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3 cities
Province · Santiago e Cordilheira Central
La Vega
La Vega is the province of mountains and carnival: Jarabacoa and Constanza in the Cordillera Central, Pico Duarte, Valle Nuevo, the Jimenoa and Baiguate waterfalls, and the diablos cojuelos of February.
In the photo: Valle de Constanza in the Cordillera Central (La Vega)
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 La Vega
La Vega stretches from the Cibao valley, where the capital sits, up to the high Cordillera Central, with peaks over 3,000 meters. It is one of the country’s most varied provinces: rice fields and sugarcane on the plains, pine forests and cold-water rivers in the mountains, farming valleys and cool nights.
The guide lists the Jarabacoa and Constanza destination in the province, including the towns of Jarabacoa, Constanza and La Vega. Jarabacoa, with a mild climate, is surrounded by the Jimenoa and Baiguate waterfalls, offers rafting on the Yaque del Norte river and is a starting point for the trek to Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean. Constanza lies in a valley about 1,200 meters up, surrounded by vegetable gardens and flowers, near Valle Nuevo National Park and the Aguas Blancas waterfall.
The city of La Vega, the provincial capital, hosts the country’s most famous carnival, with diablos cojuelos wearing elaborate masks and colorful capes on Sundays in February. To the north, El Santo Cerro has a sanctuary overlooking the valley, and the ruins of La Vega Vieja recall the first Spanish inland town, destroyed by an earthquake in 1562.
Highland cuisine features strawberries, vegetables and coffee from the slopes, and on cold nights in Constanza it’s worth ordering a hot sancocho.
Destinations
1 destination in La Vega
Cities
3 cities in La Vega in the guide
La Vega
Capital
La Vega
La Vega is the provincial capital and a commercial city in the Cibao valley, famous for its February carnival, the best-known in the country, featuring the diablos cojuelos with elaborate masks and colorful capes. It has a modern concrete cathedral, and to the north are the Santo Cerro, a sanctuary with views over the valley, and the ruins of La Vega Vieja, the first Spanish inland town.
La Vega
Constanza
Constanza lies in a valley surrounded by mountains at about 1,200 meters altitude and is the kitchen garden of the Dominican Republic, with fields of strawberries, garlic, potatoes and flowers. It gets cold at night, especially in winter. To the south, Parque Nacional Valle Nuevo has high-altitude fields and pine forests, and the Aguas Blancas waterfall plunges about 80 meters.
La Vega
Jarabacoa
Jarabacoa is a mountain town in the Cordillera Central, at about 500 meters altitude, with mild weather year-round, pine forests and rivers. Nearby are the Jimenoa and Baiguate waterfalls, rafting on the Yaque del Norte river and the trek to Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean.
When to go
From December to April there is less rain and it’s the season for the Pico Duarte trek; from December to February nights in Constanza and Valle Nuevo can approach freezing. La Vega’s carnival takes place on Sundays in February. With rains from May to October, rivers swell and rafting becomes more exciting.
Getting there
La Vega lies on the Duarte highway, about an hour and a half from Santo Domingo and half an hour from Santiago. From there, mountain roads climb to Jarabacoa in about 40 minutes and to Constanza in roughly an hour and a half. Visitors arriving by plane use Cibao airport (STI) in Santiago, and there are buses from Santo Domingo and Santiago to all three towns.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about La Vega
What to do in La Vega province?
Waterfalls and rafting in Jarabacoa, the Pico Duarte trek, the Constanza valley and Valle Nuevo, and the carnival and Santo Cerro in La Vega.
Is it cold in La Vega?
In the city of La Vega, no. In Jarabacoa nights are cool, and in Constanza and Valle Nuevo they can approach freezing in winter.
When is La Vega’s carnival?
On Sundays in February, with the main parade at the end of the month.
Where does the trail to Pico Duarte start?
The most commonly used trail departs from La Ciénaga, near Jarabacoa, and takes two to three days, with a mandatory guide.
Jarabacoa or Constanza?
Jarabacoa has more waterfalls, rafting and tourist infrastructure; Constanza is higher and colder, with the agricultural valley and Valle Nuevo. If you have time, do both.