Piscina Natural and the Giant Red-Cushion Starfish in the Dominican Republic

One of the main highlights of the Dominican Republic is a visit to “Piscina Natural”. This incredible place offers guests the unique opportunity to stand knee-deep on a sand bank in the Caribbean Sea in the National Park of the East. Piscina Natural really is one of the amazing treasures the Dominican Republic has to offer. Admire the Giant Red Cushion Starfish in their natural habitat.

Piscina Natural sandbank - Dominican Republic

The number of excursions offered is vast, but there is one that always conquers the heart of tourists: the excursion to Saona island.

Saona is a tropical island located on the southeast of the Dominican Republic and only a few minutes away from the mainland. The island is famous for the beauty of its pristine beaches and because it is part of the protected area of the National Park of the East.

Not everyone knows that Saona is a favourite place for Sea Turtles to lay their eggs.

Baby Sea Turtle - Mano Juan village, Saona Island

The seas around Saona island are rich in wildlife and represent an authentic, uncontaminated paradise for divers, snorkelers and for all tourists in general. Piscina Natural (Spanish for “Natural Swimming Pool”) amazes every single tourist that visits it every day.

Piscina Natural is a lucky mandatory stop on the way to Saona Island.

This large, shallow sand bank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea is well known not only for its stunning beauty but also for the indigenous Giant Red Cushion Starfish that inhabit the area.

During the visit, everybody will be given the chance to learn about these gorgeous animals. Tourists are allowed to touch and take a picture with the starfish as long as they respect the guide’s instructions to handling them. Indeed, starfish are just like fish and they breathe filtering the oxygen out of water. Giant Red Cushion Starfish generally have five “legs”, each of them ending in an eye that perceives movement.

When starfish mate, they position one next to the other, the male releases the semen while the female releases the eggs, which are fertilized in the water.

Starfish usually live up to ten years of age and are some of the most primitive but wonderful creatures on Earth.

Visit Piscina Natural and the starfish on the Saona Crusoe VIP Tour offered by SeavisTours - the leader in Eco Tours in the Dominican Republic.

An unusual possibility to see one of the most stunning and rarest flowers around the world!

Bayahibe is a port town of around 3000 citizens on the extreme southeast corner of the Dominican Republic. For years, Bayahibe existed as a fishing and farming area essentially unspotted by vacationers. Nevertheless, in the last years or so, vacationers are more and more drawn to this enchanting seaside town. This is specifically true for vacationers looking for a much more real encounter compared to the all-inclusive resort scene. Bayahibe has much to show for to the tourist, boosting tourist attractions that have actually not been totally uncovered yet, at least not by the masses.

One tourist attraction of Bayahibe is the rare opportunity to see one of the most lovely and rarest flowers on the planet! This vividly pink floral belongs to a cactus variety that is now noted as seriously endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The scientific name is Pereskia quisqueyana and there is a little grove of 17 Pereskia quisqueyana "trees" behind the regional college. This cactus generally flowers from April through September.

I wish to point out just how ultra rare this lovely cactus is now and exactly what an unusual possibility it is to see this flower. It is just found at Bayahibe and as a result has actually been nicknamed the "Bayahibe Rose." Researchers believe that the Bayahibe Rose once had much broader distribution throughout the Caribbean. The residents have actually really taken up the cause o the Bayahibe Rose and numerous have actually begun growing them in their yards. Nevertheless, the best and most regular location to see it is still at the point behind the school.

For more info: http://www.seavisbayahibe.com

The Dominican Government recognizes the relevance of its Bayahibe Rose and has actually taken actions to safeguard this variety. In addition, it has actually now been named the National Flower and the Reserve bank of the Dominican Republic will start printing paper money in 2014 that will consist of a photo of it. This is absolutely something to look for in future travels to the Dominican Repubic.

 

The Parque Nacional del Este In the Dominican Republic is a wonderland for the eco vacationer

The "Parque Nacional del Este" In the Dominican Republic is also known by its English name, "East National Park" or "National Park of the East." This huge park is found in the southeastern corner of the Dominican Republic in the province of La Altagracia, less than an hour from the Punta Cana airportcoast. The location makes it a simple target for visitors staying in Punta Cana resorts. They could go there in the morning, have a rewarding day of exploration, and afterwards return to at night for dinner and leisure. For many, actually, these Punta Cana journeys to the park end up being the highlight of their trip to the Dominican Republic.

