Santo Domingo
Most visitors to Santo Domingo understandably make a beeline for the Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo's large, substantially intact colonial district, home to dozens of wonderful old buildings and a dramatic setting right on the river. Many never bother to venture outside of this expansive, historic neighbourhood, but while it rates the most attention you should also make the effort to check out at least a few other diversions -- especially around the barrios of the Gazcue and Malecón -- throughout the city.

Boca Chica
Once one of the island's prime swimming spots, Boca Chica curves along a small protected bay, with transparent Caribbean water paralleling a long line of beach shacks. Sadly, the town has become so overwhelmed with tourism -- and an accompanying plethora of shysters and informal "guides" -- that it's no longer the best spot along the coast to spend some time, and a major draw these days is prostitution. Sitting on the beach is the main daytime activity, and the waters are low and calm enough for a good swim. Expect a big crowd on weekends

Juan Dolio
Just east of Boca Chica begins a 25 kilometre long line of rocky coast dotted with all-inclusive resorts, collectively known as Juan Dolio. This resort area has never quite matched Boca Chica, its northern rival, but a couple of its new resorts are the equal of any all-inclusives in the country -- if it weren't for the beach. Though the sand is perfectly acceptable, dead coral under the water makes swimming and walking in the water uncomfortable, and the beaches are no match for what you'll find at Punta Cana. Nonetheless, you can have a good time here, primarily because of a couple of great independent hotels and the plethora of local nightlife.

San Pedro de Macorís
Crowded San Pedro de Macorís, seventy kilometres east of Santo Domingo, owes its uneven development to the boom-and-bust fortunes of the sugar industry. Victorian civic monuments built during the crop's glory years stand along the eastern bank of the Higuamo River, a far cry from the squalor of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Many of the 125,000 people of San Pedro are descendants of Cocolos -- "The English", as many of them prefer to be called -- imported during the early 20th century as seasonal field labour. Their presence is most obvious during the Cocolo festivals held at Christmas and the Feast of San Pedro (June 24 to 30), when competing troupes of masked dancers known as mummers wander door to door along the major thoroughfares in elaborate costumes, and perform dance dramas depicting folktales and biblical stories.

Continuous urban migration has made the bulk of San Pedro a pretty miserable place, and the first view of its smokestacks and sprawling slums is a bit off-putting. What redeems it is its Malecón, a bustling seaside boardwalk with public beaches at either end. Head north from the Malecón onto Avenida Charro at the Hotel Macoríx to get a quick glimpse of the Victorian architecture built during the city's heyday. Foremost is the 1911 Iglesia San Pedro Apostol, Av Charro and Independencia, a three-aisled whitewash church with a prominent bell-tower. Time has been less kind to the old town hall a block south of the church, partially in ruins and occupied by a metalwork factory.

Far more than for architecture, though, San Pedro is famous for its baseball players, including Pedro Guerrero, George Bell and Sammy Sosa, and a pilgrimage to Estadio Tetelo Vargas, Av Circunvalación and Carretera Mella, a spacious, tattered concrete temple to the sport, is compelling for serious fans. Look in Santo Domingo newspapers for schedules; tickets are available during the winter baseball season on the night of the game for $85 to $115 (RD).

La Romana and Casa de Campo
La Romana, 37 km east of San Pedro, has been a one-company town since the South Porto Rico Sugar Company built the mammoth Central Romana mill in 1917; it was the only sugar operation not taken over by Trujillo during his reign. The mill was sold to Gulf & Western in 1967, who used the profits to diversify their holdings in the area, constructing the lavish Casa de Campo resort. The town itself is not especially interesting, though nightlife is good and a walk along the rambling barrio that borders the river's western bank makes for a pleasant hour. Also worth a visit in winter is Michelin baseball stadium on Abreu and Luperón at the city's west end, home of the La Romana Azucareros (check Santo Domingo newspapers for schedules; $50 to $150 (RD) for tickets) -- perhaps not as exciting as the games in San Pedro, but good play nevertheless.

