Tap a dot to open that destination's guide. Hover over a province to see its name.
How the Dominican Republic fits together
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Most places Americans visit are within four hours of Santo Domingo by road. Each coast has its own character: the east is resort country on long white beaches, the south coast around the capital is city and colonial history, the Samaná Peninsula and the north coast face the open Atlantic with smaller hotels and wilder water, and the interior climbs into the cool Cordillera Central. The whole country keeps Atlantic Time all year, with no daylight saving.
A few practical things change from place to place. Resorts, excursion companies and many hotels quote in US dollars, while towns, colmados (corner stores) and gas stations work in pesos. Uber works in Santo Domingo, Santiago and Punta Cana, usually only as Uber Select, if at all, in Miches, and is not reliable in Las Terrenas. Sargassum seaweed hits the east coast hardest, roughly April or May to September, and the Caribbean side around Bayahíbe sees less in most years. Toll highways link the capital to Punta Cana and Samaná in about 2 hours 30 minutes each, and Caribe Tours and Metro Tours coaches cover most other routes; there is no passenger rail outside the Santo Domingo Metro.
The east coast resorts
Most Americans start here. Punta Cana International (PUJ) is 15 to 30 minutes from most hotels in Bávaro and Cap Cana and about an hour from Uvero Alto, and an airport taxi to Bávaro or Cap Cana runs about $30–40. Plan five to seven nights, with a day or two off the resort. La Romana and Bayahíbe, about 1 hour 15 minutes from PUJ on the Caribbean side, have calmer, clearer water, Casa de Campo, Altos de Chavón and the boats to Saona, which leave Bayahíbe mostly between 8 and 10 a.m. Miches, about 1 hour 30 minutes north of PUJ on the Bay of Samaná, is the newest resort area, with Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, Zemi Miches and Viva Miches open and a Four Seasons expected in 2027; prebook your transfers there.
Santo Domingo and the south coast
The capital's Ciudad Colonial is the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas, with the first cathedral, fortress and paved street the Spanish built in the hemisphere. Give it two or three days plus day trips, and base yourself in the Zona Colonial on a first visit. Las Américas airport (SDQ) is about 30 to 45 minutes east of the center, and a Metro ride costs RD$20 (about $0.33). The capital's beaches are close: Boca Chica's calm, shallow lagoon is 10 to 15 minutes from SDQ, and quieter Juan Dolio is 30 to 40 minutes, which makes either an easy first or last night. Both fill up on Sundays and holiday weekends.
The Samaná Peninsula
Green hills, coconut groves, smaller hotels and some of the best beaches in the country, about 2 hours 30 minutes from Santo Domingo by toll highway and 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours from Punta Cana. Humpback whales gather in Samaná Bay from mid-January to the end of March, and a 3- to 4-hour trip from Samaná town costs roughly $60–75 per person on a licensed boat. Give Samaná town two or three nights for the whales, Cayo Levantado and Los Haitises. Las Terrenas, 30 minutes from El Catey airport (AZS), suits three to five nights for Playa Cosón, El Limón waterfall and its cafés, and Las Galeras and Playa Rincón are about 1 hour 15 minutes beyond.
The north coast
Puerto Plata has a Victorian old town, the Fortaleza San Felipe, the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua, the Playa Dorada resorts and two cruise ports, Taíno Bay downtown and Amber Cove about 20 minutes west. Its airport (POP) is about 10 minutes from Sosúa and 25 minutes from Cabarete, and the drive from Santo Domingo takes about 3 hours 30 minutes via Santiago. The cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres has been closed since June 2024, with a reopening planned for early 2028. Cabarete's wind is most reliable December to March and June to August, Sosúa has the snorkeling, and Río San Juan, about an hour east of Cabarete, has Laguna Gri-Gri and Playa Grande. The north coast's wettest stretch is roughly November to January.
The Cibao and the mountains
Santiago, about 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes from Santo Domingo on the Autopista Duarte and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Puerto Plata, is the heart of cigar country, with its own airport (STI) and the Centro León museum, RD$150 (about $2.50). La Vega's carnival fills Sundays in February. Jarabacoa, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Santiago at about 1,700 feet (520 m), has rivers, waterfalls, rafting and coffee farms; Constanza, at about 3,900 feet (1,200 m), can drop into the 40s°F (5–9°C) on winter nights. Pico Duarte, 10,164 feet (3,098 m), usually takes two to three days with a licensed guide and mules.
The southwest and the northwest
The far corners are for travelers with a car and time. Barahona is about 3 hours from Santo Domingo, and Pedernales and Cabo Rojo about 5 to 5 hours 30 minutes, for Lago Enriquillo, the larimar mines and the empty sand of Bahía de las Águilas, reached by a 15- to 20-minute boat ride with a park fee of around RD$150 (about $2.50). Plan three or four nights, at least one in Pedernales or Cabo Rojo, where Cabo Rojo International airport is under construction, with opening projected for 2027. Montecristi, in the dry northwest about 2 hours from Santiago, has El Morro, the Cayos Siete Hermanos and the Dajabón border market on Mondays and Fridays, about 40 minutes south.
Which region is for you?
- Your first trip. A beach week in Punta Cana or Bayahíbe, with two nights in Santo Domingo and the Zona Colonial at the end. See how all-inclusives work before you book.
- History and city life. The Zona Colonial and the capital's food and music, the Victorian streets and fortress of Puerto Plata, and the cigar factories and Centro León in Santiago.
