Top Things to do in the Dominican Republic

Outside your All-Inclusive resort.

The Dominican Republic is known as one of the cheapest and best-value beach holidays in the Caribbean. Most visitors stay in large all-inclusive hotels lined up along the pearly white beaches and wavy palm trees.

And although those All-Inclusive resorts offer many activities, it is nice to get out of your resort and discover what’s behind the walls of your world of luxury.

Read about our stay at the RIU Palace Resort in Punta Cana and the other RIU hotels we visited  here

When visiting the Dominican Republic on a work trip, we discovered a few more things you could do rather than staying in your resort all day. 

Chill out at a pearl white Dominican beach

I must say, Punta Cana ( located on the southwestern tip of the Dominican Republic ) definitely has some of the best beaches in the world, with dazzling white sand, turquoise-colored water, and a million tropical palm trees.

But if you want to change your beach for a day, you can head to Arena Gorda, which is another paradise of palm trees and turquoise water.

If you are looking for a laid-back place where you can be active in kiting and windsurfing, then Cabarete is your must go destination in the Dominican Republic.

Visit Santo Domingo

Apart from the cobblestone streets, it would be easy to forget Santo Domingo is in the Caribbean. Santa Domingo is an urban city, home not only to colonial architecture but also to hot clubs and very good restaurants.

Just like Havana in Cuba, Santo Domingo is like a living museum full of history and culture, but with a cosmopolitan vibe to it.

Check out Isla Saona

Isla Saona is a tropical paradise which is part of Parque del Este National park. Here you will not only find stunning white beaches but also 400-year-old caves with rock paintings of the Taino people.

Visit Ohos Indigenas Ecological Reserve

The Ohos Indigenas Ecological Reserve is also definitely worth visiting. This is a protected area covering more than 600 hectares of freshwater lagoons, subtropical forests, and many exotic species.

Mediterranean Culture at Altos de Chavón

A surprisingly cute village on the Chavón River built in the Mediterranean style and called the ‘Village of Artists’ for being the home of the Escuela de Diseño and an amphitheater where concerts with renowned musicians are often held.

You won’t believe this tourist attraction is in the Dominican Republic. The buildings are amazing, there are mules walking through the streets and the views are absolutely breathtaking.

From Altos de Chavon you can also opt in for a boat trip along the river. Definitely worth it!

Sail to Isla Catalina

Another great day trip from Punta Cana is a sailing trip to Isla Catalina.

Isla Catalina is a small inhabited island, which is set up for tourists and cruise companies with daybeds on the beach and little bars. Can be very touristy, but the scenery is amazing. If you can, just try to go on a day that there are no big cruise ship scheduled.

It has a coral reef at a shallow depth which is perfect for inexperienced divers who prefer snorkeling. On Cape Tiburón, between Saona and Catalina, sharks abound, and it’s a good place for more experienced scuba divers who didn’t watch too many JAWS movies 😉

Verdict on the Dominican Republic

As we’re only in the Dominican Republic for 4 days on a short work trip, we managed to soak up the sun on the beautiful Punta Cana beaches, visit all the RIU Hotels in Punta Cana, and went on trips to Isla Catalinita and Altos de Chavon. Still, quite a few things we squeezed in those 4 days 😉

I also really loved driving around the island on our way to the excursions as you really get to see a bit more of the Dominican Republic and how people live there. You won’t see any of that when you only hang around in your all-inclusive resort.

This is why I always say: When you do go on an all-inclusive holiday, come off your lazy chair, get up and get at least one trip far away from your convenient luxury resort, so you can actually say you have been to a destination, rather than laying on a chair, eating, sleeping and getting a tan.

Read about all the RIU Resorts we visited in the Dominican Republic here.

We have created this Travel Guide for you to make planning and booking your trip to the Dominican Republic easy! 

We use www.skyscanner.com for all our flights. It’s one of the most popular flight search engines and it compares hundreds of airline companies and booking websites. A big plus for us is that Sky Scanner can look for flights in the cheapest month, and it will also automatically look for the cheapest dates in that particular month. 

Arriving at Punta Cana Airport makes you immediately feel at home in paradise. The airport is one of the most tropical and laid back airports we have ever seen. 

Are you looking for something luxurious like a 5 star resort in Punta Cana? Or maybe you want to visit the Dominican Republic on a budget ? Agoda offers accommodation in the Dominican Republic suitable for any budget or wish list.

We went to all the Riu Resorts in Punta Cana, which were quite good, and we also visited the Ifa Villas Bavaro ( a few snaps below ), which is a very largely spread out resort straight on the beach, perfect for families travelling with children to the Dominican Republic. 

Check out all hotels in the Dominican Republic right here

Airbnb offers many lovely Airbnb’s in the Dominican Republic. We found a few amazing luxury beach huts, lush bungalows and chic appartments.

Book via our special link to get a whopping $$ discount off your first booking with AirBnb, so you can definitely score yourself a bargain.

Have you booked your trip via Airbnb before? Book your next Airbnb in the Dominican Republic easy and fast right here ↓