The Casa de Campo resort just east of La Romana, accessible via a marked Highway 4 turn-off, is a massive complex. It costs a bit more than the all-inclusives along Bávaro Beach, but you'll be spared the security paranoia, compulsory plastic wristbands and terminally bland buffet fare of most deluxe Dominican accommodations. The complex encompasses seven thousand manicured acres set along the sea and boasts two golf courses, a 24-hour tennis centre, fourteen swimming pools, equestrian stables, a sporting clay course and so forth. In addition to the spacious, comfortable rooms, there are 150 luxury private villas with butler, private chef and maid. The crowning pleasure is Playa Minitas, a gorgeous strand of beach protected by a shallow coral reef -- nice enough that some spend their whole vacation on it.

Flanking the resort to the east is another Gulf & Western brainchild, Altos de Chavón, a high-concept shopping mall perched atop a cliff looking out over the Chavón River. Constructed to the specifications of a sixteenth-century Italian village with artificially aged limestone, it exudes dreary kitsch like few places in the country, its cobblestone streets littered with double-parked tour buses and its "Tuscan" villas crammed to the gills with dime-store souvenirs.

Bayahibe
The former fishing village of Bayahibe was once the most beautiful and remote spot along the entire coast, but due to over-building by the big all-inclusive hoteliers, the place has been ruined and retains little intrinsic beauty or interest. The only reason to stop here is to use it as base camp from which to visit Parque Nacional Del Este, a park just east of Bayahibe on a peninsula jutting south into the Caribbean. The national park maintains a maze of forests, trails, caves and cliffs, home to an impressive array of birdlife and signs of early Taíno activity. Not much of the park, however, is conveniently accessible; no roads lead directly into its interior, and the best method of approach is to hire boats from Bayahibe to hit specific points along the rim.

The most popular part of the park -- and rightfully so -- is Isla Saona, an island off the southern coast lined with alternating stretches of idyllic, coconut tree-backed beachfront and mangrove swamp, unpopulated except for two tiny fishing villages. The larger ships stop off at Mano Juan, a strip of pastel shacks with a hiking trail that leads inland, an expensive restaurant and a couple of modest beachfront eateries; or Piscina Natural, a sand bar with a clear lagoon behind it good for swimming.

Another good option is to hike into the interior of the park to the Cuevas José; María, a set of stunningly beautiful caves 10 km from Bayahibe. Inside them is a treasure-trove of Taíno rock art, including 1,200 pictographs depicting the major events of Taíno mythology and some historical events, including a 1501 peace treaty that the Taínos established with the Spaniards.

Boca de Yuma
On the northeastern tip of Parque Nacional del Este sits pueblo Boca de Yuma, for the most part passed over by tourism because of its lack of appealing beaches, though its setting along squat, ocean-pounded bluffs is undeniably impressive. Since Bayahibe has been so badly mangled by ill-conceived hotel construction, this has become the prime spot for independent travellers, with one great little hotel/restaurant and a nice enough beach across the river which you can reach via a $10 (RD) ferry.

The other major nearby attraction is fortified Casa Ponce de León (Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $10 (RD)), the home of conquistador Ponce de León located northwest of town in pueblo San Rafael de Yuma. He settled here after land was cleared and the locals slaughtered in the Higuey war of 1502-1504, and established an extremely profitable farm that provided Santo Domingo and the gold mines of San Cristóbal with cassava bread and salt pork. It's now maintained by the parks department, who have renovated the two-storey house into a museum meant to evoke de León's life and times. San Rafael is about 9km north of Boca de Yuma, so if you don't have a car use one of the hourly guaguas that ply the route between the two towns.

If looking for a place to stay, try El 28 (Calle Principe two blocks north of the waterfront, tel: 809-476-8660; $25 to $50 (US)), an Italian-run set of bungalows with hot showers and a swimming pool. The chef at the hotel's restaurant is the proprietor's septuagenarian mother, who makes home-made gnocchi and other traditional Italian dishes, plus melt-in-your-mouth fresh fish.

