Los Tres Ojos National Park facts for kids
The Three Eyes National Park (in Spanish: Parque Nacional Los Tres Ojos) is a cool open-air cave system in the Dominican Republic. It's located in the Mirador del Este park, in the Santo Domingo Este area. This park is famous for its three main lakes, or ojos (which means "eyes" in Spanish). It's one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in the country!
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Discover the History of Three Eyes Park
Centuries ago, this amazing cave system was formed when the ground shifted. Parts of the caves collapsed, creating big, bowl-shaped holes that later filled with water.
Long, long ago, the first people to live on the island of Hispaniola were the Taíno Indians. They used these caves for special religious ceremonies and rituals.
The three main lakes are called "Lago de Azufre," "La Nevera," and "El Lago de las Damas." Lago de Azufre was discovered in 1916. Some of the lakes also have openings to the outside world. You can reach the first cave by walking down a staircase cut right into the rock.
There's also a fourth lake called "Los Zaramagullones." It's not considered one of the "three eyes" because it has an opening to the outside. You can take a small boat across the second lake to get to it.
Exploring the Three Eyes Lakes
The caves get their water from an underground river. Inside, you'll see amazing rock formations called stalactites (hanging from the ceiling) and stalagmites (growing from the floor).
The water in the lakes has different minerals. Early explorers thought the first lake, Lago Azufre, had sulfur because of its blue color. But tests showed it's actually full of calcium minerals!
The fourth lake, Los Zaramagullones, is the deepest and has freshwater. Fish were even added to it back in the 1940s.
The temperature of the lagoons is usually between 20°C and 29°C (68°F to 84°F). Their different depths make the water look blue, green, and sometimes even yellow. The shallowest lake, Lago de las Damas, is about 8 feet deep. The deepest, Los Zaramagullones, is 25 feet deep.
Animals and Plants of the Park
The park is home to many different animals, including fish, bats, and turtles. The plants around the lakes are also very green and plentiful.
To see all four lagoons, you'll need to climb some stairs. There are 346 steps in total connecting them all!
The furthest lagoon, Los Zaramagullones, can only be reached by a small raft. This raft is pulled by a rope across the La Nevera lake. It's free to get there, but you pay a small fee (around $2 US) to get back out. Many people think Los Zaramagullones is the most peaceful and beautiful of all the lagoons.
This beautiful spot has even been used for filming movies! Some movies filmed here include Tarzan, Combat Shock, Jurassic Park III, and Oro y Polvo.
The caves are open from 9 am to 5 pm. At night, they are lit up with many colorful lights, which makes them look magical.
See also
In Spanish: Los Tres Ojos para niños
