Caribbean Birding Trail

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You are here: Home / Dominican Republic / Central Mountain Range / Constanza and Valle Nuevo

Constanza and Valle Nuevo

  • About
  • The Birds
  • How to Get There
  • Where to Stay

Valle Nuevo National Park (40,900 ha) is a high elevation protected area dominated by cloud forest, grasslands and pine savannas. Situated on a high plateau about 30 kilometers south of Constanza, the reserve is noted for a stone pyramid marking the exact center of Hispaniola. Valle Nuevo embraces the highlands at Alto de la Bandera hill, and is an important catchment area supplying water for the provinces of the northern and southern regions of the Dominican Republic; five river basins resulting in more than 700 rivers have their birth in this area.

Valle Nuevo National Park

Located near the visitor center is a monument called the Pyramids. Once believed to be the center of the island, the structure, in fact, was erected as a token of gratitude to the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in the construction of the road between San José de Ocoa with Constanza.

Pyramids at Valle Nuevo

Just down the road is another cultural attraction, a mural of Colonel Francisco Caamaño Deño. Deño, former guerilla leader, general, and president, was murdered near here while fighting the regime of President Joaquín Balaguer. He was one of the leaders in the movement to restore the democratically elected President Dr. Juan Bosch, who had been overthrown in a CIA sponsored military coup d’état in September, 1963. He was wounded and captured here by Dominican government forces, and then executed.

Mural at Valle Nuevo

Due to the park’s topographical setting, elevation ranges and geological makeup, it provides a high biodiversity of plants and animals. Scientific studies have identified about 531 plant species, which includes 138 species endemic to Hispaniola. More than 145 wildlife species have been identified within the park boundaries, comprised of 66 bird species (18% which are endemic to the Dominican Republic), 17 amphibian species (85% of the represented amphibians in the Central Mountains and 26% of those found in Hispaniola), 29 reptile species (all of which are endemic to Dominican Republic), 33 species of butterflies, and an unreported number of freshwater aquatic species and land snails.

Valle Nuevo Picnic Area

Another attraction within the limits of Valle Nuevo is the Aguas Blancas waterfall. A rural access road (unpaved; four-wheel drive highly necessary) leads directly to the site, which is 17 km from Constanza and about 2 km past the small settlement of El Convento.

Aguas Blancas Falls
Aguas Blancas Falls

The Aguas Blancas waterfall is 83 meters high, in two stages, located at about 1,620 meters above sea level. The falls have become a developed recreation area, with a built infrastructure consisting of restroom facilities, 170 meters of paved trail, two observation platforms, and a small steel footbridge.

Platform
Observation Platform

The Dominican Republic and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently working on plans for improving the site, which includes interpretive signs and the possible expansion of trails to strengthen the local capacity to monitor and manage this site to ensure safety and its conservation.

Sendero Aguas Blancas
Sendero Aguas Blancas

There is essentially one main trail at Valle Nuevo. From the entrance you will first encounter fragmented patches of moist broadleaf forest. Here you may find the difficult to see Eastern Chat-tanager and La Selle Thrush. Further along the large open plateau dominates the landscape. This is the main part of the Valle Nuevo National Park and here is where you will find the pyramid. The plateau is not the best place for birdwatching, although you will also find fragments of pine forest here. Look in the pine for such specialties as the Rufous-crowned Sparrow and the Hispaniolan Crossbill.

For bird watching, walking the road in the national park is a great option, as is staying at Villa Pajon and exploring their trails. Other attractions in the park include swimming in the waterfall at Aguas Blancas.

Typical species of the broadleaf forests include the Hispaniolan Parakeet, Hispaniolan Amazon, Golden Swallow, and White-winged Warbler.

Other target species include Sharp-shinned Hawk, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Plain Pigeon, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Ruddy Quail-Dove, White-collared Swift, Hispaniolan Trogon, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Hispaniolan Highland-Tanager, Eastern Chat-Tanager, Antillean Siskin, Hispaniolan Spindalis, and Black-faced Grassquit.

Valle Nuevo is located 3.5 – 4 hours from Santo Domingo in the Cordillera Central. To get there you must drive north of Santo Domingo on the Autopista Duarte, the main south-to-north highway. Once you pass the town of Bonao, take the exit to Constanza, after which you will immediately start climbing up a mountain on the Carretera de Casabito. This is a narrow and winding road so proceed with caution. Nearing Constanza, you will again descend into a wide montane valley. Once in Constanza, you will want to turn left toward the Colónia Japonesa and the Carretera de Ocoa. This is a little difficult to find, but ask a local if you are unsure. Follow this road south and back up into the mountains for about 30 kilometers to reach Valle Nuevo.

Entrance to Valle Nuevo

Access to the park is via an unpaved road from Constanza that will lead you to a gate where you will need to pay an entrance fee of 50 Dominican pesos per person (~$1.30 USD) and 100 Dominican pesos per car. The road then leads you to the Visitor Center and adjacent campground.

