59 Best Sights in Dominican Republic

The huge statue of Christopher Columbus in the square named after him dates from 1897 and is the work of sculptor Ernesto Gilbert. At the far end, the Catedral Primada de América is a landmark and most worthy of a visit. Like all squares in the Zona Colonial, this one is quite a social gathering place.

Southwest of Puerto Plata, Mount Isabel de Torres soars 2,600 feet above sea level and is notable for its huge statue of Christ. Up there also are botanical gardens that, despite efforts, still are not memorable. If you go independently, you can hire a knowledgeable English-speaking guide. A cable car takes you to the top for a spectacular view. The vehicles usually wait until they are filled before going up—which can make them crowded. You can also opt to go up in a safari truck. You should visit in the morning, preferably by 9 am; the cloud cover rolls in by afternoon, and you can see practically nothing. That said, some visitors consider this the highlight of a city tour and take dozens of aerial photos from the cable car, which runs continuously until 4:45 pm. The vendors are particularly tenacious here.

Bávaro is the most developed stretch of the 35 miles (56 km) of white-sand beach in the Punta Cana area, which is lined with both mid-size and mega-size all-inclusive resorts. Although it encompasses many smaller towns, the main area, which is past Cabeza de Toro, is thought to begin with the massive Barcelo Bávaro Beach Resort and extend to the funky, fun fishermen's beach, Playa El Cortecito, known for the landmark restaurant Capitán Cook’s. The water is characteristically warm and fairly shallow, with seaweed kept in check by hotels. Each resort has its own designated area with its chaise longues lined up in neat rows. Although there are stretches that are idyllically quiet, for the most part it is nonstop action. In several areas there are designated, makeshift markets. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: walking; swimming; windsurfing.

Playa Bayahibe, where several seafood restaurants are situated, is somewhat thin, with hard-packed taupe sand and no lounge chairs. However, as you move away from the village, a 10-minute walk along the shoreline, you'll reach the glorious, half-moon cove. Although you'll be able to get to the cove and the soft sand, bring a towel (resort security won't let you use the facilities). At night, when no one is on the playa and the silver moon illuminates the phosphorescence, it's the stuff that Caribbean dreams are made of. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

You can walk far out into warm, calm, clear waters protected by coral reefs here. On weekends, the strip with the mid-rise resorts is busy, drawing mainly Dominican families and some Europeans. But midweek is better, when the beaches are less crowded. Expect a parade of roving vendors of jewelry and sunglasses, plus hair braiders, seafood cookers, ice-cream men, and masseuses. The best section of the public beach is in front of Don Emilio's (the blue hotel), which has a restaurant, bar, decent bathrooms, and parking. You should go to one of the nicer waterfront restaurants—Boca Marina Restaurant & Lounge or El Pelicano—and skip the public beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

On Playa Bonita you can bounce between the golden beach (BYO towel—no chaises) and one of the hotels and restaurants directly across the rough road, where you can have lunch. The beach can disappear during flooding and high tides. It's a quiet stretch of gold sand with leaning coconut trees. If you go across the street, there are restaurants/bars where you can find food and restrooms. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking; kitesurfing.

This is the main business district of Cabarete. If you follow the coastal road east from Playa Dorada, you can't miss it. The beach, which has strong waves after a calm entrance, and ideal, steady wind (from 15 to 20 knots), is an integral part of the international kitesurfing circuit. Segments of this long beach are strips of sand punctuated only by palm trees. The regeneration of Cabarete Beach was a massive engineering project that made the beach some 115 feet wider, adding an infusion of white sand. In the most commercial area, restaurants and bars are back-to-back, spilling onto the sand. The informal scene is young and fun, with expats and tourists from everywhere. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; windsurfing; kitesurfing.

