Caribbean Volcanoes - Discover the Dominican Republic

The area near the Caribbean Sea houses different volcanic formations with varying levels of activity. In the case of the volcanoes in the Dominican Republic, they are geological formations located in La Vega and San Juan, which can be visited safely. Next, we will tell you which volcanoes you can visit in the Dominican Republic and what their characteristics are.

General Aspects of the Volcanoes in the Dominican Republic

After various studies, it is known that volcanic activity in the Dominican Republic concluded more than 300,000 years ago; therefore, the current volcanic formations pose no danger to nearby areas. 

We cannot, therefore, speak of dormant volcanoes or those waiting to resume their activity, since the period of activity of our volcanoes is between 300,000 and 700,000 years for the oldest formations. In any case, during these periods, there were a series of volcanic eruptions that shaped part of our landscapes, especially in very localized regions.  

The two areas where we can visit volcanic landscapes in the Dominican Republic are San Juan and La Vega; these municipalities preserve geological remnants that demonstrate that during the Quaternary period, there were a series of volcanic explosions in the center of the country, which generated cones that we can still visit today.   

Visiting Volcanoes in San Juan de la Maguana

One of the historical curiosities about the volcanoes in this area of the Dominican Republic is that Fray Bartolomé de las Casas already noted the presence of volcanoes during Columbus's second voyage in 1493; at this time, he wrote in his chronicles about witnessing a column of smoke rising from a mountain in the San Juan area. 

San Juan is an area with a high presence of volcanic rock, so it is evident that at some point its volcanoes have been active. In 1969, American technicians confirmed the presence of at least 5 craters that, although totally inactive, would have been the origin of the volcanic rock in the area.  

Today, one can fly over the area to verify that, indeed, the 5 craters still exist. It is also possible to reach the volcanic area via hiking routes without any danger due to its inactivity. 

Currently, the volcanic landscape of San Juan de la Maguana allows us to know the highest part of the cones formed, probably around 400,000 years ago. The fact that they are formed due to volcanic eruptions makes the landscape of these areas quite unique.  

El Alto de la Bandera, in La Vega

La Vega, in the Dominican Republic, has a protected area known as the Valle Nuevo Natural Park. In this enclave, we can visit the fourth highest peak in the Dominican Republic, El Alto de la Bandera, which is nothing more than an extinct volcano, whose caldera was originally a valley.  

Between 1916 and 1924, a team of surveyors studied the area in search of the origin of the mountain formation; we now know that this elevation originated from a series of volcanic eruptions that were responsible for giving the area a very high presence of magmatic stones. 

One of the advantages of El Alto de la Bandera is that it is relatively close to the capital, Santo Domingo. In just over an hour, one can reach La Vega and enjoy an impressive route around the area near the peak, reaching the summit. El Alto de la Bandera is located in the Valle Nuevo National Park, so this visit offers us an incomparable natural setting.    

The area closest to the peak is the Valle Encantado; in this part of La Vega, you can enjoy some of the best hiking trails in the Dominican Republic. It is a very particular area, as it was artificially created, through the cutting down of trees that was carried out during periods before the area was protected. 

Mountainous Areas of the Dominican Republic

Unlike other areas of Central America and the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic does not have a large presence of volcanic formations within its territory, although we have seen that there are indeed remnants of inactive volcanoes for many years. 

In any case, the Dominican orography does feature large mountainous areas that are part of our landscape. Beyond the volcanoes in the Dominican Republic, the most important peaks in the country are Pico Duarte (3,087 meters) and Pico la Pelona (3,085 meters), both located in the Central Mountain Range.  

In addition to the Central Mountain Range, other mountain ranges present in the Dominican Republic include the Yamasá Mountain Range, the Seibo Mountain Range, the Samaná Mountain Range, the Bahoruco Mountain Range, and the Neiba Mountain Range.    

The Dominican Republic is a paradise waiting to be discovered; at Noval Properties, we have worked for more than 19 years in this country, and we continue to develop real estate projects in the most tourist areas of the country. If you want to learn about our work as promoters of real estate in the Dominican Republic, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

If you would like more information on how to invest in our projects, contact us at sales@novalproperties.com