The Caribbean's Summit

The Cordillera Central is the greatest of the Dominican Republic's mountainous chains. It has the highest summits in the country and the highest peak in the Caribbean, the Pico Duarte 3,087 meters (10,094 ft.) above sea level, it extends from the plains between San Cristóbal and Baní to the northwestern peninsula of Haiti, where it's known as Massif du Nord. The highest elevations of the Cordillera Central are found in the Pico Duarte and Valle Nuevo massifs.

Map of Pico Duarte's access zone (see lower left corner).

The Pico Duarte was allegedly climbed for the first time in 1851 by the British consul to the country, Sir Robert H. Schomburgk. He named the mountain Monte Tina and estimated it's height at 3,140 m. In 1912, father Miguel Fuertes dismissed Schomburgk's calculations after climbing La Rusilla and considering that it was the tallest summit of the island. A year later, the Swedish botanist Erik L. Ekman sided with the Englishman's estimate, thinking it was closer to the truth, and called the sister summits as Pelona Grande and Pelona Chica (Big and Small Pelona). During the Trujillo regime, the tallest of these was called Pico Trujillo, only to be named later, after the dictator's death, with it's actual name of Pico Duarte.

Most hikers climb Pico Duarte between Christmast and the end of February, taking advantage of all the holidays and the dry season. It is said that during the rest of the year the weather is not favorable: frequent storms, rains and lightning. Meteorological data proves otherwise. Hikes can be carried out practically througout the year.

To reach the Pico Duarte you can take any of five routes : La Ciénaga, Mata Grande, Constanza, Las Lagunas or Sabaneta; even so, the most traveled ones are the first and the second with 23 y 45 kilometers, respectively.

The mountain's elevation has been for quite some time a matter of debate. As recently as mid 1990's it was said to be 3,175 meters high. But recently, using a GPS altimeter, it was established that it only has 3,087 meters. It's only two meters taller than La Pelona, it's twin sister! This mistake should have been noticed long ago since it is evident that La Pelona is just as tall or taller than the Pico Duarte because from the summit of the latter you can not see the horizon behind the former, something that I have witnessed personally.

You are the person to visit this page.