The Río Yaque del Norte rises in the Cordillera Central — the same mountain massif that holds Pico Duarte — and runs 296 km to the Atlantic, making it the longest river in the Caribbean. It curves around the western edge of Santiago below the Fortaleza San Luis, with the Puente Hermanos Patiño carrying the main road across.
In Santiago the river is not really a destination in itself, but the view down to the muddy water from the fort or from the Mirador del Yaque park is one of the better cityscapes Santiago offers. The upper reaches of the river, around Jarabacoa, are the country's main spot for whitewater rafting and tubing.