The Santo Domingo valley stretches east along the coast from the capital, encompassing vast tracts of sugarcane. North of these fields roll the verdant hills of the Cordillera Oriental, which terminate at the bowl-shaped swamp basin of Parque Nacional Los Haitises. This is the Dominican Republic's SOUTHEAST , known primarily for its popular resort zones Bávaro and Punta Cana , bookends of a thirty-kilometre strip of uninterrupted sand lined with all-inclusives.

 

Past these attractions, the Southeast is fairly poor, rural and bereft of must-see sights - with the exception of two national parks. Parque Nacional del Este , poking into the Caribbean at the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic, continues the theme of great beachfront, especially along Isla Saona , while the mangrove swamps of Parque Nacional Los Haitises hide several Taíno caves visited by boat.