Find Adventure in Jarabacoa

Hike to the highest peak in the Caribbean

At Manabao in Jarabacoa you can book a hiking excursion to Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the country and the entire Caribbean. A full hike will take you three days to get to the peak. On the way there you'll trek through incredible landscapes, across raging rivers, prehistoric-looking jungled valleys, and wildlife reserves. Climb the tallest peak in the Caribbean and brag about it for the rest of your life.

Visit Valle del Tetero

This beautiful valley, halfway to the top of Pico Duarte mountain, is a pristine place for camping and wild-swimming in the river. Many hikers on their way to the peak fall in love with the Valle del Tetero and decide to camp here for a few days and just relax, cook over the campfires and swim in the river before continuing the hike to the top.

River rafting

The only white water rafting river in the entire Caribbean is right here in the central highlands of the Dominican Republic. A once in a lifetime exhilarating experience not to be missed, rafting the Yaque Del Norte is a serious departure from the beaches and golf resorts the DR is famous for. Rafting tours start at just USD $50 per person. Read more about when to go, what to expect and how to book on our guide to white water rafting in the central highlands.

Paragliding

Some agencies at Jarabacoa offer paragliding tours. Accompanied by a professional pilot, you can soar above the Jarabacoa valleys.

You'll find several specialty restaurants in Jarabacoa, bars and coffee shops to enjoy a drink or a snack.

Jamaca de Dios Restaurant

Located at the top of Jamaca de Dios, a tall mountain in Jarabacoa, this restaurant offers delicious food while the visitors enjoy the breathtaking view of Jarabacoa mountains and rivers. The restaurant is a 15 minute drive from central Jarabacoa.

El Taíno restaurant

Offers an open buffet of delicious, diverse, authentic Dominican food.

Tostado restaurant

Serves up gigantic juicy burgers with generous side dishes. One of their huge servings is often enough for two people. There are other options on the menu, but the gigantic burgers are the crowd favorite by a country mile. There's live music on weekends.

Jarabacoa Food Truck Park

This is a more informal option, where you can find delicious Dominican food, Mexican and Colombian dishes, pizza and international cuisine at great prices. There's a children's playground and interesting art murals to look at while you lunch.

Venue Bar and Lounge and Entre Amigos Disco and Bar

If you want to have a drink, a snack and enjoy the Jarabacoa nightlife, Venue Bar are two of the best options.

Jarabacoa offers plenty of options from guests houses and small boutique hotels to high quality resort-style hotels. Some of the hotels in the area are: Gran Jimenoa Hotel, Rancho Tierra Alta, Jarabacoa River Club and Resort, Rancho Olivier Hotel and the Mi Vista Mountain Resort.

We recommend the Rancho Baiguate - a camp-like complex outside Jarabacoa great for arranging outdoor tours - and the Jarabacoa Mountain Hostel (also known as the Santo Cerro Natural Park Hostel), a great place for swapping adventure stories with other travelers in relatively posh comfort.

Read our full guide to the best hotels in Jarabacoa!

Written by Nora Pérez.

Published August 2020