Pedernales

The province

Get to know Pedernales

Pedernales is the southwesternmost province of the Dominican Republic, on the border with Haiti, largely occupied by two national parks: Jaragua, on the limestone peninsula that juts into the sea, and the Sierra de Bahoruco in the mountains. Together with Lake Enriquillo they form the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo biosphere reserve, recognized by UNESCO.

This guide covers the town of Pedernales, in the Barahona and Pedernales destination. The main attraction is Bahía de las Águilas, about 8 km of white sand and turquoise water with no buildings, reached by boat from La Cueva near Cabo Rojo, or by dirt road. In the Sierra de Bahoruco, the Hoyo de Pelempito is a huge forested sinkhole seen from a viewpoint over 1,400 meters high.

Inside Jaragua National Park are also Laguna de Oviedo, a brackish lagoon with flamingos and islets, and the islands Beata and Alto Velo off the coast. The beaches of Cabo Rojo, with light sand and calm sea, are near the port.

The region is dry, with cacti and thorn scrub on the coast, and cool in the mountains, with pine forests and orchids. Tourist facilities are basic, and the feeling is of being far from everything.