Which lake in the Dominican Republic is the largest lake in the Caribbean?

Lake Enriquillo is the largest lake in the Caribbean. It lies in the southwestern Dominican Republic, within the broad Hoya de Enriquillo depression near the border with Haiti.

The lake is saline and endorheic, meaning it has no outlet to the sea. Water arrives through the Yaque del Sur and smaller drainage systems, then leaves mainly through evaporation. Its surface and salinity fluctuate substantially with rainfall, storms and evaporation. It is also the lowest point in an island country, lying about 46 metres below sea level.

Lake Enriquillo occupies a tectonic depression between mountain ranges. The valley was once connected to the sea, but sediment gradually closed the former marine passage. Today, the lake and surrounding Isla Cabritos support American crocodiles, flamingos and two notable endemic iguanas.

The lake’s size has changed dramatically in recent decades. Between 2004 and 2009, its surface area more than doubled, submerging two historically recognized islands; Isla Cabritos remains the principal island. Lake Miragoane and Lake Azuei, both in or near Haiti, are important regional lakes but are not the Caribbean’s largest.