Nightlife

Year-round sports, effervescent nightlife, distinctive souvenir shopping, magnificent national parks, and world-class gambling make for a jam-packed vacation-retirement paradise to do list. And when you see the spectacular beaches, you won't be able to resist pulling up a chair and relaxing... and you may never want go back.

Outdoor Activities

By land or sea, outdoor activities like snorkeling, windsurfing, horseback riding, kiteboarding, and boating are just a few of the thrilling ways to experience the natural beauty of The Dominican Republic. With over two-dozen national parks, available hiking and bird watching, other quieter options for communion with nature are at your disposal. Indoor activities offer you the chance to strike it rich, dance the night away, or shop 'til you drop. Perhaps you are interested in discovering curious mementos with local flare, like carnival masks, amber, and a strange liquor “cure-all” called Mamajuana.

Whale Watching

The northern coast of the rocky shelf on which Hispaniola sits provides an excellent breeding ground for humpback whales. During the first few months of the year, humpback whales can be seen off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic near Puerto Plata.

Golf Paradise

The Dominican Republic is considered the premier Caribbean country for golfers, thanks to 21 courses with oceanfront fairways and dogleg lefts around swaying coconut palms. You'll find courses designed by legends such as Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones, Gary Player, Tom Fazio and Nick Faldo, many of which have become favorite golfing destinations of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. Bush.

Visitors to the Dominican Republic needn’t worry about packing golf clubs or even knowing how to golf, for that matter. Each course offers affordable club rentals and internationally recognized golf pros for lessons. Regardless of handicap, the courses of the Dominican Republic promise a challenging and unique experience.

Kiteboarding, Windsurfing & Surfing

The North coast of the Dominican Republic  is considered one of the the top five kiteboarding and windsurfing beaches in the world among those who travel the water sports circuit. That’s why the Kiteboarding World Cup has been held in the Dominican Republic town of Cabarete the past four years.

Here in the North Coast, the perfect blend of wind, water and waves create incomparable kiteboarding and windsurfing conditions. Windsurfers also flock to the wind and make an annual pilgrimage to Cabarete for the annual World Cup Windsurfing Competition held every June.

Hotels that cater to kiteboarders and windsurfers are dotted along the golden beaches of Cabarete's &Kite Beach. The opportunity to mingle with some the world's greatest athletes and hear tales of catching the perfect wind are around every corner.

The southern coastal waters just west of Santo Domingo are also speckled with the bright colored sails of windsurf boards. But, these are not the only boards to be found in the Dominican Republic. Surf boards also hit the waves in search of the perfect point break and ride on the barrels.

Kiteboarding

One of the fastest growing water sports, this surfing-like activity uses a huge kite to capture the wind as participants balance on a board. Kiteboarding rentals are available up and down Kite Beach in Cabarete. Visitors looking to try the sport can easily find experienced kiteboarders offering instruction. A variety of techniques are used at the schools including radio helmets during instruction so immediate feedback is provided to the student for quicker learning and more time on the board.

Windsurfing

Equipment is available for rental through most hotels in Cabarete and lessons can be arranged with a variety of vendors. Two of the main providers are the Carib Bic Center, which has been providing instruction and boards for nearly 20 years, and Iguana Mama.

In addition to Cabarete on the north coast, the southwest coast also provides excellent windsurfing. The beaches of Las Salinas and Las Calderas Bay are windsurfing launching points for many locals as the area is less crowded than Cabarete. While the policy is bring-your-own-board because at present time there no rental facilities in the area, the benefits of finding the perfect wind are well-known among locals.

Surfing

From the area of Puerto Plata and east to Playa Grande, 16 surfing spots have been identified along the North Coast for their regional classic to standard wave quality. The best season to surf along the north coast is December through March, when the region can get waves up to 14-feet high. El Encuentro is one of the most famous reef breaks in the DR and is only a 10-minute drive from Cabarete. Additional breaks are just left of El Encuentro such as Coco Pipe and La Preciosa, which has often been referred to as a world class point break surfing location.

The Southern Coast is also a magnet for hanging ten. Over 20 identified surfing spots dot the coastline beginning at the Haitian boarder in the west to near La Romana in the east.

Either coast has locations for different levels of surfers: beginning, experienced and professional, or kamikazes, as some surfers say. And the DR's menu of waves is appealing to just about every surfer including: point break, beach break, reef coral, sand bar, reef rocky and rivermouth.