Santa Cruz De Barahona - Culture

Barahona is a region dominated by a rural and mountainous landscape. The presence of the Bahoruco Mountains (high protected place in the local indigenous language) and the extraordinary Enriquillo Lake (named in honor of the man who carried out the first indigenous, American uprising) endows the area with an historical and geographic appeal that is just beginning to be recognized by the public and private sectors. In addition, the lovely Caribbean coastline on which lie towns such as Los Patos (The Ducks), Paraiso (Paradise), Enriquillo, and Oviedo, as well as the Jaragua Natural Reserve (named after another of the main indigenious leaders) at the southern tip of the island act as a backdrop to this pretty town.

The present church of the Holy Cross occupies the same site as that first structure, made of wood with a galvanized sheet roof, built at the initiative of monsignor Meriño and consecrated in 1884. The later church was built around 1922, but was not consecrated until 1928 by Monseigneur Nouel, after the American military occupation.

Called the "Pearl of the South", the still undeveloped province Barahona has six magnificent beaches at Saladilla, Bahoruco, San Rafael, Los Patos, Paraíso and La Ciénaga. Most of these beaches also have rivers of warm waters that flow to the sea, allowing visitors to enjoy the beach and also wash off the salt in the same place. 

It is an excellent spot for tourists interested on a quiet vacation, with its unspoiled natural beaches and tropical forests. Among the many attractions of the area is crocodile sight-seeing in the salt water Lago Enriquillo, the largest lake in the Caribbean, where the island of Cabritos is a well-known nesting place for all type of alligators and a National Park.

Santa Cruz De Barahona has a population of some 60,000, making it the largest urban centre in this arid landscape. It is nevertheless pleasant due to its enviable location on the Caribbean Sea, hemmed in on one side by a pretty bay and on the other by impressive cliffs.

In fact, as with most towns in the country, the downtown area of Barahona developed around a central park, where strollers can sit and take a break before continuing their exploration of the Creole cottages, little shops and restaurants that line the streets. This town is typically Dominican. You can visit the lively public market near the central park.

Several modest hotels have been built and the area's first major hotel complex was recently completed. The local tourism industry is likely to take off in the coming years.