Where to stay in Los Haitises:

If you’re visiting Los Haitises for more than a day, you’ll need a place to stay, and there’s no better place than Paraiso Caño Hondo.

Nestled at the base of a hillside at the easternmost entrance of the park, this hotel might not initially seem like the conventional archetype of luxury, but just 24 hours here will blow conventions out of the water.

The hotel is well integrated into the hillside and no two rooms are alike, to take full advantage of every square inch of the hotel’s unique architecture.

Mostly made of stone and mortar, it feels almost as if the whole place had just been carved out of the hills.

Each room has its own little balcony, and a hammock, for your relaxation needs.

Caño Hondo prides itself for its eco-friendliness, so you won’t find air-con here, but the shade is enough. And if for some reason it isn’t, you can go chill in the series of quasi-natural pools and waterfalls, also fashioned out of stone and mortar, which temporarily redirect the river after which the hotel was named.

There are also a couple simple zip-lines over the pools to keep the kids occupied while you read a book, or while you float about in an inner tube ;)

At night, the dimly lit hotel does its best to light up the way for its guests without competing with the stars up above.

Each room has a spectacular view of the Samaná bay to the north, and magnificent countryside to the east.

You’ll notice (although barely. Sorry for the less-than-optimal image quality, these are mostly screen shots from a video walkthrough) the chairs lined up on top of the hill on the left. Those are there for the early-birds wishing to see the sun rise peacefully over acres of near-sea-level flatlands. WOW.

Also, if you’re on a budget, that’s the platform you’ll be pitching your tent on for a mere $10 a night.

All in all, this hotel offers an incredibly restful night’s sleep, wonderfully helpful staff who will not only help you to your room, but also hook you up with whatever local adventure/wildlife tour you’re looking for, an almost optimal carbon footprint, beneficial engagement with the local community and conservation efforts, the perfect spot to watch a sunrise, and really funny geese walking about its grounds.

Could you ask for more?

Ok, the road to get here could be in better condition, but all the best things in the world cost a little bit of effort.

On our way back out we gave these guys a ride and saved them an hour walk:

Not to miss in the area:

• Whale Watching
• Los Haitises National Park

Add to your DR trip on RoadTrippers:

Paraiso Caño Hondo, a charming Eco Lodge