Laguna de Cabral

Laguna de Cabral, also called Laguna Rincón, is a shallow freshwater lake in the southwest that is usually described as the largest of its kind in the country and among the largest in the Caribbean, though its extent varies enormously with rainfall. It is a Ramsar site, holding large numbers of waterbirds and a population of the Hispaniolan slider turtle. Fishermen work it with small boats and take visitors out.

What you actually see

• The shallow lake - a broad body of fresh water whose extent changes with rainfall.
• The waterbirds - herons, ducks and waders in numbers across the shallows.
• The slider turtles - the Hispaniolan species living in the lake.
• The fishing boats - the small craft that work the water and take visitors out.

When to go

November to April is drier and better for boats. Water levels vary greatly from year to year. Early morning is best for birds.

Honest expectations

Water levels fluctuate enormously and the lake has shrunk badly in dry years. Boat trips are informal arrangements with fishermen rather than an organised service. There are no facilities at the shore.

Nearby

Cabral is beside it, and Barahona is south.