Most visited protected areas in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- Cotubanamá National Park, home to the renowned Saona Island, topped the list of most visited protected areas in the Dominican Republic last year, according to data released by the Ministry of the Environment. The park attracted a total of 808,090 visitors in 2024, including 781,461 foreign tourists, making it the most popular site among international visitors.

Among Dominican nationals, the most visited site was Laguna Grí-Grí in Río San Juan, which welcomed 266,713 local visitors out of a total of 288,822. In third place was the Cueva de los Tres Ojos Wildlife Refuge in Santo Domingo Este, drawing 279,041 visitors overall, including 227,876 foreigners, making it the second most visited site by international tourists.

Other top destinations included the Damajagua Falls in Puerto Plata with 210,677 visitors—35% of whom arrived via cruise ships—followed by Catalina Island (118,618), La Plata and La Navidad Banks (61,558), Jaragua National Park (52,668), El Limón Waterfall (44,720), Los Haitises (44,654), and Valle Nuevo (36,068).

Carlos Batista, Deputy Minister of Protected Areas and Biodiversity, attributed the increase in visitation to joint promotional efforts by the Ministries of Environment and Tourism. He also highlighted a RD$15 million investment currently underway to upgrade trails and access at El Limón Falls.

Looking ahead, Batista announced plans to introduce electronic ticketing to improve access and transparency in several protected areas, including Cayo Arena in Montecristi, Estero Hondo, Bahía de las Águilas, Sierra de Bahoruco, and Jaragua. He acknowledged the need for administrative reform, noting that current park managers are trained in conservation, not accounting. As a solution, ticketing responsibilities will be transferred to the Ministry’s administrative and financial coordination department.