Organic Shade Grown Coffee in Jarabacoa Dominican Republic

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Dominican Republic, mostly in the beach town of Cabarete. There are some really fantastic day trips that you can make from Cabarete to other parts of the country.  Iguana Mama will book any of these trips from Cabarete. Jarabacoa is one such area.  It sits in a mountainous valley and is much cooler than other parts of the country.  You can go White Water Rafting on the Rio Yacque which has some pretty sizeable rapids (Class II – Class IV).  You can go horseback riding in the mountains.  And if you’re really adventurous you can plan a couple of days to climb Pico Duarte, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi before you reach South America.  Yes really!  It’s 10, 164 feet!  Perhaps my favorite activity in this area is a tour of the Finca Alta Gracia.  It’s an organic shade grown coffee farm owned by famed writer Julia Alvarez and her husband Bill Eichner.  Their mission is based on sustainable growing practices and empowering the local farmers with fair trade practices and investment into the community via schools.  As you can see the morning views are a dream for a photographer. Back in Cabarete, a local coffee shop, Cabarete Coffee Company,  has opened up based on a partnership with the farm.   If you’re thinking about a destination wedding or a place for a honeymoon, I would definitely think about the Dominican Republic. If the beauty isn’t enough for you add to that the warmth of the locals and the reasonable prices, and the fact that it’s a quick trip from Washington DC .