Dominican Republic hotels

The Dominican Republic, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, enjoys a year-round summer, with a feast of all-in mega-resorts, adventure travel towns or divers' islands. The crack of bat on ball during the northern winter heralds baseball season, the national obsession.

Capital Santo Domingo has cobblestone streets, museums and bustling markets, and swim with dolphins at Manti Park on the east coast. The white sandy beaches and swaying coconut palms make exclusive Cabrera popular. Mangrove swamps and sheltered lagoons line the coast. Small fishing villages attract locals and backpackers, with clubbers and jetsetters preferring larger exclusive resorts - almost cities in themselves.

Go to town with the museums of Santiago, the Dominican's second city. Feast on spectacular sunsets in Costanza, nestled in an ancient meteor crater in the Cordillera Central range. Enjoy Jarabacoa's laid-back vibe, or pump up the volume with locals at a baseball game.

Climb the towering limestone mesa (small plateau) for the best view of Parque Nacional Monte Cristi's mangroves and beaches in the northwest. Discover the thundering waterfall Saltos Aguas Blancas hidden away in the Cordillera Central range near Costanza. Enjoy the white sandy beaches of uninhabited Isla Catalina on the southeastern coast.

Dive the deep vertical shelves near Sasua on the north coast. Climb or abseil steep canyons and waterfalls around Jarabacoa and Cabarete. Clamber to the Taino rock carvings in the caves of Parque Nacional Los Haïtises, on the northeast coast.

Locals love national dish La bandera (chicken, vegetables and fried plantain) and at Christmas, try favourite Sacocho , made with seven kinds of meat and sausages. Catibias , (cassava flour meat-filled fritters) is a Taino delicacy. Taste the subtle flavours of local delicacy stewed fish and conch at Samana, the national coconut capital.

Club it to DJ-driven beats in Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata, or sip umbrella-laden cocktails at a beach bar in Cabrera and Barahona. Casinos in the larger cities and resorts offer late-night gaming with and free drinks for players.

Stock up on the world's finest smokes in cigar-making capital Moca, or bring home a bottle or three of aged Dominican rum. Choose amber jewellery from towns along the northern coast. Recreate local dishes back home with vanilla extract from the locally-grown fragrant pods, sold everywhere.