Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, has stories to tell in every corner of its buildings and streets. The rich history of this country and its cities has inspired countless stories, books, poems and songs, always full of mysticism and a sense of human warmth that, on the real plane, exists. The people of this Caribbean island embrace, without using their arms, someone who is dedicated to exploring urban paths and natural parks, including Los Tres Ojos National Park.
Among all those stories that the inhabitants of the Dominican Republic tell proudly, is that of this destination, located in the eastern part of Santo Domingo, on the road that connects the capital with the fashionable paradise: Punta Cana.
This authentic natural miracle was discovered in 1916, by the intervention of North American explorers. It is believed that it was a single underground lake, but that due to a telluric movement it separated into four; There are three aquatic spaces that are only visible if you go down the stairs created with the same rock that the place houses. Another larger lake can be seen from the surface.
The four lakes, which look very similar to the thousands of cenotes that can be found in Yucatan, have different names: Lago Azufre, La Nevera, Lago de las Damas and Los Zaramagullones. In the latter there is a species of endemic amphibians, the zaramagullones, which is why its name was inherited from the lake, whose depth - like that of the other streams in the area - is approximately 6 meters.
Tour guides explain to visitors the theory about the emergence of these separate lakes. In addition, they clarify that, for more than 20 years, the "baths" - nailed, swimming - are prohibited, since it is much easier to preserve the place without tourists entering and leaving the water.
Trees with thorns all over the trunk, bridges that resemble the adventures of Otto Lidenbrock through the center of the earth, an extremely hot sensation and more than 400 steps make this experience a must in Santo Domingo. Friendly with all members of potential visiting groups.
Due to its location, right on the highway that connects Punta Cana with Santo Domingo, any Dominican points to Los Tres Ojos National Park as an obligatory stop if you travel from the paradise of the east of the island to Santo Domingo, or vice versa; Two of the most luxurious hotels in the Dominican capital, the JW Marriott (at the Blue Mall) and the Rennaissance Jaragua, are well located if you intend to stay in mid-points of Santo Domingo from where it is easy to transport yourself.
To cross La Nevera - named after the almost zero sunlight that falls to that point - it is necessary to board a raft driven by park workers. Here you can hear the bats that crowd between the stone walls and the drops of water that descend from the stalactites.
Los Tres Ojos National Park amazes for its beauty, which added to the quality of the guides and sellers of amber and larimar that you find at the end of the route, generate an adventure worth sharing.
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