Sights—The large statue of Christ atop Mount Isabela at Puerto Plata; whale-watching off Samana Bay; the Columbus Lighthouse Monument in Santo Domingo; a tour of a cigar factory; Constanza Valley in the mountains.

Museums—Museo de las Casas Reales (The Museum of the Royal Houses) and the nearby Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo; natural history exhibits at The Museum of Dominican Man; Museo Dominicano Larimar for its displays of the rare blue gem; Museo de Ambar in Puerto Plata for its amber collection; the Centro Leon in Santiago for its spectacular dioramas on nature and Taino culture.

Memorable Meals—The plato del dia (plate of the day) washed down with a local beer such as Presidente or Bohemia; dining inside a cave at Santo Domingo's Meson de la Cueva; stuffed crab at Meson de Bari in Santo Domingo; risotto in squid's ink at Vesuvio in Santo Domingo.

Nightlife—The hotel clubs along the beach of Punta Cana; the casinos along Santo Domingo's Malecon; the Kandela cabaret at Alto de Chavon amphitheater; Ohmo's and Lax bars on the beach in Cabarete.

Walks—The trek to the summit of Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean; a walk through Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial; a stroll through the National Botanical Gardens in Santo Domingo; a walking tour of Puerto Plata's Victorian architecture.

Especially for Kids—Watching a baseball game at Tetelo Vargas Stadium; The Aquarium in Santo Domingo; swimming with dolphins at Ocean World; the educational and fun exhibits at Museo Infantil Trampolin in Santo Domingo.

At 250 mi/400 km by 150 mi/240 km, the Dominican Republic is larger than any other Caribbean nation except Cuba. It is also the most diverse territory in the region. The Dominican Republic boasts both the highest point in the Caribbean (Pico Duarte at 10,164 ft/3,151 m) and its lowest (Lago Enriquillo at 115 ft/36 m below sea level). Cacti stud the desert-dry southwest in the lee of mountains clad in cloud forest. The lush agricultural valley of El Cibao lies within a one-hour drive of north coast beaches that abut mangrove-lined lagoons sheltering manatees. The bathtub-warm waters of the Bay of Samana attract thousands of humpback whales in winter, while nearby Los Haitises National Park is a rugged karst terrain pitted with caves. Drawing the lion's share of tourists, the talcum sands of the Coconut Coast shelve into waters of Maxfield Parrish hues stretching almost to the horizon.

The Dominican Republic was originally inhabited by the Taino people. Their peaceful way of life changed in December 1492, when Christopher Columbus came upon the island of Hispaniola (which is now divided between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). On Columbus' second voyage, in 1493, he established the first Spanish colony in the Americas on what's now the north shore of the Dominican Republic. His brother Bartolome stayed to govern and later moved the capital to what is now Santo Domingo on the south coast. As the early headquarters of the Spanish Empire in the New World, Santo Domingo flourished. It was the first city in New Spain to build a cathedral and found a university—just two of its many "firsts." Meanwhile, within 20 years of Columbus' arrival, most of the Taino were dead—wiped out by musket, sword and disease.

Spain's influence began to wane in the late 1600s as neighboring Cuba gained prominence, and the Spanish ceded the western part of the island—Haiti—to France. The Spanish, French, British and Haitians continued to battle for control of eastern Hispaniola until 1844, when Juan Pablo Duarte led the movement to establish the Dominican Republic as an independent nation. The early decades of independence were marked by constant civil wars between competing caudillos (wealthy, power-hungry leaders), and by several Haitian invasions. The government remained in turmoil well into the 1900s, with the U.S. intervening on several occasions. At one point, in 1869, an annexation agreement was drawn up to make the Dominican Republic part of the U.S. It was ratified by the Dominican Senate but defeated by the U.S. Senate.

General Rafael Trujillo siezed power in 1930. He established a brutal reign that continued until his assassination in 1961. In the mid-1960s, Joaquin Balaguer (a Trujillo protege) took over as president, serving seven terms until the mid-1990s. His opponents often alleged that his electoral victories were fraudulent, and some consider the 1996 election the country's first fair election.

Despite extreme poverty throughout the island, the nation has a robust economy. Agriculture continues to be the economic mainstay and sugar is the most important export, but the republic's tobacco industry is also important. The growing tourism revenues, however, have been most important. With the return of former President Leonel Fernandez, the country has made major advances and is working to overcome corruption scandals involving high-profile Dominican military leaders and drug-trafficking controversies.

The Dominican Republic's foremost attractions are its beaches, historical sites, casinos, golf, mountain scenery, national parks, merengue, baseball, cigars, reef and wreck diving, windsurfing and kiteboarding, and caves full of pre-Columbian art.

Travelers who are interested in resort activities (watersports, golf, tennis), colonial history and Caribbean culture will be happy in the Dominican Republic. Those who would rather not witness conditions in a poor, developing country or who can't tolerate reckless drivers may prefer smaller, better-established Caribbean resort destinations.

Where are the remains of Christopher Columbus? It's a matter of debate—either in Santo Domingo or in Seville, Spain. The confusion started in the late 1700s when some bones believed to be the admiral's were sent from Hispaniola to Cuba, then on to Seville. Another skeleton labeled "Cristobal Colon" was later found in Santo Domingo, however, and many experts believe that it's the authentic one. It now resides in the Columbus Lighthouse in the capital. The Dominican Republic government refuses to allow the remains in Santo Domingo to undergo DNA testing.

Lago Enriquillo is also the only saltwater lake in the world with resident crocodiles.

Many consider Dominican Republic cigars to be the best in the world, surpassing in quality even those of Cuba.

The Dominican Republic outranks all other countries in the Caribbean and Central America for producing major-league baseball players. Most, including Sammy Sosa and Pedro Martinez, honed their skills in poverty-stricken sugarcane communities around San Pedro de Macoris and La Romana.

Daily blackouts, sometimes lasting up to 14 hours or more, continue to plague the Dominican Republic. The government even announces them in advance on the radio—sometimes.

The Taino Indians, who occupied the island before Columbus arrived, believed that their ancestors were spirits that inhabited caverns. Caves were considered sacred places, and the Taino carved zemis—effigies of spirits—to guard the entrances.

Dictator Rafael Trujillo was so ashamed of his mulatto blood that he used makeup to lighten his skin.

Three upper-class sisters—Patria, Minerva and Maria Mirabal—were leaders of the movement to overthrow Trujillo. They were tortured and eventually murdered by Trujillo's secret police and are today honored as national heroes known as Las Mariposas (the butterflies).