Punta Cana and Bávaro
From Higuey, an unpleasant dusty town 50 km or so north of Boca de Yuma known throughout the country as a holy city, a paved road winds 35 km east to the tropical playlands of Punta Cana and Bávaro, two resort areas on either end of a long curve of coconut tree-lined beach. Go elsewhere if you want to explore the country, as these resorts tend to be cities unto themselves: most encompass vast swaths of beachside territory, expansive tropical gardens and several separate hotels. Fortunately, the beach is big enough that it doesn't get overly crowded despite the 700,000 visitors each year; with enough fortitude you could walk some 30 kilometres without seeing the sand interrupted once.

Hato Mayor and Sabana de la Mar
Despite its lush surroundings, in the pretty rolling hills and orange groves of the Cordillera Oriental, overcrowded Hato Mayor, 40 km north of San Pedro de Macorís on Highway 4, is one of the poorest towns in the region and has little of interest for visitors. Most get only a passing glance anyway while taking Highway 103, the only paved road to Sabana de la Mar and Parque Nacional Los Haitises. You're unlikely to want to spend the night in Hato Mayor, but in a pinch you can head to Centenario, Mercedes/Hincado (tel: 809-553-2800; up to $25 (US)), the only formal hotel in town, with clean rooms and private bath but no hot water.

Sabana de la Mar is a dusty little port unremarkable but for its use as a setting-off point for the highly recommended boat tours of Parque Nacional los Haitises. It also happens to be fairly convenient to the Samaná Peninsula; ferries depart regularly from the wharf at the northern end of town (daily 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., $50 (RD)). You won't really want to use Sabana de la Mar as a base for anything -- the hotels are pretty substandard -- but just east of the town (and close to the entrance of Los Haitises) is Paraiso de Caño Hondo (tel: 809-556-7483; $25 to $50 (US)), which has a small restaurant and a very nice set of rooms, plus a natural pool with cascades.

Samaná
Protected on its southern side by an elongated strip of land that breaks apart into a series of small islands, Sant Bárbara de Samaná possesses a remarkably safe harbour, giving the city a tremendous strategic potential that's never been fully realized. The town is now more of a focus for travellers wishing to get away from the all-inclusives and the main embarkation point for whale-watching and other boat trips.

The Town
Samaná is undeniably charming, with pretty, spacious neighbourhoods, winding streets that amble up the hills and a warm sense of community intact. The centre of activity is the city's Malecón, a broad, concrete boardwalk across the street from numerous outdoor cafés, storefront shops and patches of park. At night the Malecón's restaurants and bars buzz with activity and music, a fairly mixed scene of Dominicans, expats and foreign visitors.

A few blocks back from the waterfront, the old First African Wesleyan Methodist Church of Samaná popularly known as La Churcha, Santa Bárbara and Duarte (daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), tangibly maintains what African-American culture is left in Samaná. The prefabricated, tin-roofed structure was originally shipped over by the English Methodist Church in 1823, in support of a recently emigrated African-American community that still remains here. These days it's known as the Dominican Evangelical Church and often works harmoniously with the African Methodist Episcopalian Church, another interesting building a few blocks further back.

Las Galeras
A horseshoe-shaped beach cove sheltering a modest village at the far eastern end of the peninsula, Las Galeras has seen considerable changes over the last few years. Despite the construction of Casa Marina Bay, a large all-inclusive, and numerous other hotels near the main beach entrance, it still maintains a peaceful, timeless ambience. The solitude that Las Galeras was once famous for has now gone but it's been replaced with some tasteful amenities that should make most visitors' stays more comfortable. The beaches, however, are still as stunning as always.

Las Terrenas
Set midway along the peninsula's remote northern coast, the former fishing village of Las Terrenas has grown over the past twenty years from backwater to an expat-dominated resort town renowned for its buoyant nightlife. Though development has led to a new paved road from Sánchez and a town centre which, along with the beach, is lined with restaurants, bars and shops, the inland Dominican barrio remains much the same as it was.

