National Park Isla Cabritos

National Park Isla Cabritos
Dominican Republic

This national park has two especially noteworthy items you won’t find anywhere else in the Caribbean.

First, this 7.5-mile long park is located at the center of a large salt water lake, Lago Enriguillo, which at 130 feet below sea level is also the lowest point in the entire Caribbean.

In addition, Lago Enriguillo has one of the world’s largest populations of American crocodiles. Isla Cabritos, which means “little goats island, is the largest of the 3 islands in Lake Enriguillo.

The park’s other two islands, Barbarita and Islita, are rarely visited. (Read about my visit to the park and its crocodiles)

The entrance to the park is a little over 1 mile east of the town of La Descubierta (also site of Las Caritas). While it’s possible to see crocodiles from the shore on Lago Enriquillo, hiring a boat and paying a $60 entrance fee to trip to reach Isla Cabritos is the way to go.

No unguided visits to the island are allowed. It is also possible to share the cost of the boat with other visitors.

A visitor center on the island has information about the region’s history and geology.

Go early in the day, as soon as the park opens at 8 a.m. As the lowest point in the Caribbean, it becomes hellishly hot here quickly. By 10 a.m. conditions are brutal.

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