Laguna de Oviedo
Laguna de Oviedo (Oviedo Lagoon) is located inside Jaragua National Park. This is a 27 square kilometer, 1.5-meter-deep wetland of very salty water that, together with Eagles Bay, forms one of the park's main ecotourism attractions. It is home to 60 species of aquatic birds, crabs, iguanas, herons, flamingos, and seagulls. This animal transforms the park into a beautiful natural landscape full of life and color. It is also home to endangered species such as solenodon and hutia, and to 11 different species of bats. The area's most notable animals are the rhinoceros salamander and the Ricord salamander, both endemic and endangered. The Oviedo Lagoon also has 24 islets, also known as bays, where a large number of animals live.
As the largest lagoon in the country, with salt water three times higher than sea level, Laguna de Oviedo is a prime bird-watching area. Around the lagoon's thick mangrove swamp and its 24 keys more than 10 kilometers long, visitors will spot royal herons and blue herons, great storks, seagulls, pink spoonbills, and birds, pelicans, Beautiful American parrots, and flamingos. Tours from 1 to 3 hours to Laguna de Oviedo and the surrounding area can be booked through the information center of the Ministry of the Environment, located near the main road in Oviedo. Because of the intense heat, the best time to see wildlife in and around the lake is early in the morning. Laguna de Oviedo became one of the best lakes to visit in the Dominican Republic.
- Location: Jaragua National Park, Pedernales Province
