Damajaguas Nature Walk, Butterflies & Cultural Experience

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a leisurely walk to a series of waterfalls for a refreshing swim and then experience the local culture by shopping for handicrafts before visiting a butterfly sanctuary. The source of the cascades is the Damajagua River, a cool crystal-clear stream that tumbles through the mountains forming waterfalls of varying heights. You will have time to swim in the placid pools below the cascades and admire the natural setting before continuing on to a craft market. A sampling of fresh-brewed coffee and a chocolate sweet will serve to whet your appetite for the sumptuous buffet lunch that follows at the nearby hacienda La Huerta. Most of the ingredients for your lunch will have been grown in the gardens that surround this former sugar plantation. Another serene setting awaits at the butterfly sanctuary nearby, the only such place on the northern coast. You can expect to see butterflies ranging from monarchs to malachites.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through a serene tropical jungle where the only sounds are those of nature.
• Enjoy a refreshing swim in the pools below the Damajagua waterfalls.
• Browse the shops in a country market and savor a cup of coffee and local chocolates.
• Dine on traditional Dominican dishes at a hacienda on what was once a sugar plantation.
• Sample a selection of rums from a distillery that was founded in 1888.
• Stroll the serene garden paths in a butterfly sanctuary.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring a towel, hat and sunscreen.
• bring a swimsuit and towel.