Las Terrenas makes for a pleasant base camp from which to explore the northern part of the Samaná Peninsula; on either side are less developed beaches such as Playa Bonita; a day trip to the El Limón waterfall is also highly recommended.

The Town
Aside from spectacular day trips to the surrounding countryside, the beach, which stretches uninterrupted 2 km in either direction from town, is the focus of daytime entertainment. Just west of the Carretera is the less lively beach area, which stretches a full 2 km to Playa Las Ballenas -- a section of the beach named for three oblong islands in the waters just beyond it that resemble breaching humpback whales -- before ending in a patch of swamp. The beach east of the intersection has just recently been built up, and has a slightly funkier feel, dominated by low-end cabañas and bars until the construction peters out entirely.

El Limón
Eleven kilometres east of Las Terrenas, and little more than a crossroads with a few shacks attached, dusty El Limón seems unpromising at first, but does make an ideal base for excursions to the magnificent El Limón waterfall to the south. Upon arrival you'll be beset by several local buscones trying to steer you to one of the excursion outfits; the best is Casa Santi, just south of the crossroad on the road to Samaná. The waterfall is accessible by horse from the town and takes 2.5 hours round-trip, well worth it to see the 50 metres of torrential white water dropping from a cliff in the middle of the wilderness. Expect to pay around $350 (RD) for the round-trip with a good lunch included.

From Las Terrenas, a motoconcho here costs $30 (RD), and during the day guaguas ply the El Limón route once an hour during the day for $20 (RD). Getting back is more of a problem if you're depending on public transport -- it's standard practice (and safe) to hitchhike from here. Every hour or so, a guagua will pass by.

Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata and Playa Dorada comprise the mass tourism capital of the Caribbean. The city of Puerto Plata is a vibrant Dominican town of 200,000 that's well worth exploring for its historic architecture and nightlife. Its core, the Old City, borders the port to the east, a narrow grid of streets that was once the swankiest neighbourhood in the country. Around the original town sprawls a patchwork maze of industrial zones and concrete barrios known as the New City, formed over the past century with the growth of the town's industry. Most visitors, though, are here for package tours to Playa Dorada -- located a kilometre east of the city limits -- a walled-off vacation factory that pulls in over a half-million tourists each year.

Cabarete
Stretched along the C-5 between the beach and lagoon that bear its name, Cabarete is a crowded international enclave that owes its existence almost entirely to windsurfing. The main beach, Playa Cabarete, has ideal conditions for the sport, and the multicultural cross-section of its aficionados attracts a growing community from across the globe.

El Castillo and La Isabela
From Puerto Plata, the Carretera de las Américas heads 50 km west to El Castillo, a seaside village located on the site of Columbus's first permanent settlement. It's easy to see why he picked it, since the town is set on a splendid bay of tranquil, blue water and a solid wall of imposing, Olympian peaks.

Just off the main highway, before you make town, is the entrance to Parque Nacional La Isabela (9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., closed Sunday; $30 (RD)), which preserves the ruins of La Isabela, the first European town in the New World. Centred on the private home of Columbus himself, which is perched atop a prominent ocean bluff, the park also encompasses the excavated stone foundations of the town and a small museum.

A few kilometres further on, you enter the village, draped over a steep hillside above Playa Isabela, which attracts few beach-goers and is instead marked mainly by small wooden boats. A kilometre offshore is an intact coral reef where there's a healthy, multicoloured reef bed that's home to thousands of tropical fish and sea creatures. The Rancho del Sol hotel can arrange diving and snorkelling trips.

