Constanza

Constanza is the Dominican Republic's alpine jewel and the country's best-kept interior secret. Nestled in a Cordillera Central valley at 4,000 feet above sea level, its cool climate and lush green landscape offer a refreshing surprise for travelers escaping the tropical heat. The country's leading agricultural producer, Constanza fills its highland fields with strawberries, lettuces, export flowers, and seasonal vegetables in a scene you wouldn't expect in the tropics. Valle Nuevo National Park preserves the Caribbean's only pine and myrtle forests, where dawn temperatures can dip below freezing. Constanza isn't for everyone—but travelers who discover it always return, enchanted by this unlikely piece of mountain Europe in the heart of the Caribbean.