Montecristi and the Northwest

The northwest of the country is its dry corner, a landscape of cactus, thorn scrub and salt flats quite unlike the green Cordillera or the resort coasts, and it sees almost no visitors. El Morro, a flat-topped limestone mesa some two hundred metres high, rises straight out of the sea beside the town of Montecristi and can be climbed by a stepped path for a view along an empty coast. Below it stretch beaches of pale sand with nobody on them. Offshore lies a national park of mangrove cays, the Cayos Siete Hermanos, seven low islands ringed by sand and reef where seabirds nest and boats run out for snorkelling. Montecristi itself is a faded Victorian-era town with a clock tower shipped from France.

What you actually see

• El Morro - the flat-topped mesa rising from the sea, climbed by steps.
• Cayos Siete Hermanos - the seven low mangrove and sand cays offshore.
• The salt flats - the working salinas around the town.
• Montecristi's clock tower - the French cast-iron tower in the faded old town.

When to go

November to April is the coolest; this is the hottest and driest part of the country and summer is punishing, with no shade on El Morro. Boat trips to the cays depend on sea conditions. Mornings are best for the climb.

Honest expectations

There is very little tourism infrastructure here, which is the appeal and the difficulty: few hotels, limited restaurants and no organised excursion desk, so trips to the cays are arranged directly with boatmen. It is three hours from the nearest airport. The heat and lack of shade are serious. Spanish helps a great deal.

Nearby

Punta Rucia and Cayo Arena are along the coast east; Puerto Plata is three hours away.