La Vega Province
Carnival capital of DR (Carnaval Vegano, month-long, colonial origins); Cibao Valley agricultural heartland for coffee, cacao, rice; Jarabacoa ecotourism.
Christopher Columbus's brother Bartholomew founded Concepción de la Vega in 1495 to guard the route to Cibao Valley gold—one of the country's original provinces when the first constitution was adopted in 1844. Today La Vega is the third most populous city and the acknowledged carnival capital of the Dominican Republic. The Carnaval Vegano, dating to colonial times, blends African, Taíno, and Spanish traditions into a month-long celebration that draws thousands of tourists each February.
The fertile 'Valle de la Vega Real' powers an agricultural economy based on coffee, cacao, tobacco, rice, and cattle. Rivers feeding the Cibao support hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems that make the region the country's breadbasket. Local industries include the Cervecería Vegana brewery (producing Quisqueya and Soberana beers) and food processing facilities. Jarabacoa, in the mountain highlands, attracts adventure tourists to the DR's only cold-climate zone—offering white-water rafting, paragliding, and hiking.
By 2026, La Vega will test whether agricultural heritage and carnival tourism can sustain growth against urban migration pressures. The Carnaval Vegano generates significant seasonal revenue, but year-round economic diversification remains limited. If agro-processing scales and Jarabacoa's ecotourism develops infrastructure, La Vega could model how Cibao interior provinces thrive. If young people continue leaving for Santo Domingo, the valley that fed Spanish colonizers may hollow out.