Known for offering exceptional bird watching and mountain trekking opportunities, Valle Nuevo National Park is one of Constanza’s crown jewels. Past the exit to the Aguas Blancas waterfall, the road climbs toward a mountaintop mesa at an altitude of more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), surrounding you with tall pine and green ebony trees. This protected area, known as “Madre de las Aguas” or the mother of water sources, boasts multiple rivers that supply the country, with temperatures hovering between 14°C (57°F) and 22°C (71°F). In December, they can drop to below zero, with frost and even ice on occasion. Valle Nuevo’s biodiversity is astounding: stretching 902 square kilometers (348 square miles), the park encompasses cloud forest, highland plains, and vast savannas of alpine grass hugged by rocky mountains, home to over 500 species of plants, of which 138 are endemic to Valle Nuevo, as well as numerous species of amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, and birds. It’s the sort of cold, remote, and lush mountainous landscape you won’t see anywhere else in the country, with a myriad of opportunities to commune in nature–hiking, horseback riding or biking around criollo pines, and near mist-covered peaks. Tucked deep amid this scenery is an eco-lodge, the only one located within the limits of Valle Nuevo National Park.
Ébano Verde Scientific Reserve
The scientific reserve boasts altitudes ranging from a low 245 meters (800 feet) to a high 1,565 meters (5,135 feet), home to over 600 species of flora and fauna, including over 100 bird species, giant tree frogs, lizards, and over 80 species of orchids.
Researchers believe this archaeological site once served as an important sanctuary of the indigenous Tainos. Hike your way slowly around its gargantuan rocks, carved with petroglyphs of Taino faces.
Near Santo Cerro, discover the archeological ruins of the original town Christopher Columbus founded in 1494, classified as a national park. Archaeologists continue to study the excavated foundations of the old city once prosperous between 1505 and 1510.
This pyramid-shaped monument sits at an altitude of around 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). Spanish artisans carved the two cone-shaped structures as a symbol of their gratitude for the completion of the San José de Ocoa-Constanza road in 1958.
Ride your way around Constanza’s scenic valleys, vegetable fields, and narrow town roads. The entire area was made for cycling adventures. Wind your way around various vegetable plantations.
Agua Blancas waterfall, one of the highest altitude cascades in the Caribbean, tumbles 83 meters (272 feet), splattering into a large and cold jade pool hugged by a terrain blanketed in tall pine and green ebony trees. Footbridges and a wooden platform allow you observe the falls from a near distance, and you can step down closer to its lower pools.
The trail passes over a small canyon, and takes you through a savannah of “pajón”–a spiky bush sitting near the foot of pine trees. You will spot numerous bird species on your walk, from the Hispaniolan Parrot to the Hispaniolan Emerald hummingbird, among many others.
Go on a nature walk inside the thick forests of Valle Nuevo National Park–with over 500 species of flora, and an abundance of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. This trail leads you on an easy hike through a fern forest, where you will spot a great variety of ferns and terrestrial orchids.
This photogenic valley features thick blankets of pine trees, rolling green hills, and cool air, all ideal for outdoor adventures. Explore on foot, dip in fresh water, horseback ride, or brave the climb to the peak of El Tetero.
Known for offering exceptional bird watching and mountain trekking opportunities, Valle Nuevo is one of Constanza’s crown jewels. At an altitude of more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), it is home to over 500 species of plants–138 endemic to Valle Nuevo–as well as numerous species of amphibians and butterflies.
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