Dominican Republic's Southwestern Region Attractions

Barahona is a large urban center overlooking Bahiá de Neiba.

Barahona exists mainly on mining and sugarcane farming but also offers hotels and an airport.

Diving is interesting on the marine terraces off Barahona's cliffs where shallow seas breed fish and crustaceans.

The treasure of the 18th C pirate, Cofresi is said to be buried here.

During the city's patron saint festivities in the first week on October there a performances of the regional dance, the carabiné.

In Columbus' time the area was ruled by the female chief Anacaona.

Reserva Científica Laguna Rincón protects and studies the largest freshwater lagoon in the Dominican Republic. Found here are Hispaniolan freshwater slider turtles, Louisiana herons, and Florida flamingos.

Parque Nacional Jaragua, is the largest protected area in the country stretching for 1,374 sq km/522sq mi across the southern tip of the Pedernales Peninsula and contains the Beata and Alto Vela islands off the southwest coast.

130 bird species are found here including the Dominican Republic's largest population of flamingos at the Oviedo Lagoon.

Relatively arid, much of the park is covered by a thorn forest of cactus.

Las Caritas is an archeological zone with pre-Hispanic cave art and a cliff adorned with smiling-faced petroglyphs.

Sierra del Bahoruco is an uninhabited and practically inaccessible mountain range. The highest mountain in the Dominican side of the range is the 2,367m/7,764ft Loma del Toro.

A wide variety of plants are found here including 52 percent of the Dominican Republic's orchids. 49 species of birds have been sited on these hillsides.

The lush and mountainous Parque Nacional Sierra de Bahoruco is an area of great diversity of ecosystems which range from dry forest at sea level to the humid forest in the mountains.

The area is home to the greatest density of the country's orchids. Lizards, snakes and small mammals are found within its woods.