Things not to miss

updated 7/3/2020

#01 Playa Rincón

Simply the country’s finest beach, where you can relax beneath palm trees, swim in turquoise waters and enjoy freshly caught fish grilled at a waterside shack.

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#01 Playa Rincón
#02 Cuban son
#03 El Limón waterfall
#04 Constanza
#05 Cabarete
#06 Santo Domingo Malecón
#07 Amber
#08 Baseball
#09 Lago Enriquillo
#10 Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Santo Domingo
#11 La Vega Carnival
#12 Merengue dancing
#13 Zona Colonial
#14 Whale watching

© Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock

#02 Cuban son

Buena Vista Social Club-style son clubs are prolific in Santo Domingo.

© LighthunterWS/Shutterstock

#03 El Limón waterfall

Hidden deep within the Samaná mountains, but accessible on horseback, this pristine 150m waterfall is one of the loveliest spots on the island.

© Don Mammoser/Shutterstock

#04 Constanza

A circular Shangri-la valley set deep in the heart of the Caribbean’s tallest mountains.

© Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock

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Life-changing chocolate in the Dominican Republic

#05 Cabarete

This lively beach town boasts the best windsurfing and kitesurfing in the Caribbean.

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#06 Santo Domingo Malecón

A scenic, 10km-long outdoor boardwalk and party zone dotted with music-blaring discos and bustling bars and cafés.

© rj lerich/Shutterstock

#07 Amber

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In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice.

Unbeatable as an authentic, locally produced souvenir, this semiprecious stone is stunning when set in jewellery.

© Filipao Photography/Shutterstock

#08 Baseball

See the best young players in the world before they’re whisked off to the US to make it big.

© ygor/Shutterstock

#09 Lago Enriquillo

A saltwater lake the size of Manhattan, populated by crocodiles, rhinoceros, iguanas and tens of thousands of colourful tropical birds.

© SHCHERBAKOV SERHII/Shutterstock

#10 Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Santo Domingo

This impressive museum, one of four in Santo Domingo’s Plaza de la Cultura, houses an outstanding collection of Taino artefacts, plus exhibits on the island’s African heritage.

© Thomas Grau/Shutterstock

#11 La Vega Carnival

Each February, La Vega transforms itself with the biggest, wildest party in this Carnival-crazed nation.

© David Pou/Shutterstock

#12 Merengue dancing

The stuttering, fast-paced national music has been around in various forms for the past three hundred years.

#13 Zona Colonial

Santo Domingo’s compact treasure-trove of colonial architecture.

#14 Whale watching

One of the world’s great natural spectacles takes place every winter in Samaná bay when thousands of humpback whales arrive to breed, give birth and fill the memory cards of the watching tourists’ cameras.