Dominican Republic

On top of a first-rate shoreline, holidays to the Dominican Republic serve up forest-cloaked mountains and quaint Colonial towns.

Caribbean cool

This little island is a firm holiday favourite – and for good reason. Beyond the amazing beaches, it lines up rainforest-cloaked mountains, lively towns, and locals with that laid-back approach that’s textbook Caribbean.

Puerto Plata

Up on the north coast you’ve got lively Puerto Plata town, with its pretty old quarter and seafront fortress. For beaches backed by emerald hills there’s Playa Dorada or Costa Dorada. And a little further up the coast there are the palm-lined beaches of Bahia Maimon.

Punta Cana

On the eastern tip of the island is Punta Cana, whose resorts skirt a 50-kilometre ribbon of white sand. Golfers can tee off at the Punta Cana Golf Club, where the greens come complete with sea views. Bavaro is the liveliest resort, while sleepy Uvero Alto sits at the opposite end of the spectrum.

La Romana

On the south coast, La Romana’s got long sweeps of sand, pastel-painted fishermen’s huts and a sprinkling of luxe hotels in the resort of Bayahibe.

Samana

Then you’ve got the Samana peninsula. It’s all half-empty beaches and emerald countryside here, with go-slow towns like Cayo Levantado and Las Terrenas.