This small, 500-foot-long beach about 2 miles (3 km) east of Río San Juan has virtually no waves in its shallow water. Its clear, protected water and nearby caves make it superb for snorkeling (though the caves shouldn't be entered for safety reasons). The beach is off-white and protected by rocky cliffs. It's a good family beach for just playing around in the water. Look for the whimsical human-head statues in the cliffs overlooking the water that give the area an Easter Island feel. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This long stretch of golden sand is good for swimming, and a bit of wave action provides an opportunity for surfing. Locals mainly use the public area, particularly on Sunday. To the immediate north are Ocean World and its marina. To the south, a five-minute walk in the sand, is a semiprivate beach for the Cofresí Palm Beach resort. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Playa Diamante is an estuary, formed where an underground river delivers freshwater into the ocean bubbling up through the clayish sand. The result is a shallow, protected area with virtually no currents, making it the perfect beach for families with children. The protected inlet points toward the southeast, so there are no waves. A striking beach, Playa Diamante is broad and shallow for up to 200 feet into the ocean. A narrow, paved road off the highway makes for easy access. Vendors rent beach chairs and sell beer and some food. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Playa Dominicus has clear water, just a very few waves at the entrance, and absolutely no undertow. It's Caribbean idyllic and Blue Flag accredited. The Iberostar, Viva Wyndhams, and Oasis Canoa resorts all share this beach, and there's a small public section where the locals venture on weekends. The beach has two restaurants and some huts selling souvenirs. Of course, if you are a guest at one of these resorts or buy a guest pass, you will have access to their food outlets, restrooms, and nonmotorized water sports. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Playa Dorada is one of the island’s most established resort areas. Each hotel has its own slice of the beach, which is covered with soft nearly white sand. Reefs for snorkeling are right offshore. Gran Ventana Beach Resort, which is on a point, marks the easternmost end of the beach, followed by Casa Colonial and Blue Bay Villa Doradas. If you're not staying at one of the resorts in the Playa Dorada complex, then it's best to enter the beach before this point. Zealous hotel security guards try to keep you off \"their\" stretch of beach, but by law they cannot if you walk along the water's edge. They can, however, keep you off the chaise longues and the resort's property. This is a good swimming beach with mild wave action. Amenities: none (though resorts on the beach offer full service). Best for: fishing; swimming; walking; kitesurfing; windsurfing.

Close to Cabrera within Parque Nacional Cabo Frances, Playa El Bretón is near a perfect beach for swimming, playing, searching for seashells, and snorkeling. It's tucked back into an east-facing cove and is better protected than many North Shore beaches. It has no facilities and is unspoiled, quiet, and uncluttered. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Playa Encuentro is the area's main surfing beach as the shoals here create massive waves. Bodyboarding is big, too, with a less steep learning curve. It's recommended to be a strong swimmer, for currents are mighty, and you must be careful of the rocks. However, there are parts where beginner surfers take lessons in chest-height water. For general beaching, the other two in town are the ones to visit. Just down the beach is Natura Cabana with its oceanfront restaurants. Amenities: none. Best for: surfing; walking.

At almost 2 miles (3 km) long, northeast-facing Playa Entrada is one of the North Coast's longest beaches and one of the least visited. However, that means the beach is exceptionally pristine and unspoiled, and the site of several movie location shoots. Though technically in La Entrada, it's part of Cabrera. You'll find some shade under the trees. A few beach shacks might be selling cold drinks and Dominican snacks on weekends, but don't depend on it. Near the middle of the beach you'll see a small island that's close enough to swim to; however, the currents here can be fierce, so be careful. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

Playa Frontón is a beach accessible only on foot or by boat and offers gorgeous views. It's on the east side of the easternmost cape of the peninsula. You can have your hotel arrange for a small boat to take you there, either privately or with a group. As you might expect, this long, uncluttered, white sand beach will have almost no one there. (It's BYO everything.)  Wear reef shoes to protect your feet from sea urchins. Snorkeling is stellar but beware of strong currents. Amenities: none. Best for: sunrises; swimming; snorkeling; walking.

