Province · Sudoeste: Barahona e Pedernales

Elías Piña

Elías Piña is the central border with Haiti: Comendador, the old Bánica, the mountains of the Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Neiba, and the headwaters of the Artibonito River.

In the photo: Church of Comendador (Elías Piña)

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

The province

Get to know Elías Piña

Elías Piña is a mountainous province in the west of the Dominican Republic, on the border with Haiti. To the north the Cordillera Central rises, to the south the Sierra de Neiba runs, and between them valleys open up formed by the Artibonito River and its tributaries. It is one of the least populated and least visited regions of the country.

The capital, Comendador, began as a military post on the border and has a crossing to the Haitian town of Belladère. The town of Bánica, founded in 1504 by Diego Velázquez on the banks of the Artibonito, is one of the oldest on the island, with a colonial church and a religious tradition linked to Saint Francis of Assisi.

The province is named after a military officer born near Comendador who fought on the border during the wars of independence. In the northern part, Nalga de Maco National Park protects mountain forests, caves and river headwaters, near Río Limpio, a cool-climate mountain village.

No city in Elías Piña is included in the guide for now. It will interest those seeking the little-explored interior, mountains and border life, and it requires time and road travel.

When to go

The dry season, from December to April, leaves the mountain roads in better condition. In the ranges, nights are cool year-round. From May to November rains are more frequent, and the hurricane season runs from June to November.

Getting there

Comendador is about four hours from Santo Domingo via the southern road to San Juan de la Maguana and then west. There are buses from the capital. From San Juan de la Maguana it is about 40 minutes. The air trip ends in Santo Domingo (SDQ), three to four hours by road.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions about Elías Piña

What to see in Elías Piña?

The old Bánica on the banks of the Artibonito River, Comendador, and the mountains of Nalga de Maco National Park near Río Limpio.

Is Elías Piña very far?

Comendador is about four hours from Santo Domingo; if you have time, combine it with San Juan de la Maguana.

Which is the oldest town in the province?

Bánica, founded in 1504 on the banks of the Artibonito River, one of the oldest towns on the island.

Does Elías Piña have accommodation for tourists?

Limited: simple hotels in Comendador and rural guesthouses in the mountains, such as in Río Limpio.

Tap a province to see its destinations. Limites: Oficina Nacional de Estadística / OCHA-HDX / geoBoundaries (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.