mount isabel de torres

[appleman]

Originally Posted by foggy

does anyone have photos they could post on this site as we are going to dr in 4 weeks and might be interested in visiting there,ps have heard the cablecar ride is frightening

I can email you some great photos taken from the cable car and from the top of Mt. Isabel del Torres. I can resize them so they do take long to download. Just send me a PM with your email address and I'll get them to you.

Bob H.

[Dominican Babe]

The cable car ride is only scary if you are averse to heights. I think it's well worth the trip up there - the views on a clear day are stunning.

[tired_boy]

How high off the ground are you?

[appleman]

Originally Posted by tired_boy

How high off the ground are you?

I don't know in meters or feet...but its REAL high. I was impressed and I don't impress easily.

Bob H.

[leeshy813]

i'm going to puerto plata in 1 week!!!!!!!

do you need to make some type of reservation to get to mt. isabel de torres? if so, can anyone tell me w/ whom? or is it as easy as taking a taxi or bus there? thanks.

[appleman]

Originally Posted by leeshy813

i'm going to puerto plata in 1 week!!!!!!!

do you need to make some type of reservation to get to mt. isabel de torres? if so, can anyone tell me w/ whom? or is it as easy as taking a taxi or bus there? thanks.

I guarantee that before you get close to it a "Buscando" will be at your side offering to show you around. LOL. You don't need reservations, just buy a ticket at the counter and hop on the next cable car. (I assume they are running regularly).

Bob H.

[Dolores]

Wrote this story for the Playa Dorada magazine (was not published because the photographer's picture's didn't work out), but it should give you an idea of what a wonderful place the skylift botanical garden is. Note that in no way is the trip up scary, and it's well worth it. Just try to go in the morning when the skies are clear to really enjoy the lovely park. It can get chilly up there, but the hike warms you up.

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“Amazing - so lush, so beautiful, I never imagined…” Be it a Dominican or foreign tourist, those who make it to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres are invariably impressed by this forest atop a forest just one kilometer south of the city of Puerto Plata.
The surprises begin as early as the drive up the avenue that leads to the funicular. Panoramic scenes of Puerto Plata’s port area can already be taken from the road leading to the entrance.
There are two ways to ascend: by automobile or by the Italian-built red, yellow and green-colored cable cars that depart every 10 minutes from the foot of the 2,565-foot (800-meter) mountain. Those going up the winding trail by vehicle have somewhat more flexibility in moving around by car once on the mountaintop, but the advantage in choosing the teleférico is that even the driver gets to enjoy the spectacular views on the way up.
The skylift operates from 9am to 6pm (closed on Wednesdays), with variations in time depending on the season, but usually running as long as there is sunlight. While one can feasibly ascend and descend the mountain in less than half an hour, allow approximately three hours for the walking portion of the excursion. The best time to go is in the morning, when the misty clouds that gave Puerto Plata its “silver port” name are less likely to have assumed their usual positions.
The funicular ride lasts around 8 minutes, but actually seems longer and there is ample time to gape in awe at the tops of the palm trees that appear as a blanket of green when seen from such heights. There is time to observe the many colors of the sea and even the coral reefs that dot the North Coast. Bigger landmarks such as the suburb of Cofresí, Puerto Plata’s port, Puerto Plata city, Playa Dorada, the Gregorio Luperón International Airport and even Sosúa are observable from the cable car’s vantage point.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, everyone gets the feeling the air-conditioning has been turned on, with its average temperature of 20 C degrees. Sweaters are not needed, however, as the invigorating walk warms the body. Good walking shoes and comfortable clothing are essential. But nothing enhances the visit more than a reflective state of mind as you prepare for the dazzle of flora hidden behind the Christ the Redeemer statue (Rio de Janeiro style) and the concrete- and stone-paved walks. Keep in mind that the Mount Isabel de Torres trip is intended foremost as a spiritual excursion and to provide a place from where to give thanks for the gifts of nature and for being able to share these things with friends and family.
The Isabel de Torres Park is really a natural scientific reserve entrusted to the care of the National Botanical Garden since its opening in 1975, almost 30 years ago. A board comprised of Puerto Plata citizens ensures that funding is available for the attraction’s continuous upkeep.
There are nearly 15 small brooks and streams in its area and vegetation is subtropical found at medium height mountain level. Trails lead to the discovery of the forest under the forest. Enormous ferns, overgrown flowers, fire-red gingers and giant hibiscus peak through the rain forest’s shield. While the park seems vast, the winding paths easily encourage the visitor to explore and discover the 135,000 square meter park area in great detail.
There is poetry in the silence of the mountain, as well as in the spontaneous songs of the free-spirited birds of over 30 species that make their homes there. Birdwatchers will be able to spot the woodpeckers, the swooping maura, honeycreepers, parrots, limpkins and red-tailed hawks, each vying for celebrity on the wide stage of this mountaintop park.
There is poetry in the sun peaking through the majestic 100-year-old yagrumo, royal palm, tamarind, Hispaniolan mahogany, copey, mara, piñón, coconut and almond trees. While the red flowers of the poinciana trees are sure to leave a vivid impression, a harder to define memory is that feeling in the air that entices visitors to think they could live there forever in the name of restoring their vitality.
A backwards glance gives you the spectrum of the striking Cordillera Septentrional, the second highest mountain range in the country, where the fossils that lent the region the name Amber Coast many years back are buried.
Slow down to hear the poetry of Isabel de Torres. Its scenery and tropical rainforests are the key to a magical visit.

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[Dominican Babe]

Originally Posted by tired_boy

How high off the ground are you?

Not sure, but the cable car takes about 20 minutes, so not too high. 300 metres comes to mind, but I may be wrong on that.

You can take a cab from wherever you are staying - the driver will take you to the cable car and wait whilst you go up, wander round, do whatever . . .
Just be sure that you don't pay him till the return journey

Ooops, just read Dolores post - definitely wrong on the height of the mountain. BTW nice article Dolores!

[Conchman]

For some reason I think its 800m, or about 2,500 feet high - but I could be wrong with that.

Its best to go in the morning, in the afternoon, the mountain is always surrounded by clouds.

Its cold up there, take warm clothes or a jacket.

They have some nice trails to walk, like a botanical garden.

There will be guys offering to 'tour' you, but they are not really necessary. You won't get lost up there.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Conchman

For some reason I think its 800m, or about 2,500 feet high - but I could be wrong with that.

According to my Berndtson map, you are just about right on.
790 meters or 2696 feet.