With playful turquoise waves, swaying palm trees on sandy beaches, and some of the best rum on the planet, the Dominican Republic is as famous for its natural beauty as it is for its abundance of all-inclusive resorts.
Once you’ve decided on the best time to visit the DR, keeping in mind the Atlantic hurricane season from June to November, there’s no shortage of accommodations with swim-up bars that will keep you entertained as you spend hours quietly relaxing by the water. But to truly experience the best of the DR, you have to actually leave the hotel grounds.
Spend time in major cities like Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros to get a taste of the island’s culture. And visitors who venture off the beaten path to explore undeveloped enclaves are rewarded with waterfalls, whale watching, and hikes through lush rainforests.
Interregional travel is fairly common, with national carrier Alajet expanding its low-cost routes between the DR and Puerto Rico, and between the DR and the United States. Dominicans can be seen commuting to work, visiting family across the country, and traveling on the roads to school and work. Taxis can be found almost anywhere, and rideshare services are available in three major cities: Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata. Public buses are an affordable and memorable way to experience island life.
advertisement
If you don’t know where to start your trip, here are eight of the best places to visit in the Dominican Republic.
1. Punta Cana
Perfect for all-inclusive resorts
For many people, when they think of the Dominican Republic, they think of Punta Cana. The resort capital of the island has an avalanche of all-inclusive resorts catering to a bottomless bar set.
But Punta Cana has beaches that rival some of the best in the Caribbean, as well as theme park-level accommodations for tourists. With 97km of coastline bordering both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, you can take a catamaran ride, go deep-sea fishing, or indulge in a good book while enjoying the warm sun.
Planning tip: Thanks to the resort’s casino and clubs, the area’s party scene thrives late into the night.
2. Santo Domingo
Perfect for urban culture
In Santo Domingo’s El Capital, the gritty hustle and bustle of city life collides with vibrant Dominican culture. One of the oldest cities in the Caribbean, it’s the ideal destination for history buffs looking to immerse themselves in the country’s past.
Zona Colonial, in the heart of the city, is home to the island’s oldest church, a European fortress, a monastery, a university and a hospital. But once you step out of Zona’s cobbled streets, you can embark on big-city fun, with elegant restaurants, lively nightclubs, and plenty of cultural venues to add to your itinerary.
Planning tip: Book a table at elegant El Mesón de la Cava for dinner in an ancient Taíno cave, then head to Jet Set, an edgy, strobe-lit club. Onno’s, a local bar chain, is also popular for casual evenings of beer and cocktails.
3. Samana
Perfect for whale watching
advertisement
The Samana Peninsula is a place where the Dominican Republic’s unspoiled natural beauty meets a friendly small-town sensibility. It’s a stark contrast to the glitzy resorts of Punta Cana and the bustling atmosphere of Santo Domingo.
The capital of this peninsular state is the eponymous Samana, located in the northern part of Samana Bay. Ecotourism is the norm here, and whales are one of the highlights. The best time for whale watching is from January to March, when thousands of humpback whales descend into the bay to give birth to their calves.
El Museo de las Ballenas, in the neighboring town of Salinas, is an attraction in its own right, with marine mammal exhibits, handmade souvenirs, and guided tours of the complete skeleton of a 12-metre humpback whale, discovered in 1993 on the rocky coastline between Las Galeras and Santa Barbara de Samana.
Detour: Los Haitises National Park covers 1,600 square kilometers of rainforest, including rocky hills, coves, ancient Taino caves with pictographs, karst islands, sinkholes, and tangled mangroves. The mounds were formed up to 2 million years ago when a thick limestone shelf formed underwater buckled due to tectonic movements. A well-worth day trip by boat from Samana. Tours often include hiking, kayaking, ziplining, and boating.
4. Sosua
perfect for parties
During the day, Sosua is a typical quiet beach town. It is a vast sandy beach where the blue-green waves of the Atlantic Ocean gently lap at you. A 1938 executive order allowed the settlement of 100,000 Jewish refugees, and it is also the island’s dairy and cheese center. About 800 people accepted the offer and set up a dairy and cheese factory. Many of its products are still available for purchase today.
Although it looks very idyllic and peaceful, Sosua at night is a completely different beast. After dark, the main street (Avenida Pedro Crisante) is closed to traffic. Revelers spill out onto the streets from bars, lounges, and nightclubs, many of which feature live local music, including Blue Ice Piano Bar and the popular Jolly Roger.
Planning tip: The area is also known for sex tourism. Please use caution as Dominican and Haitian sex workers approach and proposition tourists in the area.
5. Cabarete
Perfect for water sports
Sure, it’s nice to drink cocktails on the beach. However, there is only so much you can do to relax. When you’re ready to get your vacation started in earnest, set your coordinates in Cabarete, a beach town on the Caribbean coast of the Dominican Republic.
An adrenaline junkie’s dream, Cabarete welcomes kayakers, snorkelers, windsurfers and kitesurfers (several international competitions are held here). It’s also a popular spot for surfers, thanks to some of the best wind and tides in the Caribbean.
6. El Limon
perfect for hiking
Tighten your shoelaces and maintain your balance. The 2.4 km trail to Cascada El Limón is wet and rocky. Most visitors traverse this terrain on horseback, but you can also do so on foot. Be sure to pack rubber shoes, as you’ll be crossing rivers and jumping over muddy rocks to reach your destination. A 30-60 minute walk or drive from the small town of El Limón will take you to the spectacular 46 meter waterfall. This waterfall empties into the cool waters of a vast swimming hole.
Planning tip: Book your tour at one of the travel agencies in Las Terrenas, a 30-minute drive from El Limón. Tours typically include a guide, horse, and lunch.
7. Bayahibe
Perfect for scuba diving
Located on the Caribbean coast of the Dominican Republic, Bayahibe is a former fishing village turned sleepy resort town with convenient access to the island’s most lively (and spectacular) beaches.
Just a few miles from town are Playa Bayahibe, Playa Dominicus, and a boat launch to Saona Island. More than an uninhabited sanctuary, Saona Island is a national park perfect for a boozy cruise stop. Your best bet is to stay in Bayahibe and take advantage of one of the approximately 20 dive sites in the area. This is one of the most active areas for scuba divers in the country.
Planning tip: If scuba diving isn’t on your mind, try stand up paddleboarding or reef snorkeling instead.
8. Jarabacoa
Perfect for white water rafting
Jarabacoa is the opposite of a seaside town in the Dominican Republic, with its lush mountain peaks perfect for hiking, roaring rivers for white-water rafting, and a warm mug of inviting Dominican coffee on cool, misty mountain mornings.
Known as the City of Eternal Spring, Jarabacoa offers plenty of activities, including hiking waterfalls, crossing the rope bridge over the Jimenoa River, playing an extensive round of golf, and visiting the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria del Evangelio.
Detour: The area is home to the Ebano Verde Reserve, home to over 600 species of flora and fauna in one of the wettest regions of the island (arrange a tour of the reserve in advance). Jarabacoa is also known for its February Carnival festival, one of the most famous celebrations in the Dominican Republic.
