Dominican Republic: Mountain Air and Village Service

Arrive at Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo and meet your program leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head directly to Jarabacoa, a three-hour-plus drive, and settle in after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion and an introduction to the local culture. Have a hot, local dinner and get some sleep for a big day tomorrow.

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways is happy to book your flights as an optional add-on service.

Overnight: Hotel, Jarabacoa

Learn about the environmental initiatives taking place in the region, including efforts to create sustainable jobs and improve the health of the local habitat. Begin your service by heading deeper into the mountains to help build aqueducts for communities without running water. Launch into tasks for ongoing projects, such as prepping, digging, fitting, and finishing plumbing from a dammed river upstream to the nearby homes. Projects may also include efforts to create bio-treatment systems that prevent runoff water from polluting waters downstream.

Overnight: Hotel, Jarabacoa

See your progress as you spend these days continuing your work on infrastructure projects. After service, share a coffee with neighbors and get to know the local community. Explore the mountains, eat delicious Dominican food, and learn about local music and history. Discuss your service experience, focusing on responsible tourism, water access and community resources.

Overnight: Hotel, Jarabacoa

Take a two-hour bus ride to the coastal towns of Sosúa and Cabarete where you’ll spend the rest of the day relaxing on the North Coast beaches. Eat coastal specialties and swim in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, soaking up the sun after several days of hard work.

Overnight: Hotel, Sosua

After breakfast go snorkeling and have lunch before saying goodbye to the coast and heading back to Jarabacoa. Settle into your accommodations and refuel before departing on a hike to a beautiful waterfall in the region. Join your group for a discussion where you’ll begin to reflect on what you’ve experienced and learned so far.

Overnight: Hotel, Jarabacoa

Head back to the capital in the morning for a tour of Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the first university, cathedral, and hospital in the Americas. Explore the walled city and learn about the deep history of the first European settlement in the Americas. Later, enjoy a special dinner and dance show at a typical Dominican restaurant. At the end of each program, the students join in a closing discussion and the traditional Rustic Ties ceremony, allowing them to reflect on their experiences and consider ways to share what they’ve learned with their communities back home.

Overnight: Hotel, Santo Domingo

Say goodbye to your new friends and to the beautiful Dominican Republic. Your program leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways can book your flights upon request