Sosúa

Diving

There's good snorkeling in Sosúa Bay right off the beach, but you can also take a dive boat to a sandy beach and have a look-see underwater at the colorful gardens and reefs abundant here. The North Coast is dotted with numerous reefs, walls, wrecks, and caverns, making this a good destination for divers. In the waters off Sosúa alone, you can find a dozen dive sites (for all levels of ability) with such catchy names as Airport Wall (98 feet) and Pyramids (50 feet). You can book a cavern dive for Gri Gri Lagoon and be transported by van to Río San Juan.

Several dive schools are near Sosúa Beach, but you're always better off enjoying the quality and dependability provided by a PADI five-star dive shop. The Sosúa hotels have dive shops on-site or can arrange trips for you. Rental equipment, dive packages, and courses are available for every level, from introductory to instructor.

Northern Coast Aquasports. A five-star, Gold Palm PADI dive center, Northern Coast Aquasports is also the only National Geographic diver certification site in the Dominican Republic. Professionalism is apparent in the initial classroom and pool practice, as well as in the selection of legendary dive sites around beautiful Sosúa Bay, where you can explore the reefs, walls, wrecks, and swim-throughs, from 25 to 130 feet. Successful completion of a three-day course earns you a PADI Open Water Certification card. Classrooms have air-conditioning and DVDs. Sosúa, 57000. 809/571-1028. www.northerncoastdiving.com.