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This crumbling and little-visited but historically significant national park marks Columbus’ second settlement on Hispaniola. These days a lackluster museum marks the occasion, with some old coins, rings and arrowheads, and a small-scale replica of Columbus’ house.

Squeezed between a towering mountain and the ocean is this working port town, the oldest city on the north coast and possibly the prettiest in the country. Wander the Malecon or the downtown streets surrounding the Parque Central and you’ll see that significant revitalization efforts, meant to impress an influx of Carnival cruise ship passengers, […]

Sosúa by day and Sosúa by night are two different creatures. When the sun is out, the beach and calm bay are pleasant for swimming and attract a broad swath of Dominicans, foreigners and families alike. Regardless, Sosúa is the base for the area’s scuba-diving operations and conveniently located for exploring the north coast. The […]

This one-time fishing and farming hamlet is now the adventure-sports capital of the country, booming with condos and new development. You’ll find a friendly, slightly raucous beach town, with great independent accommodations, and a beach dining experience second to none. Cabarete is an ideal spot to base yourself for exploring the area – you’re within […]

Río San Juan’s sleepy attitude and location on a calm mangrove lagoon has nurtured a business-owning French expat community. Several of the north coast’s best beaches are within easy driving distance, and diving and snorkeling are nearby. Headed east you’ll hit two of the country’s most beautiful beaches, Playas Grande and Preciosa, and continuing further […]

Once a rustic fishing village, Las Terrenas is now a cosmopolitan town and seems as much French (approaching a colony) and Italian as Dominican. The balancing act between locals and expats has produced a lively mix of styles and a social scene more vibrant than that anywhere else on the peninsula. Walking in either direction […]

While Las Terrenas and Las Galeras boast pristine swaths of sand and sophisticated international vibes, Samaná town – officially Santa Barbara de Samaná – is mostly content to trudge along as the peninsula’s gritty and noisy workhorse. It would be worth little more than a glance in the rearview mirror for most tourists were it […]

The road to this small fishing community 28km northeast of Samaná ends at the beach. So does everything else, metaphorically speaking. One of the great pleasures of a stay here is losing all perspective on the world beyond – even the beautiful and isolated outlying beaches seem far away. By all means succumb to the […]

One of the oldest settlements in Spain’s New World empire, Santiago is the country’s second-largest city, spilling over its original border, the Río Yaque del Norte. This sprawling place churns out rum and cigars, feeding off the large-scale tobacco and sugarcane plantations that dominate the valley.   Santiago is a good place to contemplate ordinary […]

Santo Domingo, or ‘La Capital’ as it’s typically called, is a collage of cultures and neighborhoods. It’s where the sounds of life – domino pieces slapped on tables, backfiring mufflers and horns from chaotic traffic, merengue blasting from corner stores – are most intense. At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial, where […]