Which city to choose for a vacation in the Dominican Republic?

Choose Santo Domingo to discover the Dominican Republic

Choosing the capital for a stay is a very good choice because its geographical position makes it quite easy to visit the entire Caribbean side of the country as well as the center of the country, its airport (Las Americas) is served by many other cities whether from North America, Central America, South America and Europe.
It is a large, lively and dynamic city with lots of things to do and see, notably the Colonial Zone with its historical monuments dating from the colonial era. The city has a very large range of accommodation, there is something for all tastes and budgets, from luxury hotels to guest houses and aparthotels. there are also many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shopping centers... The city has everything a capital should offer.
Santo Domingo is located on the Caribbean Sea, but there is no beach in the city, the closest beaches are Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Palenque and Najayo.

The Caribbean coast, from Boca Chica to Bayahibe

Choosing the Caribbean coast to spend a vacation in the Dominican Republic is an excellent choice, it allows travelers to visit the entire Caribbean coast from Punta Cana to Bani quite easily, passing through Santo Domingo and the colonial zone.
This part includes the resorts of Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Bayahibe, Dominicus and the town of La Romana where the famous Casa De Campo resort is located with its golf courses, luxury villas and marina.
Boca Chica and Juan Dolio are the closest beaches to the capital (between 30 minutes and 45 minutes), they are popular beaches where residents of the capital like to come and enjoy the beach and the sun on Sundays and public holidays. There are many small hotels, aparthotels, villas and apartments.
Bayahibe is the fishing village, converted into tourism, Dominicus is the new town with some all-inclusive complexes, villas and apartments.
La Romana is a fairly large town with a few hotels, note that there is an airport (LRM).
Choosing the Caribbean coast allows you to enjoy the beach, the sun, a calm sea with warm waters but also to visit a good part of the country.

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Punta Cana/Bavaro/Cap Cana/Macao

The Punta Cana Bavaro area has become the largest tourist center in the Dominican Republic. Since the installation of Club Med (end of the 1970s), then the construction of the airport (1984), this entire part of the country has continued to grow with the construction of dozens of all-inclusive complexes, residences, hotels, villas, golf courses, shopping centers, amusement parks, restaurants... And it still goes on!!!
Punta Cana is the mecca of mass tourism, every day dozens of planes discharge a constant stream of tourists from all over the world.
The hotel offer is very important with a large choice of all-inclusive establishments, some of which are very luxurious, others reserved for adults, others for families with water parks, others even smaller and more intimate. But there are also smaller hotels, villas, apartments, guest houses...

The Samana Peninsula

Choosing the Samana Peninsula to stay in the Dominican Republic means choosing one of the most beautiful regions of the country with some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean such as Playa Coson, Fronton, Rincon, Las Ballenas...
The Samana Peninsula is located in the northeast of the Dominican Republic, about a 2-hour drive from Santo Domingo. This region remained quite isolated for a long time because it was difficult to get there, the construction of a highway opened it up and since then tourism has been booming.
The main tourist centers are Las Terrenas, Las Galeras and Santa Barbara de Samana, the provincial capital.

The southwest

The southwest is the least touristy part of the Dominican Republic. But, not for much longer with the development of Cabo Rojo in Pedernales which will host all-inclusive hotels, an airport and a cruise port which will explode tourism in this part of the country.
Choosing to spend a vacation in this part of the Dominican Republic is the assurance of spending a stay close to nature and the population. The southwest coast has beautiful landscapes which contrast with the rest of the country, beautiful beaches notably towards Bani, Azua, Barahona and Pedernales, natural parks, rivers and waterfalls. The provinces of Peravia, Azua, Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia, San Juan are little frequented by foreign tourists, however local tourism is well developed, especially rural tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism.

Choosing a city on the north coast

The north coast of the Dominican Republic is quite touristy, especially towards Rio San Juan, Cabarete, Sosua and Puerto Plata where there are some all-inclusive resorts. The presence of the Puerto Plata airport has enabled the development of this entire area, where tourists mainly come from North America (USA and Canada), Miami is only 2 hours away by flight, New York 3h30 and it is not there is no time difference.
All along the north coast there are magnificent beaches (Playa Grande, El Diamante, Dorada, Alicia beach...) which delight local and foreign tourists who come to enjoy the beach and the sea.
The accommodation offer is very varied with all-inclusive resorts, luxury hotels, small hotels, aparthotels, villas, apartments... everyone will find something to suit their needs.

The northwest (Montecristi - Punta Rucia)

The northwest is relatively untouristed except for Punta Rucia which sees a lot of tourists going to the small coral island of Cayo Arena. It is a small paradise island about 30 minutes by boat from the coast. It is especially popular for snorkeling.
Monte Cristi is located in the extreme northwest of the Dominican Republic, it is a small town facing the ocean.

The center of the Dominican Republic

The center of the country would have deserved to be divided into several parts because it is so varied and different (this will be the subject of another page), whether it is the rolling plains towards Monte Plata, the large expanses of sugar cane towards Higuey, the mountains of the central cordillera in Constanza and Jarabacoa, the rivers and waterfalls towards Mao, the artificial dams of Hatillo, Rincon and Taveras, the Cibao plain, dozens of places to visit. The center of the Dominican Republic is not colonized by mass tourism, it is rather oriented towards rural tourism, adventure tourism and ecotourism.
The center cannot be visited in 1 day, it takes weeks to know and appreciate all the little corners.
In the small towns in the center of the country the hotel offer is quite limited unlike Santiago de los Caballeros (the second city in the country) where there are many establishments like in Jarabacoa and Constanza, the most tourist towns, where there are there are many villas for rent.

Conclusion: which city to choose for a stay in the Dominican Republic?

If you like relaxing, sunbathing on the beach or the swimming pool, choose an all-inclusive hotel near Punta Cana, Dominicus or Puerto Plata.
If you like large expanses of white sand, virgin beaches, coconut trees, calm but still with lively places, choose the Samana peninsula.
If you like the night, discos, music choose Santo Domingo.
If you like nature and the sea, choose the southwest.
If you like nature, the countryside, the mountains, choose the center.
If you like big game fishing, choose La Romana.
If you like rafting, canyoning, paragliding, choose the center.