This beach is now glorious, especially in the Villas Del Mar area. Its regeneration, which goes for 2½ miles (4 km), included the relocation of more than 14 million cubic feet of nearly white sand. It has led to the town's rebirth; the tourism authority's goal is to turn Juan Dolio into a major Caribbean destination—the next South Beach. The beach rejuvenation continued to the horseshoe-shape public beach in Playa (Old) Juan Dolio. Although the beach has no public facilities, like toilets, nearby restaurants cater to beach-goers. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.

Playa Las Ballenas is the westernmost of the three beaches at the town of Las Terrenas (the others are Terrenas and Punta Popy, all three of them forming a continuous stretch of beach with different names). Ballenas is the nicest stretch in town since it's the quietest. Moderately priced hotels across the street provide chaises to their guests. Kayaking and sailing on Hobie Cats are popular here. This beach is named for the small whale-shaped cays in the distance. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking; kayaking; snorkeling.

Playa Las Galeras lies at the end of the highway of this tiny coastal town, a 20-minute drive northeast from Samaná town. The sand is nearly white, the Atlantic waters generally calm. It has been designated a Blue Flag beach, which means that it's clean and unpolluted, though there are several small hotels here. Seaweed is regularly raked up and there is no parking fee, as it is just street parking. That all said, this is really just a departure point for the nearby virgin beaches closer to the cape to the west. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; sunset; walking.

Playa Las Terrenas is the most crowded of all the peninsula's beaches. As you approach the ocean from the town of Las Terrenas, the road forks. To the west is Playa Las Ballenas, and to the east is this beach. Still, it is golden sand, and a good long stretch. It’s heavily populated with Dominicans and lots of kids on weekends, which keeps things lively. On weekends, you'll find vendors with makeshift grills and coolers of beer; otherwise, you must go to the nearby restaurants for restrooms and food; you'll need a cover-up there. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

Playa Madama is one of Las Galeras's most well-known beaches and also one of the most charming. Located in a cove a five-minute boat ride away from Playa Las Galeras, on the way to Playa Frontón, this beach is a little slice of undeveloped heaven. The water is fairly low and calm, and the backdrop is a jungle of palms and local trees. Bring your own blankets and drinks, as this beach has no amenities. Adventurous travelers will enjoy the long, solitary trek through the jungle and along several local farms to get here, but boats can also be hired to take you for a fee. Ask your hotel to help you book or head down to Playa Las Galeras, where the bulk of the boats are kept. The larger the group, the cheaper the price. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming; solitude; snorkeling.

Just east of Playa Grande, Playa Preciosa (formerly Playa Navio) is a local favorite due to its beauty. You have to descend a sandy bank to reach the completely open beach, which has excellent conditions for break surfing. These same conditions can make for some dangerous currents, so be extremely careful of undertows and riptides when swimming here. There are no lifeguards, so don't go in alone. It is nearly deserted on weekdays, and the views are stunning. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

This long stretch of sandy coastline on the Caribbean side of the peninsula is where tourism first began in Punta Cana. This undulating beach with powdery white sand is shaded by lilting coconut palms. Much of it still looks like virgin beach, since there is not the proliferation of all-inclusive hotels you find farther north in Bávaro. The beach extends south to Playa Juanillo, which is similarly incredible and now the site of the Cap Cana development. The waters are generally calm, with more wave action in the winter and during hurricane season. Seaweed has become more of a problem in recent years, and resorts have crews that gather it and rake their stretch of sand. Coral rock can make areas difficult to walk in the water, which is often shallow close to shore; however, the reefs are super for snorkeling and you can walk or swim from shore. The Westin Punta Cana has fresh contemporary food offerings at their beachside restaurant. Playa Blanca is a delightful seafood restaurant adjacent to the Kite-Club and Club Med. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: kitesurfing; snorkeling; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Playa Punta Popy is basically an undistinguishable continuation of Playa Terrenas to the east; this section is slightly cleaner and less crowded the farther east (away from town) you travel. Closer to town, and particularly on weekends, it is jammed with locals who spread out their lunches on the picnic tables, play music, and enjoy themselves. Across the road, depending on where you are, there are restrooms and food and drink; otherwise, not. Amenities: none. Best for: kitesurfing; swimming; walking.