If looking to spend the night, check out Rancho del Sol (tel: 809-543-8172; $25 to $50 (US)), located off the Carretera de las Américas at the town entrance, which rents simple but well-maintained duplexes with kitchen and bath. They also have a great seafood restaurant -- the menu varies with the day's catch. Miamar, Calle Vista Mar (tel: 809-471-9157, fax 471-8052; $25 to $50 (US), breakfast included), is a modern hotel with a swimming pool and enormous rooms with lovely ocean views. For good Dominican cuisine try Milagro, near the entrance to Rancho del Sol, a small and friendly comedor with a good selection of local dishes.

Monte Cristi
West from Punta Rucia, the roads deteriorate even further and the only sensible way to make for the Haiti border is to turn south back onto the C-1 at Villa Elisa. The further west you go, the more the landscape transforms itself -- gone are the swaying palms and grassy pastures, replaced by scrubby cactus plants and dusty dry soil inhabited mainly by goats. The carretera terminates at the westernmost outpost of the Silver Coast, Monte Cristi, founded in 1501 and at one point one of the country's most important ports. These days it resembles a dusty frontier town bearing only the occasional tarnished remnant of its opulent past along wide, American-style boulevards. Most visitors are here to use the town as a base from which to explore the local beaches and the Parque Nacional Monte Cristi, an expanse that protects a towering mesa named El Morro and an enormous river delta. To reach the park, take the beach road north of the city towards Playa Juan de Bolaños, the area's most popular beach but quite disappointing in comparison to others on this coast. Once past the restaurants that clutter the beach's entrance, the road arrives at the entrance to the eastern half of the park, which is divided in two by Monte Cristi's beaches. Its eastern section is often referred to as Parque El Morro, after the flat-topped mesa El Morro that takes up a good chunk of it. Climbing the mesa is a lot easier these days as the park office has built a set of steps up from the road's highest point ($50 (RD) entrance fee). At the foot of El Morro's eastern slope is a lovely and unpopulated beach accessible by parking at the end of the road and continuing down on foot. The western half of the national park encompasses a dense mangrove coast dotted with small lagoons; informal tours are led from the Los Jardines hotel (from $300 (RD) per person), on which you'll see several river deltas thick with mangroves and perhaps even a couple of crocodiles.

Santiago
Founded in 1504 as a mining town and demolished by an earthquake in 1562, Santiago has been associated with tobacco since it was introduced for export to the French in 1697, and is also the home of merengue perico ripao -- the classic Dominican music using accordion, tambora and guira.

Today, there's a good club scene based mostly around this indigenous music, so you won't lack for fun at nights. During the day, downtown Santiago supplies enough diversions to merit a full day or two of ambling about.

The City
Most places of interest are downtown and within walking distance of one another. In fact, many visitors spend their whole stay in the area bounded by the main city park and the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración (Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., free), Santiago's distinctive symbol and most impressive sight. Built by Trujillo in honour of himself, it was quickly rededicated upon his death to the War of Independence with Spain. It's possible to climb the stairs up the monument -- a statue of Victory personified as a woman tops its seventy-metre pillar -- to take in the breathtaking panorama of Santiago and the surrounding valley and mountains.

Calle del Sol, which borders the monument to the west, is the city's major shopping district and the heart of downtown activity, lined with department stores, banks and sidewalk stalls selling clothing, household wares and fast food. Follow Del Sol north to 30 de Marzo and the Parque Duarte, a bit overcrowded but covered by a tree canopy and lined with horse-and-carriage drivers. At the park's southern end stands the Catedral Santiago (1895), a concrete building with intricate carvings on its mahogany portals. Just across the street the excellent Museo del Tabaco, on 16 de Agosto and 30 de Marzo (Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to noon, free), housed in a old Victorian tobacco warehouse, presents a history of the crop's use dating back to Taíno times. Three blocks south of the park La Habanera Tabaclera, 16 de Agosto and San Luis (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., free), is the oldest working Dominican cigar factory and one of the few in the city that offers tours, though free samples are not included.

