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Central Highlands

Includes  Why Go? Santiago...... 182 Even die-hard beach fanatics will eventually overdose San José on sun and sand. When you do, the cool, mountainous de las Matas...... 188 playground of the Central Highlands is the place to come: La Vega...... 189 where else can you sit at dusk, huddled in a sweater, and Jarabacoa ...... 190 watch the mist descend into the valley as the sun sets behind the mountains? Popular retreats, roaring rivers, Parques Nacionales Bermúdez soaring peaks and the only white-water rafting in the Car- & Ramírez...... 196 ibbean beckon. Down below in the plains of the Valle del is where merengue spontaneously erupted onto the Constanza...... 199 musical landscape, and where you’ll find some of the best East of Santiago. . . . . 201 Carnival celebrations in the country. Economic life in the Central Highlands revolves around Santiago, the Domini- can Republic’s second-largest city and the capital of a vast tobacco- and sugarcane-growing region. So it goes without Best Places saying that a visit here requires sipping rum and puffing to Eat a local cigar. ¨¨Aroma de la Montana (p195) ¨¨Il Pasticcio (p185) When to Go ¨¨Camp David (p185) ¨¨Some of the DR’s most raucous Carnival celebrations take place in Santiago and La Vega in February and March. ¨¨La Baita (p194) ¨¨It is dry in the area around Santiago in January to March ¨¨De Parrillada (p195) and June to August ¨¨Mountain towns such as Jarabacoa and Constanza are cooler year-round; temperatures can fall below freezing at Best Places night. to Sleep ¨¨Rancho Baiguate (p194) ¨¨Tubagua Plantation Eco- Village (p155) ¨¨Alto Cerro (p200) ¨¨Camp David (p184) ¨¨Jarabacoa Mountain Hostel (p193) Central Highlands GGEettiTTIngNG TTHhereERE & AwAWaAyY 181 13 2

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V Elías Piña Dajabón Lago Cristi (p196 Duarte Pico White-water White-water ) is the third-largest airport in the coun 18 Monte Enriquillo Restauración DAJABÓN Getting There & Away 8 COMENDADOR DEL REY (ELÍAS PIÑA) 45 Caribbean’s only raftable raftable only Caribbean’s Yaque the turbulent Río river, . Jarabacoa near del Norte (p191 rafting the Caribbean’s Scaling at and lingering peak highest views. in the take to the top 2 Central Highlands Highlights 1 302 Santiago sits on the main trunk highway that H A I T I Capotillo Santiago’s Aeropuerto I Aeropuerto Santiago’s (p try and offers frequent international service to major destinations 8 car-rental agencies at the airport runs north from to Puerto Plata,