This long stretch of beach on Sosúa Bay, renowned for its coral reefs and dive sites, is a 20-minute drive east of Puerto Plata. Here, calm waters gently lap at a shore of soft, golden sand. Swimming is delightful—except after a heavy rain, when litter floats in. But beware of sea urchins in the shallow water—beach shoes are definitely recommended—and bring your own mask and snorkel if possible. You can see mountains in the background, the cliffs that surround the bay, and seemingly miles of coastline. Snorkeling from the beach can be good, but the best spots are offshore, closer to the reefs. The beach is backed by a string of tents where hawkers push souvenirs, snacks, drinks, and water-sports equipment rentals. The weekend scene here is incredible—local families pack the beach, and the roar of Dominican fun fills the air. Don't bring valuables or leave your belongings unattended. There is a small parking area on the beach's north end at the south end of La Puntilla Street. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Calle Las Damas dead-ends as it goes in the direction of the Malecón. Few people ever make it past the junction of Calle Padre Bellini, thinking there's nothing to see. If you keep walking past the convent (you may hear the nuns singing in the chapel), just keep going until the street actually stops; make a right turn, and you'll find yourself in this delightful little park. Known almost solely to residents of the Zone, the Plaza de Castro was not named after the Cuban leader but rather a Dominican poet, Arturo Bautista Pellerano Castro. It's an enchanting green space, peaceful, and usually free of litter.

This wide esplanade, which goes past the Casas de Reales in front of Don Diego Columbus's former palace, Alcázar de Colón, is the area in the Zona Colonial where national holidays are celebrated. It's bordered by what once were the ramparts of the original walled city. People enjoy the views of the Ozama River from here and watch the cruise-ship activity below at the terminal. Lovers stroll by night, sharing a kiss under the gas lamps. When many people talk about the Plaza de España, they often refer to the half-dozen restaurants in a row, which are on the upper level of these 16th- and 17th-century warehouses. The popular tables are on their outdoor decks. On certain weekends, cultural performances are held on a stage across from the Plaza.

Make dinner reservations on those nights and you'll have a special Santo Domingo experience.

Provided that you're fit and willing to deal with a long and slippery path, an adventurous guided trip (three hours) to the spectacular Salto el Limón Waterfall is a delight. It's mostly on horseback, but includes walking down rocky, sometimes muddy trails. Horse paths are slippery, and the trek is strenuous. The well-mannered horses take you across two rivers and up mountains to El Limón, the 165-foot waterfall amid luxuriant vegetation. Some snacks and drinks are usually included, but a grilled chicken lunch is only a few more pesos. The outpost for the trek, a local guide service called Santi Limón Excursiones, can be reached by phone in Las Terrenas.

This complex in Cap Cana combines beautiful natural scenery with plenty of fun activities for a full day; it can only be visited as part of a daylong tour. The Hoyo Azul combines a tour of the bush with a refreshing swim in a natural cave pool. Another option is the Cenote Indigena Las Ondes, which ends in a swim in a natural sinkhole. The park also has a zip line ecoadventure, a mountain bike ecotrail, Scape Ranch for horseback riding; and the Sunshine Cruise (a booze and snorkeling cruise). Packages can be as short as a half day or as long as a full day, and you have your pick of tours and fun. Lunch, which is a good barbecue meal, can be added but can be a bit busy. Nevertheless, everything is well organized and fun.

For the best prices, book through the Park, and you'll be picked up from your Punta Cana, Bávaro, or Uvero Alto resort.