Paraíso Festival: a boost for southern tourism

Barahona, DR.- From January 18 to 21, the Municipality of Paraíso in the Barahona Province will host the second Paraíso Festival, focusing on Cocoa and Chocolate and dedicated to Hecmilio Galván for his significant contributions to cocoa production in Paraíso and across the country.

The event, in its second edition, aims to boost agriculture and tourism in Paraíso, known for being home to prominent ecotourism attractions in Barahona and the South, including San Rafael, Playa los Patos, Villa Miriam, Platón, and other communities.

Richard Sánchez, representative of the organizing committee, highlighted the diverse activities planned, including sports, cultural, artistic, and educational events. The festival will feature “El día de campo,” promoting cocoa in the southern mountains through FEDA, at the Reynaldo Feliz model farm on Risito Highway in Paraíso.

Workshops will cover topics such as chocolate making in the country by Silvio Rodríguez, followed by a discussion on the significance of cocoa in Dominican gastronomy led by chef Solangel Velásquez.

The festival will also mark the launch of the Emprende RD program on Saturday the 20th at 10:00 AM in Barahona, providing seed capital to numerous young entrepreneurs for initiating their agricultural activities.

The government, through FEDA, supports substantial projects, including a collection center and a nursery, benefiting cocoa producers with an investment exceeding 15 million pesos.