Barahona
Set on the south coast, some 130 miles and three hours by car from Santo Domingo, this town was named after one of its earliest colonists. An international airport has opened this area up a bit, and it's now an up-and-coming resort spot. Several beaches and national parks are nearby.

Boca Chica
This somewhat overdeveloped beach resort is set 16 miles east of Santo Domingo. Its main attraction is its crowded white sand beach.

Cabarete
Located 30 minutes east of Sosua, and not far from Puerto Plata Airport, this small village of is one of the Caribbean's windsurfing capitals. It also has gourmet restaurants, horseback riding, and other activities. The beach is spectacularly beautiful.

Casa De Campo
Located east of Santo Domingo and near the town of La Romana, Casa de Campo is the nation's top resort. It has 17 tennis courts, two 18-hole golf courses, a marina, polo, and all varieties of watersports. Nearby Altos de Chavon, a replica of a 16th-century Italian village, offers handicraft shops and an archaeological museum.

The Dominican Republic's Eastern Coast
At the nation's eastern end, a number of resort hotels stretch along the 20 miles of white sand beaches that link Playa Bavaro and Playa Punta Cana. An isolated area that is primarily of interest as an expensive getaway, the eastern coast has a number of European luxury resorts. It does not make a good base for exploring the country, unless you wish to explore the relatively isolated north coast.

Higuey
Set northeast of La Romana and to the west of Punta Cana, Higuey was founded in 1502 on the orders of Frey Nicolas de Ovando. The town's most famed attraction is its churches. The Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Merced (Our Lady of Mercy) is located on the spot where Columbus's forces planted their cross while fending off an Indian attack. Replacing Nuestra Senora de la Merced as the nation's patron saint in 1922, La Altagracia (the Virgin of the Highest Grace) is credited with numerous miraculous cures. The modern church, shaped like a pair of hands folded in prayer, was constructed on the site of a miracle. This is a popular site with visitors from Punta Cana.

Isla Saona
A major tourist attraction for visitors to the Casa de Campo and La Romana, Isla Saona entices with colorful homes and pristine white-sand beaches. There are two ways to get to the island, by speedboat or by catamaran. Both depart from the town of Bayahibe. The speedboat will allow you to spend more time on the island.

Jarabacoa
This relatively cool mountain town is set 70 miles north of Santo Domingo, and is best known for its waterfalls, which may be visited on horseback or on foot. The town makes for a convenient day trip from Puerto Plata. Another mountain town, Constanza, is nearby.

Laguna Enriquillo and Parque Nacional Isla Cabritos
Set inside a national park, Enriquillo is a 21-mile inland saltwater lake located near the border with Haiti. Plummeting 130 feet below sea level, this is the Caribbean's lowest point. A reserve to protect the endemic American crocodile, five-mile-long Isla Cabritos (Goat Island) is in the lake's center. Organized tours to this attraction are available.

Monte Cristi and Parque Nacional Monte Cristi
Set in the far northwest, this dusty coastal town is the gateway to a small but beautiful national park that has craggy bluffs and a pristine sea and beach. It is an overnight trip from Puerto Plata or Santo Domingo.

Parque Nacional Los Haitises
Set on Samana Bay south of Samana, this park has covers 78 square miles. Here incredibly lush and verdant tropical limestone islands, up to 1,000 feet high, appear like ships floating on the sea. Caves hav e Taino petroglyphs and pictographs. The national park is an easy day trip from the Samana peninsula.

Playa Dorada
About 20 minutes east of Puerto Plata, this seaside resort complex comprises a number of first-class resort hotels centered around a golf course. It is popular with U.S. tourists who want to relax and escape to a sun-drenched paradise.

Puerto Plata
Set on the north coast, some four hours by car from Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata is a small town with pretty old houses and a laid-back atmosphere. The resort town's most notable sights are Fort San Felipe (the oldest European fort in the New World), the cable car running to the top of Isabel de Torres, and the Amber Museum. Isabel de Torres has a cross and small nature reserve on its top, which can be reached via a funicular railway.

Samana
Founded by English-speaking American slaves in the 1820s, this town is the center of the peninsula of the same name. The resort village of Las Terrenas, set on the peninsula's north side, offers an idyllic beach and basic to resort-style accommodations. Las Galeras, to the east, is a smaller version of Samana. The peninsula's main attraction is its staggering natural beauty.

Santiago De Los Caballeros
The nation's second-largest city, Santiago is a pleasant business center for the verdant Cibao Valley. It is 85 miles south of Puerto Plata. Sights of minor interest include the Trujillo-constructed Monument to the Restoration, the Folk Art Museum, and the Tobacco Museum. There is a large market that is well worth a visit.

Santo Domingo
The nation's capital and one of the Caribbean's most historic cities, Santo Domingo has received a much-needed sprucing up. Its historic old town is one of the most impressive places to visit in the Americas. Other sights include the Columbus Lighthouse, the Cathedral of Santa Maria La Menor (the Americas' oldest cathedral), the Alcazar of Columbus, the National Botanical Gardens, and the National Zoo.

Sosua
Set near Puerto Plata Airport, this popular tourist spot which has a small beach was founded by German Jewish refugees who arrived by invitation of Trujillo in 1940. It is a major resort center for Europeans who have opened many small hotels here. It is mainly of note for its crowded, see-and-be-seen beach.