Hiking to the Waterfall "Charco Bonito"
Option 1: $10.00 pp
 Take
the suspended bridge to and from the waterfall. This 45 minute hike is a
gorgeous pathway used by locals cutting through the forest, under fruit
trees, and crossing the stream three times. Spend the next hour swimming and
exploring the waterfall before taking the path back. This is a guided
excursion.
Option 2: $20.00
pp
Getting to Charco
Bonito is half the adventure. Take the
long way (5 -6 hours)following the River Yuma until crossing at the bamboo
bridges. Pass through the small town of Arroyo Torro. Take a break at the
small waterfall and join locals taking a dip. Continue on with views
overlooking the area and meet up with where Option 1 would start. This is a
guided tour and includes a packed lunch.
 | A Short Story
The magic of the forest lies in its infinite promise of discovery. One’s senses are electrified by this  mysterious enclosed world. It was only 2 hours I spent in the Central Mountain forests near Bonao, Dominican Republic, but I emerged exhausted due to a complete sensory overload. We set off in search of Charco Bonito, a waterfall in the thickly forested valleys beyond Los Quemados. Before anything else, we had to negotiate the crossing of the wide, fast flowing Rio Yuna. Although the water only reached up to my kneecaps, its deceptive currents made me sway like a staggering drunk, much to the mirth of some kids on the bank. So with dignity slightly impaired, we began to step steeply into the forest.
 As climates go, few are as hospitable year round as this one. Every crop, fruit and root worth growing simply thrives here. As a result the mountain absorbs you with the sweet fragrance of life; fruits maturing and flowers blossoming. Birds and insects grow heady feasting on fallen pods of cacao. While walking we are able to gather succulent guava or chinola fruit almost bursting the branches with their goodness. Although the sun is directly above the canopy, the dewy leaves keep us constantly refreshed as we brush against them.
For a good 20 minutes we can hear the churning of Charco Bonito in the distance, yet its location is so well concealed one could easily miss it. Through ever thickening vegetation we are drawn frantically like starving children towards the water source. And when we arrive no one is disappointed. Charco Bonito turns out to lie in a wonderful clandestine glade, an enchanting respite from the thickness of the forest.
- Robert from the UK | 
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*18% required national tax not included |
