Cold water at the Las Barías swimming spot, petroglyphs at Las Caritas and the landscapes of the Sierra de Bahoruco give Independencia a clear focus on nature and culture. These are different considerations when planning your trip: a swimming spot, boat trips with wildlife viewing, and landscapes of mountains, plains and dry forest. This variety helps you plan your trip around your preferred focus; the individual sites and areas should be considered separately.

Geographic setting of Independencia

Independencia is located in the Enriquillo region and covers 1,952.29 km². The province borders Elías Piña to the north, Bahoruco and Barahona to the east, Pedernales to the south, and Haiti to the west. It is therefore a provincial destination with several regional points of reference, not a single place. The destinations described below include places in La Descubierta and natural areas that extend across provincial borders.

Water and excursions from La Descubierta

Visitors can swim in cold water at the Las Barías swimming spot, which is surrounded by large trees. The cold water and tree cover define this swimming spot. Las Barías therefore offers a different experience from a trip on Lago Enriquillo, where wildlife viewing is the main focus.

Boat trips on Lago Enriquillo and to Isla Cabritos are offered from La Descubierta. These trips provide opportunities to observe the island’s native and endemic flora and fauna. Check locally before your trip to confirm whether the excursion is currently operating. This lets you choose between a swimming spot and an outing focused on observing the island as two different nature experiences.

A few kilometres from La Descubierta are the office and main entrance to Lago Enriquillo e Isla Cabritos National Park. The visitor centre has an exhibition about the national park and a viewpoint. The exhibition and viewpoint offer a different focus from the boat trips: here, the emphasis is on information about the national park and the view from the visitor centre. Check current access arrangements before planning a specific visit.

Rock art at Las Caritas

At Las Caritas, a series of wooden steps leads to a wooden platform directly in front of the open rock chambers. Las Caritas de Los Indios has numerous petroglyphs engraved into rock walls. They point to the presence of the Taíno thousands of years ago. The rock chambers and engravings offer two distinct perspectives on the site: the steps and platform describe its physical layout, while the petroglyphs reflect its cultural significance. If you are planning a visit, check access arrangements in advance.

Mountains, plains and natural monuments

Sierra de Bahoruco National Park extends across the provinces of Independencia, Pedernales and Barahona and includes a large part of the Sierra de Bahoruco. It covers more than 1,000 km². The park’s landscapes include mountains, plains and dry forests; its highest point is over 2,000 metres above sea level. The park is therefore a large natural area with varied landscapes, extending beyond Independencia alone.

The province’s natural monuments include Las Caobas, Los Cacheos and Manantiales de las Barías. Together, they cover approximately 161.98 km². This figure refers to the three natural monuments collectively; Sierra de Bahoruco National Park is another, much larger landscape area. This makes it possible to distinguish protected areas by type and size without treating them as a single place.

Dry forest is the typical vegetation around Lago Enriquillo, with mangroves growing in some places. This adds another type of vegetation around the destination to the mountain and plain landscapes. When choosing a nature theme, you can distinguish between the mountain landscapes of the Sierra, the protected natural monuments, and the vegetation around the lake.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Las Salinas, Puerto Escondido, Sanchez Ramirez, Santo Domingo, María Trinidad Sánchez, Barahona, Samaná, Dajabón.

For the broader travel overview: Dominican Republic.