PICO DUARTE

An excursion to Pico Duarte is an extraordinary experience! The ascent to the highest peak in the Caribbean, which reaches an altitude of 3,098 m, is demanding but unforgettable (if you are well equipped). The variations in altitude and temperature as well as the difficulty of the ascent on barely marked and steep paths require excellent physical condition and an iron will. The 23-kilometre (46-kilometre return) hike takes two to three days, through a changing and majestic landscape, sometimes arid, sometimes shrouded in a mystical mist. On the first day, we cover the La Cienega-La Comparticion route (2,450 m) where the visitors' centre serves as a stopover, and the next day we reach the peak at night in a few hours.

Itis in the village of La Cienega, at an altitude of 1,100 m, 55 km from Jarabacoa via Constanza, that you will buy the permit giving access to the national park, for the modest sum of 100 pesos. To do the hike in good conditions, it is essential to hire a local guide, the only ones qualified for this kind of hike (daily budget: 200 pesos per person, plus 300 pesos for a transport mule, 350 pesos for a saddle mule, and 400 pesos for the guide). Hikers wishing to save their strength can make part of the journey on the back of a mule - to be negotiated with local farmers who offer mules used to the rigours of this climb.