A country · 55 places · 15 regions
Dominican Republic, all of it.
55 curated places across 15 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.
The 4 biggest regions — Distrito Nacional, La Vega Province, Puerto Plata Province and Samaná Province — read below as chapters, with 11 more waiting past them.
Chapter I · Distrito Nacional · 13 places
Distrito Nacional
A monumental cross-shaped mausoleum and museum in eastern Santo Domingo, built to mark the five-hundredth anniversary of Columbus's arrival. Rising from a low concrete platform, it projects a grid of light beams into the night sky in the shape of a cross when illuminated. Inside, a chapel is said to hold remains attributed to the explorer, and galleries present gifts and exhibits from nations across the Americas. The austere, fortress-like structure is one of the largest monuments in the Caribbean and dominates its riverside district.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter II · La Vega Province · 5 places
La Vega Province
A high mountain valley town at around 1,200 meters where the Dominican Republic grows its strawberries, garlic, and flowers in a climate locals call eternal spring. Pine-covered ridges, the Aguas Blancas waterfall, and cool nights give it an alpine character unlike anywhere else on the island. It attracts mainly domestic travelers, keeping prices and crowds low.
✦ December to March for crisp air; year-round cooler than the coast · $
Chapter III · Puerto Plata Province · 5 places
Puerto Plata Province
The Dominican north coast's main city sits between the Atlantic and the fortress-topped Mount Isabel de Torres, reached by the Caribbean's only aerial cable car. Its center preserves gingerbread Victorian houses, an amber museum, and the 16th-century San Felipe fortress. The renovated waterfront and nearby Playa Dorada resorts have revived the area as an alternative to the island's east coast.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter IV · Samaná Province · 4 places
Samaná Province
The Samaná Peninsula projects northeastward from the Dominican Republic into the Atlantic, enclosing a protected bay that serves as a major winter breeding ground for North Atlantic humpback whales between January and March. Las Terrenas and Las Galeras are the peninsula's main beach towns, each with distinct expatriate and local communities and access to uncrowded beaches framed by coconut palms and green hillsides. El Limón waterfall, a 52-metre cascade in the interior hills, is reached on horseback from Las Terrenas.
✦ January to March (whales); November to May (general) · $$
Regions of Dominican Republic
Every place in Dominican Republic
55 places, one country.
Punta Cana
La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to April · $$
Samaná Peninsula
Samaná Province, Dominican Republic
✦ January to March (whales); November to May (general) · $$
Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April; the north coast is greener but wetter than the east · $$
Cabarete
Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to April for wind and surf; June to September for flat-water kiting · $
Sosúa
Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April for dry weather and calm seas · $
Las Terrenas
Samaná Province, Dominican Republic
✦ January to March to combine beaches with humpback whale season · $$
Bayahibe
La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April for the driest, calmest conditions · $$
Saona Island
La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April; go early in the day to beat tour groups · $$
Catalina Island (Dominican Republic)
La Romana, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April for the best visibility · $$
Pico Duarte
San Juan Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to March for dry trails and clear summit views · $
Constanza
La Vega Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to March for crisp air; year-round cooler than the coast · $
Lake Enriquillo
Independencia, Dominican Republic
✦ December to March, early morning for wildlife and bearable heat · $
Bahía de las Águilas
Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to April; seas are calmest for the boat transfer in winter · $
Boca Chica
Santo Domingo Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April; weekdays for a calmer beach · $
Jaragua National Park
Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to March for cooler temperatures and flamingo concentrations · $
Montaña Redonda
La Vega Province, Dominican Republic
✦ December to April · $
27 Charcos de Damajagua
Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April · $
Fortaleza San Felipe
Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April · $
Cueva de las Maravillas
San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
✦ year-round · $
Altos de Chavón
La Romana, Dominican Republic
✦ November to April · $$
Columbus Lighthouse
Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
✦ November–April · $
National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic
Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
✦ November–April · $
Parque Colón
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
✦ November–April · $
Museo de las Casas Reales
Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
✦ November–April · $