Enjoy close marine encounters on a snorkeling or scuba diving trip, fly through the rainforest on a zipline, ascend the mountains by cable car, hike into ancient cave systems and ride the rapids in a whitewater raft. If it’s leisure activities and experience you crave, you’re in luck.
Start with a Dominican lunch in the capital city, like the sidewalk terrace of Cafetería El Conde, followed by a walk down Calle Las Damas to the Fortaleza Ozama, Museo de las Casas Reales and Alcázar de Colón – the palatial former home of Diego Columbus.
Our first stop is the first resort in the Dominican Republic – Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, which opened in La Romana nearly 50 years ago. Enjoy some of the world’s finest golf, shooting, shopping and equestrian activities in a luxurious, gated atmosphere.
Miches is a quiet beach town of farmers and fishermen. It’s also been called “the most photogenic town you’ve never heard of” by The New York Times. Experience the white sands of Esmeralda Beach, with its clear blue waters and coral reef visible from shore.
This idyllic peninsula offers an abundance of pristine beaches surrounded by coconut trees and lush mountains. It is filled with protected coves and exceptional diving spots, so bring your snorkel or scuba gear to explore the myriad marine life that lives here.
Las Galeras is home to towering cliffs and three picture-perfect beaches – Playa Madama, Playa Frontón and Playa Rincón – where you can spend the day swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling. Afterwards, enjoy dinner at a romantic cliff-top restaurant.
Popular among watersports lovers, the lively town of Cabarete is home to stunning dive sites, windsurfing and kitesurfing spots. Known for its delicious restaurants, it also offers a colorful nightlife filled with bars and clubs where you can dance the night away.
Head back to Santo Domingo by car and stop in Costanza to see El Divino Niño – a 48-foot statue just outside the town center that overlooks the hills. If you have time, hike the pine forests of Valle Nuevo National Park, which is one of the DR’s natural wonders.
