Dominican Republic travel guide - Telegraph Best for The beach, families, watersports, culture and history, nature. The Dom Rep offers some of the cheapest and best-value beach holidays in the Caribbean. Most visitors stay in large all-inclusive hotels. Dozens line the magnificent long beaches in the far east at Punta Cana, the country's number one resort, and more can be found in other less isolated resorts, notably on the north coast near Puerto Plata. Over the past decade, many more upmarket hotels have opened, especially in the Punta Cana area, offering excellent facilities and gourmet dining. Golf courses have also proliferated - the country now has nearly 30. For independent travellers, the best resort is laid-back and cosmopolitan Cabarete, a top spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Being twice the size of Wales, the Dom Rep has lots to explore, though excursions from resorts can be lengthy. Highlights include the capital Santo Domingo - the New World's oldest colonial city - and adventurous activities such as white-water rafting in the island's mountainous centre.