Why is Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic so special?
Besides being home to some of the most proudest locals you will ever meet, Jarabacoa is a favorite region amongst Dominicans. If you met a native to Jarabacoa, you will know it, they love and praise Jarabacoa like it is the Shangri-La of the world. The local pride is real! I know first hand, I live with one. Jarabacoa is located in the center of the country in La Vega Province of Dominican Republic, known for its lush green, mountainous terrain and pine trees. A favorite destination for Dominicans who can afford to have a second home. Jarabacoa is a well organized town. Jarabacoa’s tag line is “DONDE SIEMPRE ES PRIMAVERA!” meaning “WHERE IT’S ALWAYS SPRING!”. If you ask a local anything about Jarabacoa, they are sure to mention their tagline. From my very personal experience the locals are extremely patriotic to the fullest, very proud of their town. It’s a fairly big town, keep in mind the mountains, hills, curves and small valleys. The climate in Jarabacoa is of cooler, fresh temperatures, hot days are extremely hot as expected, but mostly comfortable cooler temperatures. Getting to Jarabacoa directly, the best airport will be the Santiago airport, about 45 minutes away.
7 to do’s in Jarabacoa
1) River Jimenoa
2) La Confluencia
The Confluencia, the actual meeting point of two rivers, the Jimenoa and Yaque del Norte rivers, look at the color contrast. The Yaque del Norte is the second largest river in Dominican Republic.
3). Parador Corazón de Jesús Restaurant
This restaurant is on our list for two reasons, one for delicious grilled food and two for the stunning mountain views.
5) Salto de Jimenoa
This is the entrance, unfortunately, the waterfall entry was closed.
6) Malecón de Jarabacoa Picnic, BBQ, Horseback Riding, Kids activities
This place gets packed during holidays and weekends, get there early if planning to spend the entire day.
7) Jamaca De Dios Restaurant, Beautiful Views
Jamaca de Dios means God’s hammock. This restaurant is located in a private residential gated community, all the way at the top. The guards are very strict, you are only getting pass the gates if you have a confirmed reservation or are a resident. This is a very unique restaurant with good attractions while dining, the restaurant rotates, giving you 360 degrees views (reminds of Windows of the World at the World Trade Center, a very delicious restaurant in Manhattan, NYC, giving you 360 degrees views of the city and New Jersey while fine dining, no longer there.). We had dinner at this restaurant, will reserve the experience and maybe will visit again next time, maybe then, we can recommend the food. The main attraction for this restaurant are the views and the paragliding you can book through the restaurant, making it all worth the hype.
Restaurant’s entrance
Beautiful rotating restaurant
The local culture
around town
final thoughts
If visiting Dominican Republic for a few weeks, you definitely must visit Jarabacoa. It’s different than all the beaches being promoted to the world, there are no beaches in Jarabacoa, there are beautiful rivers. Dominican Republic is a Caribbean and tropical island full of natural gems you must experience and Jarabacoa is a green hub to experience. And, if looking to invest in real estate in Jarabacoa, you will come across many new development opportunities that are breathtaking with wonderful amenities and personally, because this is a very different from the rest of the country, I tend to believe that any investments in Jarabacoa are much safer.