Guayabal, Azua


Guayabal is a municipality of the Azua province in the Dominican Republic.
The people speak with a heavy "Sureño" accent, meaning Southern, typical of Southern Dominicans. That is, an „o“ sounds almost like an „u“. So you hear Riu or Tiu instead of Rio or Tio.

Location

Guayabal lies 725 meters above sea level at the confluence of the Arroyo Guayabal in the Rio Cueva. The coordinates are 18°44'56 N 70°50'11 W. A trail goes through the Arroyo Guayabal to Constanza. Constanza is about a two-hour drive, yet the roads require the use of sports utility vehicles. Guayabal is about 20 km north-east of Padre las Casas, and about another 2 hours, in the Guagua, away from the province capital Azua de Compostela.

Society

Guayabal administrates some smaller villages alongside the Rio Cueva. These villages are accessible solely with offroad capable vehicles. Some include: Periquito, Arroyo Corozo, La Guama and El Recodo. Being that Guayabal is difficult to access its residents are very dependent on Padre las Casas for many goods and services.
There is much poverty and as such there is a lot of emigration in search of work. Yet, during Christmas, Navidad, or Easter, Semana Santa, the town is repopulated.

Economy

The economy is dominated by the cultivation of beans, peas, cassavaand calabash. The production region, called Loma or Cerca, covers all the hillsides up to the top of the highest mountains, i.e. over 1,000 meters above sea level. The cost of an acre of land, approximately 629 m2, is about $4000RD or about $100US. Meat producers are sparse and there are even less milk producers left. The common mode of transports is through the use of horses, mules and donkeys.

Tourism

There is little tourism; Guayabal has two small hotels. One has the usual amenities of a hotel, it includes a bath, a T.V., and a ventilator, but these rooms serve mostly reserved by business travelers. There is one restaurant, there is great hospitality and it is common to be invited to dine with a local family. The tourists that do come to Guayabal or, Padre Las Casas, are usually on their way to the city of Constanza.