06: Cruising: The Caribbean
Los Haitises National Park

Los Haitises National Park

We’ve swum in the infinity pools (both).
We’ve checked e-mail.
We’ve poked around Samana.
We’ve had pizza at the marina restaurant three nights in a row (good but not Colorado Boy good).

And we keep waiting for our weather window to Puerto Rico.

And we get antsy.

So…

 

Time to go to Los Hiatises National Park! Just a short ten mile sail across the bay.

Los Hiatuses is the closest we will get to the South Pacific without actually going there:

Dense, green jungle blankets steep mountains that rise, vertical, from the water.
Vines dangle in front of white cliffs.
Wee islands, miniature versions of their mainland parents, are sprinkled about the bay, housing pelicans, egrets.

 

Image 1
Mini jungle island.

 

Image 2
Cliffs.
Image 4
Island grouping.

 

Image 9
Lots of vines.

Image 5Image 6

 

Image 11
I get the idea in my head that I should see if these vines will hold my weight…
Image 12
And…they do! Phew.

 

 

We drop anchor at the base of one of the many jungle-encrusted cliff faces and Steve rafts up to us.

Image 3
(Rafting up means that the boat that rafts up does not drop their anchor – they simply tie lines from their boat to the boat that is anchored. In between the boats are fenders (think cushions). It’s a fun, social way to anchor).
Image 15
Slow Flight and Free Range: special friends.

 

On our dinghy exploration, we follow a mangrove stream up to a…farm? Horses stroll about, munching grass; there’s giant roosters, chickens, and guineas (?). We’ve been told there’s an “eco lodge / restaurant” back here so we dock the dinghy and start walking.

Image 26
Mangrove stream.
Image 36
Mangroves.
Image 24
Captain Steve!

 

Lo and Behold, a quarter mile down the dirt path, we come across said “eco lodge”. And out in the middle of seemingly nowhere? There’s gringos of every kind! There’s French gringos, American gringos, Red gringos, Blue gringos; There’s gringos with stars on their bellies and gringos with naught. Look at all the gringos!

 

Image 28

Image 27
On the lookout for food or eco hotel or whichever comes first.
Image 32
Eco lodge!
Image 33
The eco lodge complex includes a number of crazy buildings built out of mud, rock, wood, cement, stone. A mishmash of materials. Lots of streams and waterfalls, a few rock climbing routes, horseback riding, you name it…
Image 31
Kiddie pool up top.
Image 34
Monkeying around on the eco bridge
Image 35
Monkeying around in the eco pool.
Image 29
Water features everywhere.

 

It’s buffet time at the eco lodge so the boys partake and we split some grande Presidents.

This is so random.

Later that evening, after we make it back to our anchorage, we enjoy a boat meal (which are exponentially healthier than the marina pizza we’ve been inhaling lately) – grill up some mahi and wahoo that Steve caught; quinoa, couscous and some tinto vino (red wine en Espagnol) round out the meal.

The next day, more dinghy exploration: caves, and more jungle scenery followed by an excellent sail back to our Samana marina, Puerto Bahia.

 

Where we wait.

 

Image 8
We checked out a number of caves, some which were quite large and had petroglyphs.

 

Image 13
Ready to explore!
Image 14
Check out the hole in the roof of this cave where the roots of this tree grew down – look at me for scale!

 

Image 37
Where’s Sara?

 

 

7 thoughts on “Los Haitises National Park

    • Author gravatar

      SO amazing! in the last picture, wheres sarah the rock cliff on the right looks like a person crying into their hands. Im glad you stood in that picture i had no idea how big it was until i read the caption to look for you! Love you guys

    • Author gravatar

      Hello Sara and Stéphane,

      Thank you very much for all your ” Recent Post’s “. I take my hat off to you ! They are always so interesting and glorious documented. Please, keep up the good work.

      We wish you a nice time and all the best from Neyruz Mami and Papi

    • Author gravatar

      It’s a good thing you posted “where’s Sara” or I would have missed that one. And fortunatlely, after the first few weeks I realized I could enlarge the pictures – duh!

    • Author gravatar

      Hello Sara,Stéphane and Grandma,

      I learn very good englisch with the ” Recent post’s “. I had a Probleme to find Sara. When I read the reply from Grandma then I said ahaaaaa. Now we to look all pictures enlarge. Now we could see that you have attached too an Swiss flag.

      All the best Mami and Papi

    • Author gravatar

      hi guys did you get through Mona passage alright? I look forward to your posts ans improve my geography, we just came back from Cancun so between your travels and going there brushed up on all islands and you tan .

      • Author gravatar

        Hi Deepa!
        Yes, we crossed the Mona Passage without any issue last Friday & Saturday. We are now in Boqueron, Puerto Rico and enjoying exploring a new country. So glad you are following our posts!!

Leave a Reply to Sarah Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *