Stretching from the border with Haiti to the fishing village of Bayahibe at the most eastern point, the South Coast region includes the country's capital, Santo Domingo, as well as other large cities and national parks. There are also popular resort communities with spectacular beaches, golf courses and marinas overlooking the Caribbean. You'll get a chance to enjoy Dominican city life, celebrating their love for Merengue music, Malecón (boardwalk) strolling, and the national sport of baseball.
Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the country: Spanish conquistadors used it as a base before going off to conquer the rest of the Caribbean and regions of North, Central and South America. Despite the ravages of earthquakes and looting and burning by British and French forces, Santo Domingo held on. Today it's a bustling, cosmopolitan city with a population of 2.5 million. There are activities for everyone: museums, ballet, opera, baseball games, and the widest selections of restaurants, nightlife and shopping anywhere in the country.
The most popular draw is the heart of the city, the Zona Colonial, located on the banks of the Río Ozama. Here you'll find cobblestone streets, historical monuments, and wonderfully preserved old-world Spanish architecture. While there are dozens of things to see and do in the Zona Colonial, museums such as Museo del Hombre Dominicano and the Museum of Modern Art are definitely worth checking out. Join the locals for a stroll on the palm-lined oceanside boardwalk, a hopping place both day and night. Catch a game of baseball at Estadio Quisqueya or see centuries-old cave drawings and paintings at Los Tres Ojos, originally used for religious ceremonies by the Tainos.
Boca Chica is only a 15 minute drive east of Santo Domingo's major airport, Las Americas International. Before Columbus landed in the DR, this area was of major importance to the Taino civilization, who knew a good thing when they saw it. Not much happened in the area until the mid-20th century, when wealthy Santo Domingo residents made it a popular resort destination. It grew in the 1970s as outside tourists discovered its beauty. Boca Chica is best known for its luscious white beach located in a small cove that's protected by a protruding reef, which essentially makes it a huge swimming pool. The shallow depth of the cove and the outside reef keep the water in the 'pool' crystal clear and calm, making it a safe haven for children. In addition to swimming, water enthusiasts enjoy snorkeling, waterskiing, paddle boating, kayaking, windsurfing and jet skiing in and around the cove. At night the town comes alive with a multitude of dining and nightlife options. Popular excursions include trips into Santo Domingo, diving at La Caleta Submarine National Park, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing or watching one of the daily baseball games at nearby Calle del Sur.
Casa de Campo, just outside the town of La Romana and an hour and a half's drive east of Santo Domingo, was developed by the large sugar company, Gulf & Western. Seven thousand acres of rolling hills contain tennis centers, swimming pools, equestrian stables, polo grounds, shooting stations and exclusive private villas. Casa de Campo boasts two 18-hole championship golf courses, including the famous, Dientes de Perro (Teeth of the Dog), where eight of the course's holes skirt the edge of the coast. Just east of the resort is the shopping/art/ culture area of Altos de Chavón. Also created by Gulf & Western, it was built on a cliff overlooking the Río Chavón and designed to look like a 16th century Mediterranean village. This area includes a Taino artifacts museum, a 5,000 seat amphitheater that's drawn such famous performers as Julio Iglesias, as well as many shops and restaurants. A popular excursion from this region is to take a shuttle boat to Isla Catalina, a small island with an incredible coral reef and fish so tame they eat from the hands of captivated snorkelers and divers.
Bayahibe, located just east of Casa de Campo, is reached by a road filled with photo opps as it runs through the beautiful Boca de Chaon Valley. The town is a small fishing village surrounded by large vacation resorts, but it also provides one of the entrances to the Parque Nacional del Este. The park consists of limestone terraces formed a million years ago and caves containing pre-Columbian pictographs and rock carvings of the Tainos. One part of the park's coast is known for excellent diving because of the astonishing diversity of its coral formation. At the southeastern tip of the park you'll find Calderas Bay, home to saltwater lagoons with mangrove swamps and dozens of species of birds. From Bayahibe you can also hire a boat for a 45 minute ride over to Isla Saona, a picturesque island of beautiful white beaches, tall coconut palms and great snorkeling, which can sometimes include glimpses of manatees and bottlenose dolphins.
Barahona, a three hour's drive west of Santo Domingo, was founded by the famous French-Haitian General Toussaint L'Overture. Although there are a few small hotels and resorts in the region, it's remained relatively touched by tourism. The incredibly-diverse natural environment includes mountains, lakes and a gorgeous coastline. The area's remote and hidden beaches are some of the prettiest you'll find in the entire country. Even better, the region houses three national parks. The largest protected area in the country, Parque National Jaraqua, contains Laguna Oviedo, home to more than 60 bird species, including the DR's largest population of flamingos. Parque National Isla Cabritos, includes Lago Enriquillo, the largest salt water lake in the Antilles, 45 meters below sea level and home of the American Crocodile. The mountainous Parque Nacional Sierra de Baoruco is filled with rainforest plants and birds.