Before You Travel to the Caribbean: Dominican Republic Island Guide

Location: Between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, east of Haiti.

Size: 18,000 square miles (48,730 square kilometers)

Capital: Santo Domingo.

Language: Spanish, some English spoken.

Religions: Mainly Roman Catholic.

Currency: Dominican peso; U.S. dollars also widely accepted in tourist areas.

Telephone/Area Code: 809

Tipping: Restaurants automatically add 10 percent tip, but it's customary to give up to 10 percent extra. Tip housekeeping (even at all-inclusive resorts) a dollar or two per day.

Weather: 78 to 88 F year-round.

Santo Domingo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest city in the New World; founded in 1498, it contains the Western Hemisphere’s first cathedral, monastery, and court. A stroll around the Zona Colonial is a highlight of any visit. Fort San Felipe, the oldest in the New World, and the re-created 16th-century village Altos de Chavón in La Romana are also big draws. The north coast beaches off Cabarete are famous for windsurfing and kite boarding.

You won’t have a problem finding a beach along the Dominican Republic's 1,000-mile-long coastline. One of the best is Sosúa Beach, a wide strip of soft, white sand on the north coast with plenty of nearby restaurants. Playa Dorada's beaches are pretty but popular due to the many hotels in this area. Playa Grande is spectacular, but the surf is quite rough. In the east, Punta Cana has 20 miles of lovely white-sand beaches dotted with palm trees. Also known for its beautiful white sand is Boca Chica, with calm water that is great for kids.

The Dominican Republic’s many all-inclusive resorts represent some of the best deals in the Caribbean; the largest have thousands of rooms and offer an enormous variety of swimming pools and watersports; restaurants, bars, and lounges; and sometimes even casinos, golf courses and spas. Punta Cana and Playa Dorada is where you'll find most of the all-inclusive resorts. If you want to save money, look for lodgings around Sosúa Beach. For more local flavor, stay in the capital of Santo Domingo.

You’ll find the largest number of restaurants in the resort areas and in the capital. International cuisines such as Asian, Italian, Latin American and Middle Eastern are all well represented. Popular local dishes include rice and beans, often with chicken. Dominicans also eat a variety of tropical fruits like plantains, bananas and coconuts.

Blending cultural elements from Spain, Africa and Amerindians, the Dominican Republic is known for merengue -- hot, spicy, Latin-influenced music. Baseball is the most popular sport here, and the Dominican Republic produces a disproportionate number of Major League stars—among them Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz.

The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is one of the island’s biggest events, featuring artists like Chuck Mangione, Sade and Carlos Santana. During Merengue Festival in July, the country’s top bands play along Santo Domingo’s seaside boardwalk. Another biggie is La Vega Carnival from January to March.

In a country fueled by the strains of merengue, it’s no surprise to learn that dance clubs are a mainstay of the nightlife scene. But whether you’re looking for a cozy, romantic evening for two, a night of gambling or dancing until the early morning, you’ll find plenty of options. Santo Domingo has a terrific assortment of discos, nightclubs and casinos. The 20-odd hotels in Playa Dorada contain a couple of casinos, many bars and lounges, and about five discos that are popular with both locals and visitors (non-guests welcome.)