Museo Jamas El Olvido Será tu Recuerdo
Dominican Republic
In the home of local resident José Miguel Ventura Medina, known to some as ‘El Hippi,’ this museum has a name translating literally to ‘Forgetfulness will…
Must-see attractions in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
The Dominican seat of government, which occupies most of a city block, was designed by Italian architect Guido D’Alessandro and inaugurated in 1947. Built…
Las Terrenas
A getaway from a getaway, the appropriately named Playa Bonita (Pretty Beach) is only a few kilometers west of Las Terrenas. It's not without…
Monumento Natural Dunas de las Calderas
Dominican Republic
This protected reserve, part of the Península de las Salinas, is 20 sq km of gray-brown sand mounds, some as high as 12m. A guided tour (in Spanish)…
Parque Nacional Submarino La Caleta
Punta Cana & the Southeast
This underwater park is the resting place of several shipwrecks, incuding the Hickory, a salvage ship that was scuttled in 1984, the year the park was…
Santo Domingo
The lush grounds span 2 sq km and include vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more…
Santo Domingo
Consisting of three humid caverns with dark blue lagoons connected by stalactite-filled passages, this site is lovely if you show up early to beat the…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
Just east of the two-lane highway linking Higüey to Boca de Yuma, outside the small town of San Rafael del Yuma, is a fine rural Dominican town surrounded…
Cabarete
The famous caves of Parque Nacional El Choco are ensconced in the foothills of the Cordillera Septentrional, among 77 sq km of pastureland, lagoon, jungle…
Dominican Republic
The Haitian market is impossible to miss: just stay on the main road through town until you run into it. Vendors lay their goods out on the ground, shaded…
Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración de la República
Santiago
On a hill at the eastern end of the downtown area, this monument is Santiago’s most recognizable sight, featuring a large bronze Angel de La Paz statue at…
Central Highlands
The home of Patria, Minerva and María Mirabal, sisters who were assassinated by agents of dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1960 because of their opposition to…
Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez
Central Highlands
In 1956, the deforestation across the border in Haiti was already bad enough to compel the Dominican government to create this 766 sq km national park, in…
Parque Nacional José del Carmen Ramírez
Central Highlands
Established in 1958 to adjoin Parque Nacional Armando Bermúdez, the less-visited Ramírez park's 764 sq km spans three provinces and includes Pico Duarte,…
Reserva Cientifica Loma Quita Espuela
Central Highlands
The dense vegetation of this remote countryside, and the difficulty traveling through it, gave the reserve its name: the Mountain of the Missing Spur (a…
North Coast
A bustling market held on the DR side of the border. Haitians come over to buy and sell fruit, vegetables and everything else, as well as contraband …
Santiago
This is the oldest and most prestigious cigar factory in the country, with a brand-new showroom and personable tour guides. Exhibits in the showroom…
North Coast
This lagoon at the northern end of Calle Duarte is fairly picturesque, with a dozen or more boatmen offering hour-long tours (US$50 for up to seven people…
Dominican Republic
A short distance east of the park entrance, on the northern side of the highway, look for Las Caritas, a small rock formation with what are believed to be…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
This tiny uninhabited island on the eastern edge of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá is a common stop on snorkeling and diving tours. Arriving on the island’s…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
The thing about the beach at Boca Chica is that it’s in Boca Chica. This means that despite the powdery white sand and tranquil waters, it’s unlikely to…
Las Galeras
'Mouth of the Devil’ is an impressive vent or blowhole, where waves rush up a natural channel and blast out of a hole in the rocks. Car or motorcycle is…
Península de Pedernales
Playa Los Patos, a pretty white-stone beach, and its adjacent balneario (swimming hole) are idyllic traveler finds. Water flows clear and cool out of the…
Santo Domingo
The large open area in front of the Alcázar de Colón has been revamped many times, most recently during the 1990s in honor of the 500th anniversary of…
Cabarete
Four kilometers west of town. The place to go for surfing, though top windsurfers and kitesurfers sometimes come to take advantage of the larger waves…
North Coast
Part of the 1100-sq-km Parque Nacional Monte Cristi that surrounds Monte Cristi on all sides, El Morro sits 5km northeast of town – follow Av San Fernando…
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá – Eastern Entrance
Punta Cana & the Southeast
There's little formality or information available from this entrance as few people enter here (and nobody is around to collect an entrance fee), but there…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
The advantage of staying in Dominicus Americanus is being able to walk to Playa Dominicus, a beautiful stretch of thick, nearly white sand, with good…
Santo Domingo
Beside the Catedral Primada de América, this historic park contains several trees and a large statue of Admiral Columbus himself. It’s the meeting place…
Puerto Plata
The colonial-era building houses a collection of amber exhibits. These exhibits include valuable pieces with such rare inclusions as a small 50-million…
Santo Domingo
This museum features an impressive collection of amber samples from around the world and excellent exhibits explaining (in Spanish and English) amber's…
Santiago
Santiago’s cathedral, opposite the southern side of Parque Duarte, was built between 1868 and 1895 and is a combination of Gothic and neoclassical styles…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
This interesting, modern museum traces the history of religion and culture in the DR back to the 18th century. It is on the grounds of the Basilica de…
Reserva Científica Ebano Verde
Central Highlands
Look for the entrance to this 23-sq-km reserve on the road to Constanza from Santiago. There’s also an easy 2km nature trail through tropical forest where…
Santo Domingo
Thorough exhibits on larimar – a rare, light-blue mineral found only in the remote southwestern mountains of the Dominican Republic – have signage in…
Cabarete
Two kilometers west of town. A sight to behold on windy days, when scores of kiters of all skill levels negotiate huge sails and 30m lines amid the waves…
Santo Domingo
A lively cultural space run by the Spanish embassy, this institute regularly hosts art exhibits, film festivals and musical concerts, all with a Spanish…
Península de Pedernales
Less busy on weekends than Playa Los Platos a few kilometers southwest, Playa San Rafael is a white pebble beach fringed in palms featuring cheap local…
Santo Domingo
Resembling a cross between a Soviet-era apartment block and a Las Vegas–style ancient Mayan ruin, this massive monument is worth visiting for its…
Santo Domingo
This was originally the residence of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztecs in present-day central Mexico. It was in this building that Cortés is believed…
