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The field tour includes a visit to an important food processing plant, specializing in fruits and vegetables. The next stops will be at mango and avocado farms to see the latest in cultural practices and the Dominican model. The trip includes a visit to the Fruit Tree Experiment Station operated by the Dominican Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute (IDIAF), where a luncheon will be offered to the participants. After lunch the group will stop at a small farmer mango project using modern production technology. To end the day, the group will pay a visit to the unique Bani Sand Dunes system, and Salina Tip beach, an impressive tropical beach, and important sea salt production site.

About Baní
Only an hour car ride from the capital lies Bani. A town of peaceful beaches, multicolored, single-storied wooden houses, and buildings of a modern colonial style. The Plaza de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, lies within the village square surrounded by restaurants and delightful shops of local handicrafts. Taking the road leading westward from the town one comes to Playa Baní and other secluded beaches like Las Salinas and Palmar de Ocoa with grey sands. From Baní we can set out on a trip to visit the nearby salt flats and the scenic sand dune systems, unique in the Caribbean - they have taken over 50,000 years to form and encompass ancient cultures and historical processes that remain to be studied.
The dunes are also home to the Monarch butterfly, a species protected around the world. Amphibians, reptiles, birds and a species of fish that is unique in the world complete this unique ecosystem.

7:00 A.M.
DEPARTURE FROM THE HAMACA HOTEL

9:30 A.M.
GOYA AGROINDUSTRIAL PLANT (San Cristóbal)
fruits and vegetables processing plant

11:00 A.M.
MANAGU FARM (Matanzas, Baní)
Mangoes and Avocados Farm.

12:30 P.M.
FRUIT EXPERIMENTAL STATION , IDIAF ( Sombrero , Baní)

1:30 P.M.
LUNCH

3:00 P.M.
VILLA FUNDACIÓN PROJECT (Villa Fundación, Baní)
(Small farmers Mangoes project)

4:00 P.M.
SAND DUNES SYSTEM (Las Dunas, Baní)
Protected A rea with a very interesting biodiversity

4:30 P.M.
PUNTA SALINAS BEACH (Punta Salinas, Baní)
Beaches, and marine salt production facilities.

5:00 P.M.
RETURN TO THE HOTEL

OPTION 2 – CONSTANZA (Northern Region)

Constanza is an Interior mountain valley located around 1200 meters above sea level, in the Central Range , which has the highest elevation in the Caribbean . Average temperature is around 18 degrees centigrade. Constanza produces excellent garlic, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, flowers, strawberry, and other temperate crops. Constanza is a paradise.

7: 00 A.M.
DEPARTURE FROM THE HAMACA HOTEL

9:30 A.M.
HORTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION , IDIAF (Constanza)

Medicinal plants, garlic, and potatoes

10:15 A.M.
TOUR AROUND THE VALLEY
Cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, broccoli, sweet corn

10:45 A.M.
GREENHOUSES
Greenhouses for green pepper commercial production and plant nursery

11:30 A.M.
VEGEFRUT
Fresh vegetable packing plant

12:30 P.M.
LUNCH (Alto Cerro Hotel)

2:00 P.M.
JARDÍN CONSTANZA
Flowers

3:00 P.M.
Vivero Joaquín Gómez
Flowers and ornamental plants

3:30 P.M.
DEPARTURE TO SANTO DOMINGO

This tour will include the visit to two modern garden nursery and commercial production facilities located nearby the city of Santo Domingo. The lunch will be offered in the natural environment of the National Botanical Garden, which will be holding its Second Plant and Flower Festival. Departing from the Botanical Garden, a city tour will be offered to the participants, with a stop at Colonial Zone of the first city in the New World.

About Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founded by Bartolomeo Columbus, Governor of the Frontier Lands in 1496, is the oldest city of the new world. In 1990 its colonial area was declared by UNESCO to be a "World Heritage Site". It is a modern and cosmopolitan city that has been conscientiously preserved over three hundred colonial monuments in its oldest part. Here we can give our imaginations free rein and summon up images of Diego Columbus and his wife María Álvarez de Toledo with their dames and hear the story of the cacique Enriquillo, "A just and worthy man" who approved the First Peace Treaty of America between the Indians and the Spanish.

The colonial city
Built in 1502 by Nicolás de Ovando, this is the oldest part of the city, rich in sights to see. Along the Calle de las Damas stands the Fuerte del Homenaje, also known as La Fortaleza, the oldest fort of the new world; the Casa de Bastidas is the Palacio de los Capitanes; the Casa de Ovando, famous for its Isabelline-Gothic style entrance door, is unique in the world.
The Plaza de España is dominated by the Alcázar de Colón, the home of Diego, son of Christopher Columbus: a palace with a Mudejar-Gothic style whose intrinsic beauty is further enhanced by the lush tropical plant life surrounding it.
In the Calle de Isabel la Católica stands the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, one of the island's symbolic monuments, the Palace of Borgellá , the striking ruins of San Francisco , the Casa del Duarte and the Church of Santa Bárbara . Strolling along Calle Padre Billini we can admire new sights such as the Church Regina Angelorum, built over 200 years ago, la Casa del Tapao, an enigmatic masked man, the Church of los Dominicos, site of America's first university, the Casa del Tostado, the Church of Santa Clara and the Casa de la Moneda or mint.

7:00 A.M.
DEPARTURE FROM THE HAMACA HOTEL

8:00 A.M.
VIVERO INMACULADA (Villa Mella)
Flower, Orchids, and Ornamentals in general

10:30 A.M.
ORCHIDS DOMINICANA (La Cuaba, Km 22, Carretera Duarte)
Orchids

1:00 P.M.
LUNCH

2:00 P.M.
NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN