Los Haïtises

We arrived in Los Haïtises National Park – pronounced high-TEE-sis – in the late afternoon on January 31st.

It was really nice to be anchored out again after our rash of marina stays in TCI and the first few days here in DR. And despite what seems like at least a hundred oozy, itchy noseeum bites all over me (they were the thickest we’ve seen anywhere yet), I’d go back again in a heartbeat.

I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Anchored All By Our Lonesome in Los Haitises
Anchored All By Our Lonesome in Los Haitises
Anchored
Anchored
View From Our Anchorage
View From Our Anchorage
Okay, Last Shot of Us Anchored
Okay, Last Shot of Us Anchored

We got up on February 1st – which incidentally, marks the midway point of our adventure – and explored the park in the dinghy (which, if you ask me, is the only way to see this place).

Islet in San Lorenzo Bay
Islet (mini island) in San Lorenzo Bay
Another Islet
Another Islet
Cavern
Cavern
Channel Between Islets
Channel Between Islets
Steep, Cliffy Islet
Steep, Cliffy Islet
Puttin' Around in the Dinghy
Puttin’ Around in the Dinghy

We tied up at the dock near the Ranger’s station, paid the 100 pesos/per person entrance fee to the park, then toured the nearby caves (Cueva de la Arena).

Beach at Ranger's Station
Beach at Ranger’s Station
In the Caves
In the Caves

After touring Cueva de la Arena, we went in search of a mangrove-lined river that leads to the road to a very interesting “eco-lodge”, Paraiso Cano Hondo. It took us a while and a few wrong turns, but we eventually found it.

Mangroves
Mangroves

We motored slowly and enjoyed our picnic lunch along the way.

Motoring Among the Mangroves
Motoring Among the Mangroves

Here’s some video of the dinghy ride through the mangroves.

It’s about a fifteen minute walk from where we landed the dinghy to the lodge. Some of what we saw along the way…

Walking from the mangrove swamp to the eco-lodge
Walking from the mangrove swamp to the eco-lodge
Road to the Eco-Lodge
Road to the Eco-Lodge
Brook Near the Lodge
Brook Near the Lodge
These Guys Made a lot of Noise!
These Guys Made a lot of Noise!

The lodge and its network of ponds and waterfalls were pretty impressive.

Paraiso Cano Hondo
Paraiso Cano Hondo
Paraiso Cano Hondo
Paraiso Cano Hondo

Waterfalls and pools have been created in the stretch of the Jivales River that runs through the property.

Pools & Waterfalls
Pools & Waterfalls
More Pools & Waterfalls
More Pools & Waterfalls
And some more...
And some more…
Great View
Great View
Eco-Lodge
Eco-Lodge
Eco-Lodge
Eco-Lodge
Motor Bike (looks like an old one)
Motor Bike (looks like an old one) parked at the lodge
Last One...
Last One…

We left the lodge and made our way back through the mangroves, out into Bahia de San Lorenzo and on to the Cueva de la Línea, close to our anchorage (but which we had previously avoided because there was a tourist boat docked there).

Dinghy Ride to Cueva de la Línea
Dinghy Ride to Cueva de la Línea
Dinghy Ride to Cueva de la Línea
Dinghy Ride to Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea
Cueva de la Línea

Cueva de la Línea is also known as “The Temple” due to the large number of pictographs and petroglyphs left by the Tainos inhabitants hundreds of years ago.

Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs
Petroglyphs

By now the bugs were coming out so we made a hasty retreat back to the dinghy. We weren’t quite ready to go back to the boat yet, though, so we motored around a bit in search of a hurricane hole mentioned to us by a Spanish captain we met. We weren’t sure if this was the place he meant, but it was deep enough for a boat our size to get into and anchor.

Hurricane Hole Entrance?
Hurricane Hole Entrance?
Hurricane Hole
Hurricane Hole
Entrance to Hurricane Hole?
Hurricane Hole?
Hurricane Hole Exit
Hurricane Hole Exit

By now we’re getting pretty tired, and the bugs are chasing us around in the dinghy so we head back to the boat. Before I sign off, I’ll show you a little sampling of the wildlife – I can’t seem to get a good picture of a bird to save my iife (and there were PLENTY in the park). In fact, I was going to call this post “Holy Frigate!”, there were so many frigate birds around; and pelicans, and egrets, and a many, many we couldn’t identify.

Bird (he made pretty sounds)
Bird (he made pretty sounds)
Egrets
Unidentified birds
Egret
Egret

We’re not sure if this is true, but we heard from another tourist that these piles are the remains of a railroad built by Napoleon. They looked very old, but we weren’t able to confirm they were Napoleon’s piles.

Napoleon's Piles
Napoleon’s Piles

So we’re headed for Puerto Rico tonight. With strong winds and seas pushing through the sixty-mile straight separating the mountainous islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, the Mona passage has a reputation as rough stretch of ocean. The weather seems right, though, and we’ve read the advice from the experts, so tonight’s the night. We’re headed for Mayagüez to clear in, and if all goes well, it should take us about 30-35 hours to get there.

‘Til then…

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