Attractions

This dramatic mountaintop viewpoint isn't new, but the selfie generation has discovered its value – Dominicanos flock here on weekends to take photos swinging in sky-high swing sets, hammocks and teeter-totters, or …

The first stone of this cathedral, the oldest standing in the Western hemisphere, was set in 1514 by Diego Columbus, son of the great explorer (the ashes of father and son supposedly once resided in the chapel's cry…

This large, modern museum, built with the tobacco wealth of the León Jimenez family, is a world-class institution with an impressive collection of paintings that trace the evolution of Dominican art in the 20th cent…

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 erosion) stretch of sand is backed by palm trees and a seemin…

Pitch-perfect Playa Rincón, with soft, nearly white sand and multihued water good for swimming, stretches an uninterrupted 3km – enough for every day-tripper to claim their own piece of real estate. There's a small …

Las Terrenas might not be that close to the Parque Nacional Los Haitises, but since so few independent travelers make it to Sabana de la Mar, the closest entrance to the park, Las Terrenas has become a popular place…

Playa Frontón boasts some of the area’s best snorkeling. Apparently it’s also popular with drug smugglers, Dominicans braving the Mona Passage on their way to Puerto Rico, and reality-show contestants – in 2002 Expe…

A long, broad, tawny beach with aquamarine water on one side and a thick fringe of palm trees on the other. Stark white cliffs jut out into the ocean in the distance. A surf school here offers lessons.

Visiting the Reserva Antropológica El Pomier is like reading a history book written in stone. There are 57 limestone caves in the area 10km north of San Cristobal, five of which (containing almost 600 paintings) are…

There’s a reason why boatloads of tourists descend upon this island daily. The powdery, white-sand beach doesn’t seem real from afar, and a dip in the aquamarine surf is a gentle restorative, like the waters of the …