The Parque Nacional del Este is located in the southeast of the
Dominican Republic, with a trapezoidal shape of a peninsula and has a
total area of 310 km ².
This is the most visited National Park by tourists for its great attractions and being located in the center of major resorts
The main point of this marine park of 46 hectares are over 200
caves on this, plus the famous Isla Saona, where the endangered West
Indian manatee and bottlenose dolphins can be seen occasionally. There
are no rivers or streams in the park and its territory is surrounded by
a subtropical wet forest and dry forest.
This set of trees creates a safe habitat for 112 species of native
birds including the owl's face and the Pajaro Bobo ash. Most parks lead
to the peninsula southeast of the Dominican Republic near Bayahibe
whose coastline is well known for its coral formations and as a place
for diving. The southernmost tip is Calderas Bay where there are
saltwater lagoons and mangrove swamps.
In the opposite direction is Sahona Island, 24 km. long with two
small settlements: Mano Juan and Punta Gorda, with a total population
of 300 people. To the east is the smaller, uninhabited Isla Catalina.
Permits can be obtained by visiting the parks department in
Bayahibe or one of the tour operators. The two entrances to the park
are the western entrance in Bayahibe and the east entrance in the
village Boca del Yuma.
Santo Domingo