- Beaches beyond the resorts. Playa Rincón and Playa Cosón near Las Terrenas, Playa Grande near Río San Juan, Playa Esmeralda in Miches and Bahía de las Águilas in the southwest. See the beaches guide.
- Whales and wildlife. Humpbacks in Samaná from mid-January to the end of March, the mangroves of Los Haitises, the crocodiles of Lago Enriquillo near Barahona and the cays off Montecristi.
- Wind, waves and water sports. Kitesurfing and surfing in Cabarete, diving and snorkeling from Bayahíbe and Sosúa. See the outdoors guide.
- Mountains and cool air. Rafting, waterfalls and coffee in Jarabacoa and Constanza, and two or three days on Pico Duarte.
- A long weekend. Santo Domingo with a night at Boca Chica or Juan Dolio, or three nights near PUJ in Bávaro or Cap Cana.
Which destination fits your trip?
A filled dot means the destination is one of the country's best for that interest; an open dot means it's good. "No car needed" means you can see the highlights with transfers, Uber, buses and tours; a half dot means you can, with some effort or a tour. A "first trip" dot means it suits a first visit to the Dominican Republic. "Short trip" means the highlights fit into three days, including the journey from the nearest airport with US flights.
| Destination | First trip | Beaches | Culture | Families | Nature | Water sports | No car needed | Short trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Cana | ||||||||
| La Romana & Bayahíbe | ||||||||
| Miches | ||||||||
| Santo Domingo | ||||||||
| Juan Dolio & Boca Chica | ||||||||
| Samaná | ||||||||
| Las Terrenas | ||||||||
| Puerto Plata | ||||||||
| Cabarete & Sosúa | ||||||||
| Santiago & the Cibao | ||||||||
| Jarabacoa & Constanza | ||||||||
| Barahona & the southwest | ||||||||
| Montecristi |
Travel times from Santo Domingo and Punta Cana
Most trips start at Santo Domingo (SDQ) or Punta Cana (PUJ), so here is roughly how long it takes to reach each destination by road. Car times assume light traffic and the toll highways; buses take 15 to 45 minutes longer, and rush hour around Santo Domingo can add an hour. Where no Punta Cana time is given, the usual route runs through Santo Domingo, so add the Santo Domingo time to about 2 hours 30 minutes. All times are approximate.
| Destination | Nearest airport | From Santo Domingo (approximate) | From Punta Cana (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Cana | Punta Cana (PUJ) | About 2 hr 30 min by car; about 3 hr on the Expreso Bávaro bus | 15–30 min from PUJ to most hotels; about 1 hr to Uvero Alto |
| La Romana & Bayahíbe | La Romana (LRM) or PUJ | About 1 hr 30 min to La Romana, 25 min more to Bayahíbe | About 1 hr 15 min to Bayahíbe |
| Miches | Punta Cana (PUJ) | About 3 hr | About 1 hr 30 min from PUJ |
| Juan Dolio & Boca Chica | Santo Domingo (SDQ) | 40–60 min to Boca Chica; about 1 hr to Juan Dolio (10–15 min from SDQ to Boca Chica) | About 2 hr–2 hr 30 min from Bávaro |
| Samaná | El Catey (AZS) or SDQ | About 2 hr 30 min | About 3 hr 30 min–4 hr |
| Las Terrenas | El Catey (AZS), 30 min | About 2 hr 30 min–3 hr | Via Santo Domingo |
| Puerto Plata | Puerto Plata (POP) | About 3 hr 30 min via Santiago; 3 hr 30 min–4 hr by bus | Via Santo Domingo, or fly |
| Cabarete & Sosúa | Puerto Plata (POP), 10–25 min | About 4 hr | Via Santo Domingo, or fly |
| Santiago & the Cibao | Santiago (STI) | About 2 hr–2 hr 30 min on the Autopista Duarte | Via Santo Domingo |
| Jarabacoa & Constanza | Santiago (STI) | About 2 hr 30 min to Jarabacoa; 2 hr 30 min–3 hr to Constanza | Via Santo Domingo |
| Barahona & the southwest | Santo Domingo (SDQ) | About 3 hr to Barahona; 5–5 hr 30 min to Pedernales and Cabo Rojo | Via Santo Domingo |
| Montecristi | Santiago (STI), about 2 hr | 4 hr–4 hr 30 min | Via Santo Domingo |
Combining destinations on one trip
The toll highways make most pairings a half-day drive. For a first trip, two bases in a week is plenty. Flying into one airport and home from another, such as Punta Cana in and Santo Domingo out, saves a long backtrack.
- Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. The classic pairing: five nights on the beach, then about 2 hours 30 minutes on the toll highway to the Zona Colonial and home from SDQ.
- Bayahíbe on the way. Bayahíbe sits about 1 hour 15 minutes from PUJ and about 1 hour 45 minutes from the capital, so it slots between the two for Saona and calmer water.
- Santo Domingo and Samaná. About 2 hours 30 minutes on the Autopista del Nordeste to Las Terrenas or Samaná town, with whales in season and Los Haitises by boat.
- The north coast to Las Terrenas. Puerto Plata, Cabarete and Río San Juan, then about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours along the coast through Nagua to the Samaná Peninsula.
- Santiago and the mountains. Jarabacoa is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Santiago and Constanza about 1 hour 30 minutes beyond, then about 3 hours down to Santo Domingo.
- A first or last night near SDQ. Boca Chica is 10 to 15 minutes from the airport, handy after a late arrival or before an early flight.
Before you go, read the entry rules and the e-Ticket, how buses, Uber and transfers work, driving and tolls and when to go, and see the planning guide for six day-by-day routes.