Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic shares an island with Haiti but feels completely different. All-inclusive resorts, beautiful beaches, merengue music, and friendly people. It’s affordable and easy to reach from North America. One week works for a beach trip. Two weeks lets you see more than resorts.

Punta Cana is where most tourists go. Endless all-inclusive resorts on white sand beaches. The water is warm and clear. It’s built for package holidays. You barely need to leave your resort. Bavaro Beach is the main stretch. It’s beautiful but feels artificial. Every resort looks similar.

Santo Domingo is the capital and the oldest European city in the Americas. The Zona Colonial has cobblestone streets and Spanish buildings from the 1500s. Columbus’s son lived here. The Alcazar de Colon is his former palace. The city feels authentically Caribbean, not resort fake. Locals actually live here. The Malecon waterfront gets busy at night.

Samana Peninsula on the north coast is less developed. Las Terrenas has a European vibe with French influence. The beaches are gorgeous and quieter. Humpback whales come to the bay from January to March. Watching them breach is incredible. El Limon waterfall is worth the horseback ride or hike.

Cabarete is the adventure sports town. Kite surfing and wind surfing are huge here. The beach fills with colorful kites. It’s more active than resort areas. The town has hostels and cheap eats.

Puerto Plata area has older resorts and cable car up the mountain. Sosua nearby has a strange German history. The north coast gets more rain than Punta Cana.

Food is mangú mashed plantains, la bandera the flag lunch with rice beans and meat, fresh seafood, tostones fried plantains. Presidente beer is everywhere.

Rental cars help outside resort areas. Guaguas are local buses. Motorbike taxis called motoconchos are cheap but sketchy.