Where to stay in the Dominican Republic: the best areas and resorts

Punta Cana is the reason most people come to the Dominican Republic, and one look at Bávaro Beach explains it: powdery white sand, coconut palms and a calm, turquoise sea, with resorts lined up along it for miles. The choice is enormous, from family giants with water parks to adults-only resorts with swim-up suites.

The name covers a long stretch of coast. Bávaro is the lively middle, Uvero Alto in the north is remote and romantic, Cabeza de Toro small and laid-back, and gated Cap Cana in the south is the luxury end. Punta Cana airport has direct flights from the UK and is under an hour from most resorts.

The south-east coast is gentler and greener than Punta Cana. La Romana is home to Casa de Campo, a sprawling resort of golf courses, polo fields, a marina and villas, with the mock-Mediterranean village of Altos de Chavón perched above a river gorge. It is the country's grandest address.

Just east, Bayahibe is a fishing village turned resort, with calm water, golden beaches at Dominicus and a laid-back village centre. Boats leave from here for the dreamy sandbanks of Saona Island and the coral of Catalina, and the East National Park is on the doorstep. Hotels range from big family all-inclusives to adults-only resorts, and La Romana has its own airport.

Puerto Plata was the Dominican Republic's first big resort area, and it has a lived-in charm the east coast lacks. A cable car climbs Mount Isabel de Torres above the town, the old centre has Victorian gingerbread houses and an amber museum, and the resorts of Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada sit on golden beaches just outside town.

Along the coast, Sosúa has a pretty bay for snorkelling and Cabarete is one of the world's great kitesurfing spots. The Atlantic here is livelier than the Caribbean side and the landscape far greener. Puerto Plata's own airport is around 20 minutes from the main resorts, and prices are generally kinder than in Punta Cana.

The Samaná peninsula is the Dominican Republic at its most beautiful: jungle-covered hills, coconut plantations and beaches such as Playa Rincón that regularly make lists of the Caribbean's best. Between December and March, humpback whales gather in Samaná Bay to mate and calve, and boat trips to watch them are unforgettable.

Las Terrenas, on the north side, is a laid-back beach town with a strong French and Italian accent, good restaurants and boutique hotels. Elsewhere you will find adults-only all-inclusives and villa resorts tucked away on quiet bays. Samaná has a small airport of its own, and Santo Domingo's is about 1.5 hours away by road.

Santo Domingo is loud, hot and fascinating. Its Colonial Zone, a UNESCO-listed grid of cobbled streets and coral-stone buildings, holds the first cathedral in the Americas, the Alcázar de Colón palace and a buzz of bars, cigar shops and courtyard restaurants. Along the sea, the Malecón boulevard comes alive at night.

Big hotels line the Malecón with sea views, and the smart business district of Piantini, about four miles from the Colonial Zone, has the city's top shopping and dining. Spend a night or two here on the way to or from the beach: Las Américas airport is about 30 minutes away.

East of the capital, Juan Dolio is a long, laid-back strip of beach resorts and condos with golden sand and lovely sunsets, popular with Santo Domingo families at weekends. It is about 20 minutes from Las Américas airport and 40 minutes from the city, which makes it a handy beach to pair with a city stay.

Closer still, Boca Chica has a shallow, reef-sheltered bay that is perfect for paddling, with the little island of La Matica just offshore and a lively seafront of bars and food stalls. Both are cheaper and more local than the big resort areas, with a mix of all-inclusives, golf hotels and simple beach guesthouses.