The capital
Santo Domingo is the oldest European city in the Americas. Its Colonial Zone holds the first cathedral, fortress and paved street of the New World, and the city has the best food, museums and nightlife in the country. Give it two or three nights.
The east coast
Punta Cana is the country's resort heartland, with long white beaches from Bávaro to Cap Cana and Macao. A little further south and west, Bayahibe is a calmer fishing village turned dive base, the gateway to Saona Island and the Parque Nacional del Este.
The north and the peninsula
Samaná is the green, wild corner of the country: humpback whales in winter, the El Limón waterfall, the boho beach town of Las Terrenas and the cliffs and coves of Las Galeras. Along the Atlantic coast, Puerto Plata offers a Victorian old town, a cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres, the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua and the surf and kite beaches of Cabarete and Sosúa.
The mountains
Jarabacoa sits in the pine covered Cordillera Central, with cool nights, waterfalls, river rafting, coffee farms and the trailhead for Pico Duarte, the Caribbean's highest peak.
How to combine them
A classic first week is two nights in Santo Domingo and five on the east coast. With ten days, add Samaná or Jarabacoa. The north coast around Puerto Plata works well on its own or paired with the mountains. When you are ready, use the free trip planner to shape your route.