Category:

History

Culture

Adventure

Location:

The municipality of La Vega bounded on the north by the provinces of Santiago, Moca and Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), west of the province of Santiago and San Juan de la Maguana, south to San Jose de Ocoa and east Cotuí and Bonao .

About La Vega:

• The city of La Vega has an area of 2.287 square kilometers and began with the founding of the fortress La Concepcion, ordered built by Admiral Christopher Columbus in 1945 and being amazed by the beauty of the place he named it " La Vega Real. "
•  On December 2, 1562 the city was destroyed by an earthquake, being moved to the southern bank of the river Camu.
•  The province of La Vega is currently divided into four municipalities: La Vega, which is the capital city of the province, Constanza and Jarabacoa and Jima Abajo. And in this province the first coin was minted.
•  On the grounds of La Vega are minerals such as copper, gold, gray marble and iron-nickel, among others. Currently only exploited the gray marble and ferronickel. In Jarabacoa marble deposits are located in various shades of gray.
•  The patron saint festivities held in honor of the Virgen de la Antigua are on August 16 of each year, with street parties, parades of “diablos cojuelos” and the election of a queen of the festivities. Also, they celebrate the festival of the Virgen de Las Mercedes on September 24^th every year and whose national place of worship is located in the Santo Cerro in the town of La Vega.

How to get there?

By Air: The nearest airport is located in the province of Santiago's Cibao International Airport (STI). Other nearby airports: Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo and the International Airport Gregorio Luperón (POP) in Puerto Plata.

By car: Direct access through Duarte Highway going North, about an hour and a half  from Santo Domingo.

Climate:

The Vega has a humid mild climate, characterized by the average temperature of 18 degrees C, except in summer when temperatures ranges between 19 and 20 degrees C.

Attractions:

La Vega Carnival:

Historians indicate that the Carnival in La Vega had its beginning in 1510, its celebration is a tradition in our country. The carnival of La Vega is considered the most ornate and elegant in the country held every weekend of February at Las Flores park.

Its main features are the thematic content and choreography, costumes and masks. Is a must and obligation to visit for the month of February, due to its flamboyant and colorful carnival that brings thousands of people every Sunday to enjoy and be a victim of a "vejigazo”.

Santo Cerro (Holy Mountain):

It is located about 8 miles from downtown and according to legend, in 1495 during a battle for gold between Indian and Spanish, the Virgin of Mercy appeared in a large wooden cross that Christopher Columbus had placed on that hill. Before dying, he told his son Diego Colon to build a church on this hill in honor of the Virgin, but Diego did not built it.

The place of worship that exists today was built in 1880 by Onofre de Lora, and is taken care of by the Mercedarias Sisters of Charity. Also in Santo Cerro (holy mountain) is venerated the Virgin of Mercedes (Mercy), whose feast day is September 24. The sanctuary also has a museum and a terrace view point with a majestic view of the valley of the Vega Real.

La Vega Vieja Museum:

La Vega Vieja museum is an archeological site of La Concepcion de la Vega, has permanent exhibits of pre-Columbian and colonial archeology of the fifteenth century and is located in the National Park of La Vega Vieja.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception:

Its construction started in 1977 and was completed in 1992. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has a building area of 3.412 square meters and has the capacity to lay 900 to 1,000 people. The first impression when you come to this church are the triple arches of the door which is replica of the one that appeared on a sixteenth-century painting called The Virgin brought by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage.

Another attraction is its belfry containing 3 bells and the Capilla del Sagrario (Sagrario Chapel). Also the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is one of the few cathedrals in the world that Jesus Christ has risen instead of crucified.

Scientific Reserves & Ecotourism:

La Vega province has several scientific reserve within its area:

•  Scientific Reserve Ebano Verde
•  Scientific Reserve Valle Nuevo
• Intermountain valleys of Jarabacoa: a major destination in adventure tourism in the country, especially for rafting, paragliding, mountain biking, horseback riding, among others.
• The jump of Aguas Blancas in Constanza, and jumps from rivers Baiguate and Jimenoa in Jarabacoa.
• Natural spa areas in the rivers Acapulco, Bayacanes and Confluencia.
• Areas of pre-Hispanic rocks art in Constanza.

Tips

•  If you are visiting any other town of the Cibao region, you must stop in La Vega and dedicate time to explore the main town and the other municipalities like Constanza and Jarabacoa.
• Bring your camera with you to take great shots of the several view points among the province.
• Temperatures can be a little bit chilly in some part of the province like Contanza and Jarabocoa, so bring clothes appropriate for the weather
• Tennis and hiking shoes are advisable for some areas.