In the eastern part of Santo Domingo you will find one of the most beautiful natural beauties of the Dominican Republic, the Natural Park Los Tres Ojos – The Three Eyes. It owes its name its three major underground lakes in caves, which are called Ojos – the Eyes.
The formation of Los Tres Ojos is a rarely seen natural phenomenon. It comes out of the emergence of underground rivers that come from the Haitises Park, 200 km away, bringing these up to form the three lakes. This magnificent natural process took place thousands of years ago. The natives of Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic, have left historical evidence which shows that the caves were used for different objectives, such magical and religious activities.
In 1969, stairs were built to access the Park. Before, it used to be a resort to which people came down using ropes or lianas. It was thought that the lakes contained sulfur, due to white spots could be seen from above. It was later discovered that the lakes contain three minerals, but none of them had any sulfur. Calcium, which comes from the stalactites or rocks hanging from the ceiling. When drops of water fall on the ground, they form stalagmites. Both formations grow about 2.5 inches a year.
The other minerals present in the lakes are aragonite and copper, which gives the water its bluish tone, and has the same skin-healing properties as sulfur.
Besides the presence of the three lakes with crystal waters, this place has a rich fauna that includes a great variety of fish, bats, and the island’s largest ferns of up to four meters, in the lake “Los Zarangullones,” with a depth of 7.5 meters. This is the only lake that is outside, so it is not considered an “eye.”
Los Tres Ojos are: the lake “Aguas Azufradas” (“Sulfur Waters”), discovered in 1916, 20 meters deep. The second lake is known as “La Nevera,” “The Fridge,” as the water is the coolest there, and the third one is “El Lago de las Mujeres” – “The Women’s Lake.”
You can enjoy sailing the lakes in small boats that the park offers visitors. Access to the caves is easy for the visiting public down the comfortable and decorated stairs, which offer a dazzling sight accompanied by the natural décor of the cave rocks.
From the Hotel BelleVue Dominican Bay, you can reach the Tres Ojos Natural Park in just 30 minutes.
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