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.

Playa Limón

A beach for exploring rather than swimming. A long, wild, deserted 6-mile (10-km) stretch, where big breakers crash onto the palm-littered sand. As part of a protected National Park, the beach has escaped development and offers nature in the wild, including mangroves, coconut groves, and hungry mosquitoes.
Playa Macao

Only a few miles from the well-tended beaches of Bávaro and Punta Cana, this long, sweeping stretch of untamed coastline is as undeveloped as anywhere in the country. Pounding surf and a powerful undertow discourage most swimmers, but the bay at Punta Macao, with its sheltering headlands, is safer.
Playa Najayo

A favorite beach with residents of Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal, this strip of golden sand isn’t quiet, but it’s a good place for a drink and a meal.
Playa Palenque

Another popular hangout for locals, and rather noisy, the beach does have a quieter end towards the headland and lighthouse, where the sand’s slightly darker and the sea rougher.
Playa Pedernales

As close as you can get to Haiti without crossing the border, this deserted beach overlooks a calm sea and offers great views of the Cabo Rojo headland to the south. Facilities here are minimal, but most evenings the beach comes to life when fishing boats return home to the village.
Playa Punta Cana

This long strip of soft sand offers plenty of scope for kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling.
Playa Quemaito

One of the first beaches on the long and scenic road south of Barahona, this is a lovely and little-known stretch of wild coastline, backed by rugged cliffs and woods.
Playa Rincón

Lack of easy access due to a single connecting rough road, has kept this horseshoe cove free from obtrusive development. But there are plans afoot to site a new hotel complex here. The sand is pristinely white, the sea bluer than blue, and the coconut trees sway enticingly.
Playa Rincón

Only a robust four-wheel-drive vehicle or a 20-minute boat ride from Las Galeras will get you to the splendidly isolated and spectacular Playa Rincón, hidden by the steep bluffs at each end of the beach. Aficionados claim that this is the best beach on the Peninsula, and it’s easy to see why. A 2-mile (3.2-km) stretch of bleached sand is bordered by azure sea and leads back inland to an expanse of coconut trees. While hardly a secret, sheer inaccessibility means that this piece of paradise will stay uncrowded for some time to come.
Plaza Central, Santo Domingo

One of a growing number of US-style complexes in uptown Santo Domingo, this cool and spacious center offers a range of clothes stores, leather and jewelry outlets, shoe shops, banks, and a movie theater. There’s also a tempting array of snacking opportunities, including pizza, ice cream, and a karaoke bar.