The yellow cliffs
Layers above the beach.
Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0 · Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0 · Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0 · Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0 · Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0
El Morro is a large limestone mesa, 237 m high, near the town of Monte Cristi in the far northwest of the Dominican Republic. It is the best known sight of Monte Cristi National Park, falling in yellow cliffs to a golden sand beach, a dry scene quite unlike the usual picture of the Caribbean. The park runs from the border with Haiti to Punta Rucia, covering about 550 square kilometres of coastal lagoons, beaches and mangroves. The area is very dry. Several reptile species and a local plant live on the mesa. The town of Monte Cristi was founded in 1506, and the park has few marked paths, adding to the sense of isolation. A narrow road crosses green water and low trees towards the foot of the mesa, which looks like a flat table from afar. Below it is a small sandy cove, bounded by layered cliffs in yellow and brown, with a lone rock in the water offshore. The slope shows the sea in shades of blue, nearby islets and low thorny plants. It is about 100 km in a straight line from Puerto Plata. UK travel advice urges care near the Haitian border, citing roadblocks and road robberies, and advises against all travel to Haiti itself, so stay away from the crossings and travel by day. The sun is fierce and shade scarce, so bring plenty of water and a hat. Do not climb the crumbling edges, and ask about the sea before swimming.
Layers above the beach.
Golden sand and a lone rock.
A flat mesa from afar.
Monte Cristi National Park, northwest Dominican Republic
UK advice urges care near the border, so travel by day and avoid the crossings.
Few, so keep to clear ones and stay away from the edges.