All You Have To Know
Los Haitises National Park
Covering an area stretching 1,600 km² (618 square miles), Los Haitises National Park is one of the crown jewels of the Dominican Republic’s national park system. Los Haitises–which translates into “hilly land” in the Taino language–attracts numerous visitors who come here by boat to see its magnificent series of 30-meter (98-foot) high rock formations jutting out of the water. The park also boasts extensive mangroves along its bay, which is dotted with cays that are home to multiple bird colonies, as well as a series of caves known for having one of the highest numbers of petroglyphs and pictographs in the country.
You’ll easily spot the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, the Hispaniolan Piculet, the Hispaniolan Woodpecker, the Hispaniolan Emerald, as well as pelicans, frigate birds, herons, and many more majestic birds in flight over the park’s extensive landscape. Los Haitises also nurtures one of the DR’s few remaining rainforests, once used as a filming location for the feature film Jurassic Park. Explore the park by boat from Sabana de la mar or Samana, hike its rainforest to view flora up close, or kayak along its lush mangrove system where most of the time you will see Dolphins and Manatees.
Importance of Mangroves
Mangroves are magical forests where we discover nature’s secrets. They straddle the connection between land and sea and nature and humans. Mangrove forests nurture our estuaries and fuel our nature-based economies.
In the Los Haitises National Park, close to Sabana de la Mar, there are 98 km2 of mangrove forests.
Join Us & Help Conserve Nature
Mangroves Reforestation Project
In 1998, the hurricane George destroyed many areas of mangroves and can not restore by themselves. There are several open spots in the Los Haitises national park and these spots needs to be reforested again. Mangroves are very important to the ecosystem. They help stabilize coastline ecosystem and prevent erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as hurricanes which are coming every year. Mangrove forests also provides habitat and refuge to a wide array of wildlife such as birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals and plants. Join us to help to the nature.