Dominican Republic Nightlife

Review of the Casino Dominicus in the resort area of La Romana, the largest casino in the Dominican Republic with 150 slot machines and 25 table games.

Bars, nightclubs and liquor stores in the Dominican Republic -- once open into the wee hours -- now must close at midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends under a new government law.

The word ‘bachata’ has gone through many transitions, meaning different things at different periods of Dominican history. It started out as just a word designating traditional guitar music, although in the 1960s it was used to label romantic guitar music. A ‘bachata’ was also a generic label for gatherings that took place at informal Sunday afternoon parties where guitar-based groups would play for casual recreation. It was also music that played a large role in entertainment in cabarets (which were actually brothels) and it is only recently that the stigma attached to word has been lessened.

Merengue is a type of music strongly associated with Dominican national identity. The genre started gaining in popularity in the mid-19th century, displacing the current musical leader, tumba. Influenced by Spanish decema and plena, merengue is probably a close cousin of the Haitian "meringue", a musical genre sung in Creole but with a slower tempo and more sentimental melody.

Guide and photos of the nightlife scene on Boca Chica Beach, mostly centered on Calle Duarte. The beach is located near Santo Domingo.

Lists of the best nightlife and nightclubs in Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata.

This Santo Domingo hotel has one of the better casinos in town.