DK Travel : Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country of surprising contrasts and extraordinary variety. From the chilly peak of the Caribbean’s highest mountain to some of the region’s most delightful beaches, the country boasts lush valleys, spectacular waterfalls, and sun-baked deserts. The past and present also blend in a fascinating mix of colonial buildings and modern hotels, sleepy rural villages and lively tourist resorts. The people, too, reflect a kaleidoscope of influences — Spanish, African, indigenous — creating a culture that emphasizes both creativity and fun in the fields of music, sport, and art.

La Roca

A friendly place where you can play billiards, browse the book exchange, and eat delicious shrimp and Mexican dishes.
La Romana

This town boasts some pretty houses from the turn of the 19th century in the gridiron area around the Parque Central, as well as a large, sprawling market area where you will see all manner of everyday and exotic produce. The town is famed for its baseball players, but its real attractions for visitors are the nearby luxury resort of Casa de Campo and the unique replica Tuscan hilltop village of Altos de Chavón.
La Romana

A town built on sugar now offers a different sweetness in the form of the country’s most luxurious resort, Casa de Campo, and an unforgettable transplant from Italy, Altos de Chavón.
La Vega

One of the earliest European settlements, La Vega was an important base for gold-mining in the Cibao Valley during Columbus’s time, but was later flattened by an earthquake. The modern town reveals nothing of that period. There’s little either of Victorian-era boom time, when some imposing public buildings appeared. The most conspicuous structure these days is the concrete modernist Catedral de la Concepción de La Vega, apparently intended to capture the spirit of the colonial period. La Vega really comes into its own each February, when it stages one of the country’s most celebrated Carnival celebrations (see Carnival), and the construction of masks from papier-mâché becomes an art form.

La Vega
La Yola

This German-owned eatery near the marina has tasty seafood as well as international cuisine.
La Yuca Caliente

A Spanish restaurant on the beach under the shade of palm trees. A wonderful setting to enjoy the tapas bar or sample the extensive wine list.
Lago Enriquillo

An inland saltwater sea surrounded by cactus-studded wilderness, this natural wonder involves a boat trip and close encounters with crocodiles and tame giant iguanas.
Lago Enriquillo

Probably the country’s most intriguing natural phenomenon, this huge saltwater lake is eerily atmospheric in its spectacular natural setting. The lake also forms an inland ecosystem, with its mixture of saline water, ancient fossils, and varied wildlife. Chief among these are the American crocodiles that inhabit its main island, the Isla Cabritos.
Laguna Gri Gri

The exotic, mangrove-lined lagoon comes almost into the center of Río San Juan, and boat trips start from a jetty at the northern end of Calle Duarte. Tours take about two hours and pass through the mysterious lagoon landscape. There are crocodiles in the lagoon and a profusion of birdlife, encouraged by the area’s environmentally protected status. The Cueva de las Golondrinas (Swallows’ Cave), a subterranean passage formed by an earthquake, is home to countless birds, and there are more caves along the Atlantic shoreline.
Laguna Rincón

Filled with fresh rather than salt water, Laguna Rincón, near the village of Cabral, is another surprisingly large lake, the country’s second biggest after Laguna Limón. You can get close to the water on the small road from Cabral which skirts the lake, but the best way is to take a guided boat trip (see Boat Trips). The lagoon and surrounding land forms an officially protected Reserva Científica (Scientific Reserve) and is home to a colony of freshwater slider turtles, found only on the Hispaniola Island.

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