Beaches of the Dominican Republic

After landing in the capital city of Santo Domingo and getting settled into your hotel, put on your walking shoes and head out for a tour of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial, the partially-barricaded center of town accented with stunning baroque architecture and quaint cobblestone streets. Enjoy dinner in one of the area’s many restaurants, then return to your hotel for your first night in Caribbean paradise.

Rise early and catch a cab to Santo Domingo’s tranquil Los Tres Ojos National Park. Only five miles from the center of town, the tropical park houses three stunning limestone caverns, each featuring a subterranean lake. Explore the caverns by foot or by boat to discover the natural magic that lies within. Return to town and spend the rest of your day wandering the waterfront Malecon district, a picturesque seaside collection of restaurants, shops and casinos.

After breakfast, hop a morning shuttle to the east coast town of Punta Cana. Check in to your hotel and spend the rest of your day exploring the palm-studded beaches that draw throngs of visitors each year. For miles of unspoiled white sand beaches, visit the popular Playa Bávaro. Rent a paddle board, go on a parasailing adventure, or don your snorkeling gear and head under the crystal clear water. End your day sipping a piña colada from an open-air beachside restaurant while the sun goes down.

Begin another day in tropical paradise with a catamaran tour of the Bávaro coast. Discover the area’s incredible underwater beauty and impressive variety of colorful sea creatures that make their home on the Cabeza de Toro reef. After lunch, head out to discover the subtropical rainforest of the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park and Reserve. Take a segway tour through lush forest trails to freshwater lagoons and explore the reserve’s petting zoo, sugarcane gallery and iguana habitat. For dinner, head back to the resort area of town to try some Bandera and fried plantains, the most popular dish in the country.

Enjoy a leisurely beachside breakfast then head to Bavaro Plaza for some last-minute souvenir shopping before hopping a shuttle back to Santo Domingo for your flight home.