In the opposite direction, a few blocks northwest of the park, sits the fascinating Museo Folklórico de Tomas Morel, Restauración 174 (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., free). Inside is a remarkable collection of papier-mâch; Carnival masks, alongside various Taíno artefacts and early Spanish household items. The masks, though, are the main focus, with an array of spectacularly baroque and evil-looking demons.

San José de las Matas
The easiest excursion into the mountains from Santiago is San Jos; de las Matas, a sleepy hill station looking out over the northern Cordillera Central. There's little to do within town but take a leisurely walk and admire the views; for one such lookout, take the dirt path behind the post office, on 30 de Marzo, to a cliff-top park with a good vantage over the neighbouring mountains. Most points of interest lie a bit outside San Jos;, such as the Balneario Vidal Pichardo Trail, 10 km north at the confluence of the rivers Anima and Bao, which is ideal for a day's hike.

If you're arriving from Santiago, it will likely either be by guagua (hourly $20 (RD)), or by car -- simply head west on Calle 30 de Marzo, cross the Hermanos Patiño bridge and continue west for 28 km. Most visitors choose to make a day trip of the town, but those looking to stay the night will find a couple of good hotels, including Hotel Restaurant San José, 30 de Marzo 37 (tel: 809-578-8566; up to $25 (US)) with basic rooms, ceiling fans and hot water. Los Samenes is as good a place to eat as any, with a great little restaurant serving typical Dominican platters.

La Vega
La Vega, just 30 km south of Santiago, started out as one of Columbus's gold-mining towns. Aside from the ruins of this old settlement, La Vega Vieja, there's little in today's noisy, concrete city to hold your attention. However, La Vega's Carnival celebrations in February are generally acknowledged to be among the most boisterous and authentic in the nation. A twenty-block promenade is set up between the two main parks, along which parade platoons of demons in impressively horrific masks, the making of which is somewhat of a local specialty craft.

There are no good in-town hotels; most lack even the most basic amenities like toilet seat, mosquito net or hot water. San Pedro, Cáceres 87 (tel: 809-573-2844; up to $25 (US)), is the least seedy and cleanest, but is still not especially comfortable. You'll fare slightly better with local restaurants, notably the second-floor Salón Dorado above Engini Car Wash, Cáceres and Restauración, which has a hip décor, fun crowd and pool tables. The bus stations, Caribe Tours (tel: 809-573-3488), Metro (tel: 809-573-7099) and Vegano Express (tel: 809-573-7079), are all on the Carretera La Vega, just off the Autopista Duarte. Guaguas to Jarabacoa set off from the corner of 27 de Febrero and Restauración.

Jarabacoa
Jarabacoa, a mountain resort peppered with coffee plantations, is popular with wealthy Dominicans for its cool summers. The pine-dominated mountains immediately surrounding the town hold three large waterfalls, several rugged trails fit for day hikes, three rivers used for white-water rafting and the busiest starting-point for treks up Pico Duarte; we've listed local outfitters

The Town
Most of the action in town is centred on its major crossroads, a few blocks north of the small parque central. The point at which the Río Yaque del Norte and Río Jimenoa meet is a popular spot for swimming, a half-kilometre north of the main crossroads.

The most popular local attractions are the three waterfalls (saltos), which are all enough of a trek that you'll want either your own transport or a ride on a moto-concho ($50 to $100 (RD) one-way). Most popular is the crashing Lower Salto Jimenoa (daily 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., $5 (RD)), which boasts a deep pool good for swimming. It's 3 km east of town off the Carretera Jarabacoa. Salto Baiguate, 1 km south of town on the road to Constanza (daily 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., free), is a bit taller, plus it has a large cave and a swimming hole at its base. The steepest Jarabacoa waterfall is the Higher Salto Jimenoa, or Salto Jimenoa Uno, as it's often called. This isn't so easy to find, but if you head out on the road to Constanza for 7 km, you'll pass through a small pueblo before coming to a few shacks on the right. Almost directly opposite these is a jeep-size driveway that quickly deteriorates into a narrow and steep footpath. Continue down to the bottom and scramble over some huge slabs to the pool at the waterfall's base. It's a pretty awesome sight: the water drops 75 metres from a hidden lake above, and thunders into a huge pool at its base. The spray at the bottom creates its own rainbows and it's easy to see why this was chosen as a setting for a scene in Jurassic Park.

