• Appreciate the charms of colonial Santo Domingo, home to the New World's first university, cathedral and hospital. The city's modern part, by contrast, is a thriving port, equipped with nightclubs, casinos, shops and the Cultural Plaza.

• Visit Los Tres Ojos de Agua (The Three Eyes of Water), a remarkable cave complex, so-called because it contains three turquoise lagoons on three different levels, each fed by an underground river and surrounded by countless stalactites, stalagmites and tropical vegetation.

• Head to San Cristóbal, where the first constitution was signed on 6 November 1844. It features historical sites linked to the life of Trujillo, the dictator who governed the country with an iron fist from 1930-61.

• Stock up on beautiful jewellery on the Amber Coast (northern coast). Some of the world's most beautiful amber is mined here. The Amber Museum houses a good display of amber pieces found nearby (website: www.ambermuseum.com).

• Pay a visit to Fort San Felipe, built in the 1600s by the Spanish to protect the settlement from pirates. It is now a museum and traces its own important role in the history of the Dominican Republic.

• Discover colonial architecture in Puerto Plata (the Silver Port), founded in 1504. The town is cradled between the colonial harbour and the dramatic Mount Isabel de Torres.

• Absorb breathtaking views of the Atlantic and Puerto Plata from Mount Isabel de Torres where a cable car climbs over 760m (2,500ft) above sea level. You can also explore 10 sq km (4 sq miles) of botanical gardens here.

• Bask in the elegance, grace and charm of the Casa de Campo resort in the city of La Romana. Nestled within is Altos de Chavón, a reconstructed 15th-century Mediterranean-style village of culture and art perched on a cliff.

• Watch a game of baseball, which is not only the national sport but also a national obsession; even the smallest communities have floodlit stadiums. The centre of the country's baseball is the industrial seaport of San Pedro de Macoris. 

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.