EXCURSION TO HAITISES NATIONAL
PARK
- Year-Round Excursions -
Eliseo Dishmey:
Excursions to Haitises
National Park include a trip to Barcardi Island afterwards for swimming and
a buffet luncheon.
Leave early morning; return late afternoon. 5 to 10 persons: $70 US per
person; 11-25 persons: $60 US per person. Buffet Luncheon included
About Los
Haitises National Park:
Los Haitises National Park, located southeast of the
Great Bay of the Peninsula of Samana, is 208 square kilometers of hillocks,
divided by narrow gullies, which create the impression of numerous tiny
islands or keys forming a landscape full of bays & marshy country with
mangroves, hills & islands on the border between land and sea
Haitises' Fauna:
The richness
of the National Park Los Haitises’ fauna is reflected among the mammals
including the manatee (Trichechus manatus) found in the large areas of
mangrove swamps. These mangroves are populated by protected native species
of flora and fauna, such as Hutias (giant rats), turtles, wild pigs. Bats,
tortoises, and the shy Manatee reside in the caves and mangrove systems
The park is
also home to the solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) a small insectivore mammal
(above) endemic from the island in the forest. Due to its remoteness,
rugged topography and seasonally heavy rainfall the park is accessible only
by boat
Los Haitises
park provides a home refuge and nesting sites for 112 species of birds
including Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Roseate Tern, Ridgeway's
Hawk (this is one of the last known nesting places in the world of this
species), Narrow-billed Tody, Least Grebe, Night Heron, , Great White Egret,
parrots & turtledoves.
Many unusal and colourful small reptiles & amphibians make their
home in Los Haitisis as well.
Los Haitises;
Flora:
Los Haitises is also a virtual botanical garden. Its varied flora
and fauna in its forests & mangrove swamps, includes more than 760
identified species of plants, 17 species of which are endemic to this one
small area. The Haitises’ vegetation includes a latifolias humid tropical
forest transforming into a semideciduous tropical forest in the keys and
mogotes by the coast.
Haitises' Caves & Caverns
:
The Dominican
Republic has the most extensive cave system in the Caribbean many
of which contain over 1000 year old artwork.
Los Haitises'
extensive cave-system with pictographs and petroglyphs is said to have
been created by the indigenous people of the island--the Tainos. The Taino
Indians dwelt in these limestone caves and left many cave drawings
and carvings on the walls, which can be easily seen when touring Los
Haitises.
Fossils & pre-Columbian remains have also been found in the caverns there.
Inside these caverns are magnificient formations of stalactite and
stalamites of stunning colours along with prehistoric art made from carvings
& drawings. Underground streams that run throughout the caverns can also be
seen.
