Central Highlands
What’s left of the original site of La Vega are the ruins of the fort Christopher Columbus ordered to be built and a church. After the great earthquake of…
Must-see attractions in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
This gate is named for the Count of Peñalba, Bernardo de Meneses y Bracamonte, who led the successful defense of Santo Domingo against 13,000 invading…
Central Highlands
This breathtaking waterfall, reputedly the largest in the Greater Antilles, is a scenic but extremely rough 16km drive from Constanza (you'll need a 4WD)…
Dominican Republic
Sometimes referred to as ‘the Stonehenge of the Dominican Republic,’ this pre-Colombian site – one of the few in the Antilles – doesn't quite live up to…
Ruinas del Hospital San Nicolás de Barí
Santo Domingo
Standing next to the bright, white Iglesia de la Altagracia are the ruins of the New World’s first hospital. They remain as a monument to Governor Nicolás…
Sosúa
Playa Sosúa is the main beach, and practically a city within a city. Located on a crescent-shaped bay with calm, turquoise waters, this narrowing (due to…
Central Highlands
In a lush canyon, Baiguate is not as visually impressive as the other waterfalls in the area, but it’s the most accessible for swimming. A lovely 300m…
Santo Domingo
Incongruously located on the 5th floor of a large Honda dealership, which looks like a parking garage, is this significant private collection of Dominican…
Santo Domingo
Built in 1747 as a Jesuit church, this was also a tobacco warehouse and a theater before dictator Trujillo restored it in 1958 for its current use as a…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
This large cave, with scattered Taíno pictograms (and graffiti) and stalactite and stalagmite formations, is several kilometers west of Boca de Yuma on…
Santo Domingo
The first monastery in the New World belonged to the first order of Franciscan friars who arrived to evangelize the island. Dating from 1508, the…
North Coast
Located about 1km east of town, this small, peaceful bay with tawny sand, almond trees and towering palms is a good place to spend an afternoon. Food…
Santo Domingo
A handsome building with a Gothic facade built in 1509, this was originally the residence of Governor Nicolás de Ovando, who is famous for ordering Santo…
Punta Cana & the Southeast
Much of Playa Bayahibe, the town beach to the right of the parking lot, is occupied by dozens of motorboats waiting to ferry tourists to Isla Saona…
Santo Domingo
Highlights here include an impressive collection of Taíno artifacts, including stone axes and intriguing urns and carvings and an interesting section on…
Santo Domingo
Built in 1510 by Charles V, this is the first convent of the Dominican order founded in the Americas. It's also where Father Bartolomé de las Casas – the…
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
Santo Domingo
Constructed during the first half of the 16th century, the church was sacked by Drake and his men and reconstructed on numerous occasions following…
North Coast
This 1100-sq-km desert park is overlooked by the vast majority of visitors; if you visit you'll have its beaches and mountains largely to yourself (unless…
Santo Domingo
The museum’s permanent collection includes paintings and a few sculptures by the DR’s best-known modern artists, including Luís Desangles, Adriana Billini…
Reserva Científica Valle Nuevo
Central Highlands
This remote park begins around 17km southeast of Constanza. Las Pirámides, a monument marking the geographic center of the DR, is 46km away. The area…
North Coast
This crumbling and little-visited but historically significant national park marks Columbus’ second settlement on Hispaniola. These days a lackluster…
Museo de la Comunidad Judía de Sosúa
Sosúa
This museum has exhibits with Spanish and English text describing the Jewish presence in the DR. At the multinational Evian conference in 1938 the DR was…
Santo Domingo
This museum is located in the Casa de Tostado – the beautifully restored, 16th-century home of writer Francisco Tostado. It's interesting as much for the…
Santiago
This small gallery displays Dominican painting, photography and sculpture. Some nights of the week a film club meets to screen art-house and Hollywood…
Península de Samaná
This small beach, 5km east of Samaná, is easily accessible from town. It's thought by many historians to be the site of a small and short battle between…
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Santo Domingo
This museum explores the natural environs of the Dominican Republic, with the massive jaw of a sperm whale welcoming visitors at the door. Old-fashioned…
Puerto Plata
The completely paved Malecón (also known as Av General Luperón and Av Circunvalación Norte) runs along the shore. There are a handful of restaurants, as…
Centro de la Cultura de Santiago
Santiago
Though not much to look at from the outside, the Centro de la Cultura de Santiago, a half-block from Parque Duarte, offers a regular program of musical…
Santo Domingo
Housed in a restored 16th-century building, exhibits here celebrate rum and sugarcane, two of the country’s most important exports. Displays and…
Santo Domingo
This large, centrally located park, mostly a sun-baked, fairly unkempt plaza, has three museums (two of which are worth visiting), the national theater…
Santo Domingo
Across from the Museo de las Casas Reales, this sundial was built by Governor Francisco Rubio y Peñaranda in 1753 and positioned so that officials in the…
Santo Domingo
Home to the first nunnery in the New World, built in 1552. Years after being sacked by Drake and his men (who apparently hated all things Catholic), it…
Santiago
Built in the late 17th century, the Fortaleza San Luis operated as a military stronghold until the 1970s, when it was converted into a prison. Renovated…
Santo Domingo
The 1813 birthplace of Juan Pablo Duarte was converted into a modest museum and renovated in late 2016. Three rooms display documents, artifacts and…
North Coast
Only 25m down a path leaving from just in front of Playa Grande's bathrooms is this spectacular stretch of sand. Pounded by serious waves and some…
Monumento Natural Cabo Francés Viejo
North Coast
A petite monument at just 5-sq-km, Cabo Francés Viejo comprises sheer cliffs, three lighthouses (the oldest of which is over 150 years old), reefs and…
Península de Samaná
The little-visited, old fashioned Whale Museum is housed in a dilapidated building south of the center. It won't tell you more than you'll get on a whale…
Puerto Plata
The country's most famous rum distillery offers 30-minute tours from a 2nd-floor gangway, during which visitors learn the history and process of rum…
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
Santo Domingo
The Gothic-style chapel was built during the 16th century by alderman Francisco de Avila and was intended to be a private chapel and family mausoleum…
Santo Domingo
Running north–south in front of Fortaleza Ozama is the first paved street in the Americas. Laid in 1502, the street acquired its name from the wife of…
