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Stretching a mile in either direction from the small town center, the attractive beach is clean and safe with ample shade. Heading westwards, Playa Cacao, close to small hotels and bars, is slightly more developed than the others.

Relatively unspoilt coral reefs lie close to Las Terrenas. Divers are attracted to nearby Playa Las Ballenas, where a group of small islands stand just offshore. There are many dive shops, such as Stellina Diving Center, and snorkel hire shops.

Spread along the beach either side of the main intersection are many top-rate but informal fish eateries. Fish with coconut is recommended. Early evenings are atmospheric with technicolor sunsets over the water.

Painted walls of a beachside restaurant

Naïve Haitian art is widely available and is often mediocre and mass-produced. The Haitian Caraïbes Art Gallery has a good and reasonably-priced selection of wooden sculptures and voodoo-influenced images.

For a small town, Las Terrenas offers a surprising range of shopping opportunities, from the small modern mall to outlets along the main street. Bargains can be had by bartering with stall-holders, especially near the beaches.

Las Terrenas is rightly celebrated for its busy but laid-back after-dark ambience, particularly at weekends when locals and tourists mingle at an open-air street fair or visit its many bars.

The immaculate “Beautiful Beach” is fringed by coconut trees, in which guesthouses are hidden. Less crowded than Las Terrenas, and ideal for kids.

This isolated curve of powdery white sand, limpid water, and palm groves looks every bit the idyllic image of the tourist brochures. A couple of fishermen’s shacks sell cold drinks and grilled fish to this beach’s few visitors.

One of the largest all-inclusive resorts, complete with its own airport, this complex offers various sporting and entertainment options. Day visitors can admire its beautiful beach from the bar.

A 130-ft (40-m) cascade of white water ends up in a delightfully clear pool, reached by a one-hour horseback ride from El Limón village. The trek to this remote waterfall is through beautiful and fertile countryside.