Barahona
Barahona city isn't an especially pleasant place. Founded in 1802 and once the informal capital of Trujillo's multimillion-dollar sugar industry, the city has fallen on hard times due to the closing of the local sugar mill. That said, the locals are friendly and it does have a couple of good hotels, making it a useful base to explore the undeveloped coastline that stretches west of the city. If sticking around, head either to the Malecón, which is quite beautiful, or the parque central, a major hangout at night.

Most visitors arrive via guagua or car; coastal Highway 44 connects the city with Azua, Baní and Santo Domingo to the east before continuing west all the way to the border. If spending the night, most accommodations are within a couple of blocks of the seaside Malecón. The best of the lot is the Gran Barahona, Mota 5 (tel: 809-524-3442; $25 to $50 (US)), with comfortable rooms that have air conditioning, TV and hot water. There's a decent array of places to eat: Melo's Café, Anacaona 12 (tel: 809-524-5437), is the best of the lot, an unpretentious diner with delicious American breakfasts and nightly dinner specials. Also worth checking out is Brisas del Caribe, a seafood restaurant on the far eastern end of the Malecón; the creole shrimp and broiled kingfish are house specialities.

San José de Ocóa
Tucked away in the mountains along the Río Ocóa, San Jose de Ocóa, 27 km north of the Carretera Sánchez along Highway 41, attracts weekenders from across the country, most of whom are eager to beat the valley heat, visit the local river balneario and take advantage of the lovely, sometimes rugged, mountain landscape. The town itself is an easy-going and fairly modest hamlet, unremarkable but for its majestic setting. Just south of town, though, is El Manantiel, the local river balneario, a kilometre down a dirt road off the highway, where you'll find several good spots for swimming among the boulders and ice-cold cascades. Plenty of other people -- particularly families -- opt for the outfits that siphon off fresh water from the river into large swimming pools, such as Las Yessicas (daily 8.30 a.m. to 2 a.m.), visible from the highway and with a large pool, a restaurant and a popular dance floor.

Accommodation options in town are plentiful but decidedly no-frills, intended as they are to serve families who don't mind shacking up several to a room. Options include Sagrato de Jesús, Cañada/San Jose (tel: 809-558-2432; up to $25 (US)), and Pensión San Francisco, 37 Pimentel (tel: 809-558-2741; up to $25 (US)), both not especially luxurious but acceptable. Baco, a half-block west of the parque central, serves quality meals like chivo guisado (goat stew) or chicken with rice, beans and plantains.

San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal, Trujillo's hometown, enjoyed its heyday during his rule; today the cramped, asphalt city qualifies as one of the country's least appealing. That said, it is well situated for exploring the unforgettable El Pomier caves to the north.

From the town it's 20 km due north to the caves; if you don't have your own transport, pick-up truck guaguas leave every 30 minutes from the north end of San Cristóbal's public market. Reserva Arqueológica El Pomier (daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $50 (RD)) protects the most extensive collection of cave paintings in the Caribbean, though this claim to fame draws strangely few visitors. Upon arrival, you'll be assigned a park guide who expects a $40 (RD) tip and will take you to the first of three enormous, easily accessible chambers; the first alone holds 600 pictographs. Alternately, you can head north on a guagua from the parque central in San Cristóbal to La Toma (daily 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., $5 (RD), parking $20 (RD)), a series of large cemented pools supplied with fresh water from the Haina River.

The only hotel in San Cristóbal is basic but clean Aparta-Hotel Ayala, Padre Ayala 110 (tel: 809-528-3040; up to $25 (US). Dining choices are also limited; try Plaza Carolina, General Cabral one block south of Constitución, an outdoor comida criolla spot.