El Penón Forest Reserve

El Penón Forest Reserve protects a one-of-a-kind dry forest ecosystem in the El Peñón area of Barahona. Its trails wind through karst formations and caves adorned with Taíno rock art, home to endemic species like the Hispaniolan parrot and the Ridgway's hawk. Perfect for guided ecotourism, birdwatching, and capturing those dramatic arid landscapes with the Caribbean as your backdrop. A hidden gem of biodiversity and ancestral culture in the Dominican southwest.

The reserve was established to safeguard the dry forest and coastal wetlands — critical for aquifer recharge and a sanctuary for endemic birds. Its name comes from the towering rocky cliff that dominates the landscape, a silent witness to generations of fishing life and a natural breakwater holding back coastal erosion.