Parque Nacional Anacaona
Mountain forests named for a Taino queen
Parque Nacional Anacaona
A park protecting pine forests and mountain landscapes in the southwestern highlands, named after the legendary Taino queen who resisted Spanish conquest.
Parque Nacional Anacaona is named after the legendary Taino queen who ruled the Xaragua kingdom in southwestern Hispaniola and famously resisted Spanish colonial domination in the early 16th century. The park protects 340 square kilometers of mountainous terrain in the southwestern highlands, with landscapes ranging from dry valleys to pine-forested ridges.
The park encompasses portions of the southern Cordillera Central and adjacent foothills, protecting watersheds important for the agricultural communities of the San Juan de la Maguana valley. The vegetation includes Hispaniolan pine forests at higher elevations and dry broadleaf forest in the valleys. While less visited than the major national parks, Anacaona offers quiet hiking through scenic mountain landscapes with cultural significance rooted in Taino history. The park connects ecologically with the larger Jose del Carmen Ramirez park to the north.
