Estancia Natura - Camp Spirit Discovery

Estancia Natura is an eco-tourism paradise in the heart of a 350-acre working coffee plantation, Spirit Mountain. Camp Spirit Discovery, our campsite, offers the basic necessities needed to enjoy time away from your normal day to day. The farm is at 4,000 feet above sea level so it gets cool at night. There are plenty of interesting and unique things to discover, including a secret waterfall, rare birds, and kilometers of trails. There is always plenty to learn about coffee for the curious. This is our premier campsite: spacious, beautiful, with easy access to the outdoor kitchen and latrine. This is also a community campsite, so if you're traveling with a small group, you may be sharing some of the common amenities. (A secondary campsite is down the trail about 100 meters). The fee for camping is $12 (US Dollars) per person per night. If you are a larger group (more than 25) the entire campsite is automatically reserved for your group. Children under 12 are free (1 free child per paying adult). Otherwise, there is a chance you may be sharing the campsite with others. No worries, the property is huge, and there is plenty of room to spread out. The kitchen comes equipped with a basic stove (propane tank not included) and a few large pots. Guests are welcome to use the wood-fired bread/pizza oven. There is an outhouse and very cold showers! The water is potable and comes from a spring high up the mountain. There is a nice fire ring, and we try to keep a store of firewood available. For the not so adept at making fires be prepared to work on it. Wood is damp in the mountains and can be a challenge to get it to burn. Hint: use pine needles, they burn well and are good for starting a fire. The road to the property is in pretty good shape, however once inside the farm, conditions can require a 4x4 vehicle during rain, which can be any time of the year. Our primary focus at Spirit Mountain is growing amazing coffee. However, we love having visitors and are always excited to share what we love to do with new friends. Our plantation manager, Delvie, is always eager to share about the coffee, and his wife, Rosa, is available to provide meals. This just needs to be coordinated at least a day prior to your visit to be sure we can accommodate your needs. (A plate of the day is RD$400/person). The property is very safe and we take great care to provide an ideal environment to experience the Caribbean mountains. We ask that you respect the peace and quiet of the mountains and keep your music low during your stay. Quiet hours (no music) are between 10pm and 8am. We also ask that you remove all trash from the campsite when you leave. Guests will need to bring their own tank of propane gas to connect to the outdoor stoves. Getting around A 4x4 vehicle is STRONGLY recommended. We receive a large amount of rain, which can make the roads difficult to navigate. There are a number of hiking trails all over the farm to enjoy. If you are new to the Dominican Republic, Spirit Mountain is located about 2 hours from Santiago de los Caballeros (which has an international airport). How to get there Finding Spirit Mountain can be a challenge! Follow the highway from Jarabacoa to Manabao. Once you pass the public school in Manabao, take the main dirt road to the right that leads you to Angostura. The creek will be on your left as you drive up towards the farm. (Keep looking for brown and white signs that point to Spirit Mountain.) Continue for 3 kilometers or so. The road will get continuously more 4x4 as you progress up the road. Cross over the bridge that goes over the creek and continue up the 4x4 road to the entrance of the coffee farm. Our property managers, Deivy and Rosa, live in the house just before the entrance. Stop and check in with them before continuing onto the property. Once inside the coffee farm, follow the main road up to the right to the campsite. If it has been raining, you will need a 4x4 vehicle to get in and out of the campsite. Airport: Cibao International Airport: 40.4 miles from Spirit Mountain Guests have access to much of the farm. There is a site map that provides the details to the main trails and areas of interest, as well as our many different lots of coffee. Feel free to explore, just be mindful not to get lost. Luckily, if you do get disoriented, just head downhill, all paths lead to the entrance of Spirit Mountain. The farm is completely staffed for our coffee operations, and although our staff are generally busy with coffee, they are available to help out in any way they can. We ask that you arrive by 4pm in the afternoon and depart by noon on your last day. La finca está completamente equipada para nuestras operaciones de café, y aunque nuestro personal generalmente está ocupado con el café, están disponibles para ayudar en todo lo que puedan. Le pedimos que llegue antes de las 4 pm de la tarde y salga antes del mediodía de su último día. Spirit Mountain is located just at the outskirts of the National Park, at the foothills to Pico Duarte. At just over 10,000 ft, this is the tallest peak in the DR and in the entire Caribbean and Easter seaboard of North America. Spirit Mountain está ubicado justo en las afueras del Parque Nacional, en las faldas de Pico Duarte. Con poco más de 10,000 pies, este es el pico más alto de la República Dominicana y de todo el litoral caribeño y oriental de América del Norte. Although it is possible to get to Spirit Mountain via Public Transportation, I would not recommend this, unless you are completely fluent in Spanish and do not mind a very long hike. Our Farm can be found online, and there are several signs that will help direct you from Manabao, the nearest town. Aunque es posible llegar a Spirit Mountain en transporte público, no lo recomendaría, a menos que domine completamente el español y no le importe una caminata muy larga. Se encuentra la finca online e y hay varias señales que lo ayudarán a dirigirse desde Manabao, la ciudad más cercana. As a reminder, it can rain VERY hard in the tropics and at this elevation, it does tend to get pretty chilly in the evenings so pack the appropriate clothing. Bring all the food you will need for your stay at Spirit Mountain. The last grocery store can be found in Jarabacoa, 12 km before arriving in Manabao. Please pack out ALL trash when you leave to head back home.