from Jarabacoi.
There have been many debates about the height of Pico Duarte. The exact height of the mountains was not clear for a long time. A height of 3 175 meters was reported, according to Sir Schomburg Until the mid-1990s. However, in 2003 the height of the Pico Duarte was measured again by geographers. According to GPS technology, the height was set at 3 098 meters.
In January 2005, a group of tourists measured out a heights of 3,087 meters according their GPS devices, but despite the above measurements, SRTM data shows that professional measurements are probably more accurate. So in the end Pico Duarte is just four feet taller than its neighboring peak – La Pelona.