The Visitor Center was constructed by Fundación Propagas, an organization that agreed to co-manage the park with the Dominican Ministry of the Environment on May 30, 2012. The Fundación was created in 2007 as the philanthropic arm of the Grupo Propagas company, in order to create and endorse environmental conservation projects. Inside the Visitor Center is lodging for park staff and visiting researchers, as well as a sitting area and interpretive panels. Outside are bathrooms, the campgrounds and protected shelters for cooking.

Villa Pajon is an historic, low-impact eco-lodge located in Valle Nuevo National Park. Its seven comfortably equipped cabins provide the setting to experience this unique landscape. The attentive and accommodating staff facilitates and makes more enjoyable the occasion. Explore this diverse ecosystem, or sit simply sit and enjoy the quiet and unhurried pace of the countryside. Villa Pajon is the ideal place to discover the many possibilities that Valle Nuevo has to offer.

Cabin at Villa Pajon

 

 

 

 

Constanza and Valle Nuevo

 

 

 

 

Dominican Republic Sites

Constanza and Valle Nuevo

Ebano Verde Reserve

Hatillo

Jarabacoa with Armando Bermúdez and José del Carmen Ramírez National Parks

La Joya de San Francisco

Loma Quita Espuela

Pico Diego de Ocampo, Santiago

Bávaro

Cumayasa

Del Este National Park: Boca de Yuma

Del Este National Park: Guaraguao

Del Este National Park: Padre Nuestro Trail

Del Este National Park: Saona Island

Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana

Limón Lagoon

Los Haitises National Park: Caño Hondo

Los Haitises National Park: Los Limones

Monte Plata

Aguacate and Zapotén

Cabo Rojo and Pedernales

Cabral Lagoon

Cachote, Eastern Bahoruco

Jimaní

Lake Enriquillo

Loma Charco Azul

Oviedo Lagoon, Jaragua National Park

Puerto Alejandro and Tortuguero

Rabo de Gato and Puerto Escondido

Los Arroyos, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park

Cayos Siete Hermanos

El Limón, Samaná

Estero Hondo

Loma Guaconejo

Loma Isabel de Torres, Puerto Plata

Monte Cristi and Saladilla

Nalga de Maco National Park, Río Limpio

Samaná

Las Salinas de Baní

Mirador del Norte Park

National Botanical Garden

Ozama Wetlands

Partners in the Dominican Republic

  • Grupo Acción Ecológica
  • La Sociedad Ornitológica de la Hispaniola (SOH)
  • National Aviary

With special thanks to our partners at the Ruta Barrancoli

Ruta Barrancoli logo


Dominican Republic Tour Operators

  • Cúa Birding
  • Explora Ecotour
  • Miguel A. Landestoy T., Independent Guide
  • Tody Tours
  • Wildside Nature Tours

Bird Checklists

Click here to download a pamphlet-sized year-round checklist for Dominican Republic.

Recommended Field Guides

Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti by Steven Latta, Christopher Rimmer, Allan Keith, James Wiley, Herbert A. Raffaele, Kent McFarland, and Eladio Fernandez

Aves de la República Dominicana y Haití by Steven Latta, Christopher Rimmer, Allan Keith, James Wiley, Herbert A. Raffaele, Kent McFarland, and Eladio Fernandez

Ruta Barrancolí: A Bird-finding Guide to the Dominican Republic by Steven C. Latta and Kate J. Wallace

Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis Raffaele

Want to know how you can be involved?

Do you know of a place that should be part of the Caribbean Birding Trail? Are you the owner of a lodge or hotel and want to attract eco-tourists? Are you a guide interested in the birdwatching market? Then, get involved with our project!

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Richard Hall
@richhallecology

Presenting the 2nd smallest bird in the world, the Vervain Hummingbird. Weighing in at 2g & 6cm long (including that dinky, 1cm bill), this is one of the cutest birds I have ever seen. Found only in Jamaica, Haiti & the Dominican Republic. So smol! 😍 pic.twitter.com/9TsT…

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3:28 am · February 6, 2023 ·
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Richard Hall
Richard Hall
@richhallecology

A shockingly beautiful Jamaican endemic hummingbird, the Jamaican Mango transforms from looking all-black when backlit to glowing hot pink and purple with a turn of its head. The magic of hummingbird feather iridescence! pic.twitter.com/BDzl…

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Richard Hall
Richard Hall
@richhallecology

The enormous endemic Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is almost twice as long as its Yellow-billed cousin, and uses its robust bill to hunt lizards in forest. In the arid shrublands of Hellshire we encountered groups of insectivorous Smooth-billed Anis with even more gigantic bills (2/2) pic.twitter.com/icHb…

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3:27 am · February 6, 2023 ·
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Richard Hall
@richhallecology

I went cuckoo for cuckoos in Jamaica. One of two endemic species, this Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo gave us a show fanning its tail and giving territorial calls. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/tBbT…

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josmar Esteban M. 🏳️‍🌈 🇻🇪 🐤🏖🏜🏝
josmar Esteban M. 🏳️‍🌈 🇻🇪 🐤🏖🏜🏝
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