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.
© Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock
Buena Vista Social Club-style son clubs are prolific in Santo Domingo.
© LighthunterWS/Shutterstock
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
A circular Shangri-la valley set deep in the heart of the Caribbean’s tallest mountains.
© Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock
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This lively beach town boasts the best windsurfing and kitesurfing in the Caribbean.
© Maxim's Creations/Shutterstock
A scenic, 10km-long outdoor boardwalk and party zone dotted with music-blaring discos and bustling bars and cafés.
© rj lerich/Shutterstock
Unbeatable as an authentic, locally produced souvenir, this semiprecious stone is stunning when set in jewellery.
© Filipao Photography/Shutterstock
See the best young players in the world before they’re whisked off to the US to make it big.
© ygor/Shutterstock
A saltwater lake the size of Manhattan, populated by crocodiles, rhinoceros, iguanas and tens of thousands of colourful tropical birds.
© SHCHERBAKOV SERHII/Shutterstock
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
Each February, La Vega transforms itself with the biggest, wildest party in this Carnival-crazed nation.
© David Pou/Shutterstock
The stuttering, fast-paced national music has been around in various forms for the past three hundred years.
© Alex Goncharov/Shutterstock
Santo Domingo’s compact treasure-trove of colonial architecture.
© Becker Stefan/Shutterstock
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.
Humpback whale tail in Samana, Dominican Republic © Kit Korzun/Shutterstock