The Parque Nacional del Este was established on September 16, 1975. Within its borders, more than 190267 acres of environmentally and culturally significant land were maintained. The East National Park consists of a lowland with tropical moist broadleaf woodlands,  salt water lagoons, mangroves, and grassy seasides. The biodiversity of the park is incredible with more than 570 species living there. It is the home of numerous endangered species consisting of 4 species of sea turtles and numerous threatened bird varieties. The marine part of the park includes Saona Island, Catalinita Island, Catalina Island, and numerous smaller sized offshore islands.

The Parque Nacional del Este is also riddled with cave systems carved out of limestone, sinkholes, and underground lakes. The caverns consist of many Taino artefacts and there are unspoiled instances of Taino art work on the wall surfaces of the caverns. The Taino indians were the indigenous people who prospered in the region prior to 1492 when Christopher Columbus and other Europeans arrived. They were a fairly peaceful people and had a complicated society. There are still numerous Taino archaelogical remains to be discovered in the caverns and elsewhere within the Parque Nacional del Este.

Of course, the Parque Nacional del Este has a special appeal for eco-tourism and the very best journeys into the park are led by eco-tour operators who have an important affinity for the nature and culture within and a special passion and ability in passing on these treasures to their tour group.

One such eco-tour driver in the Dominican Republic is Seavis Tours. As a matter of fact, their Saona Island tour is ranked # 1 in the country. They also have numerous other Punta Cana journeys into the Parque Nacional del Este consisting of a new tour to the inside of the park. Select the link to find out even more.

Bayahibe is the location of the oldest settlement in the whole Caribbean

From the late 1800's, Bayahibe has been a beachfront community of hands on hard working fishermen and farmers. The Dominicans in Bayahibe work hard and play hard. They know how to live off the land and they have a certain vision for how they desire their town to grow (and not to grow).

Bayahibe was founded by Puerto Rican fishermen in 1874 but there is solid archaeological evidence that people occupied this stunning area as early as 2000 BC. In fact, present day Bayahibe is the earliest human settlement that has been found in the Caribbean. Consider this: 2000 BC is 2400 years prior to the indigenous Taino individuals arrived! Archeologists, chroniclers, and others are still attempting to resolve the secrets regarding the surges of earlier individuals that occupied the area, their culture, how long they stayed, and why they left. It is also believed that Christopher Columbus arrived in among the protected Bayahibe bays in Sept 14 - 15, 1494 and might have sent out guys ashore for fresh products.

Bayahibe could be a truly fun place to simply hang out. There are beachfront coffee shops and bars where you could wile away the hours by the gleaming sea seeing the speedboats come in and go out and people watch certainly. The majority of the houses are wooden and coated in dynamic colours that truly stand apart in the tropical environment. If you walk around the town, you'll also observe conch shells and chickens in numerous of the yards. Besides being snuggled on not one but two beach bays, there are fresh water lagoons in the center of town that act as social gathering locations. Great place to mingle with the residents!

The Bayahibe harbor is an area with lots of buzz and an encounter all unto itself. You could see the menagerie of boats parading in and out each day and what an unique spectacle it is! You'll view everything from fishermen working with old typical fishing boats, called jolas, with their paint peeling right along side contemporary fiberglass dual hulled catamarans whisking tourists to Saona and other overseas islands. You'll view some Dominicans using upgraded motor boats for fishing along side regal cruising boats. Some tourists to Bayahibe get a bang out of making a special factor of seeing all the boats leave in the early morning and come back at night. While the Bayahibe harbor is a contemporary one, it is also typical to view the jolas tied to the base of a hand tree!

Diving and snorkeling are still preferred activities around Bayahibe. The water around Bayahibe is calmer than what you'll find on both the north coast and east coast of the Dominican Republic. This is due to the fact that Bayahibe remains on the Caribbean Sea whereas the Dominican north coast and east coast remains on the Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean Sea is much calmer than the Atlantic Ocean and you'll also locate the beaches to have finer whiter sand. 

Don't hestitate, pay a visit to this beautiful village. Check the excursions of SeavisTours.