Diving and Snorkeling

A number of diving centers are located in Las Terrenas, and two of the best are Stellina Dive Center (Kari Beach Hotel, Calle Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deño, tel. 809/868-4415, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–5 p.m. daily, www.stellinadiving.com), which offers dive packages starting at a one-tank dive for US$30 (with equipment), and Las Terrenas Divers (Hotel Bahía Las Ballenas, Playa Bonita, tel. 809/889-2422, www.lt-divers.com), which offers PADI courses and excursions such as cave diving (US$38–390). Purchase one dive for US$38 or packages of up to 10 dives for US$320. If you need to rent equipment, add US$10 to each dive.

Dance Lessons

Learning about a culture through its cuisine, art, and history can be fun, but few things teach you more about the people that you are visiting and their attitude toward life than learning to dance with them. At Salsa Caribe (Plaza Casa Linda, tel. 809/880-4609 or 809/977-1795, www.salsacaribevent.com) you can take lessons in salsa, merengue, bachata, Dominican son, reggaeton, cha-cha, and mambo. Other fitness classes are also available. Classes run US$10 for 55 minutes, but packages can be tailored to your level and according to your length of stay. Packages of private lessons can be arranged in any combination of dances. Dominicans rarely hear music and sit still. Learning to dance to merengue, bachata, or even salsa will give you great insight into the culture you are visiting.

Water Sport Rentals

Pura Vida (Calle Libertad 2, tel. 809/862-0485, www.puravidaplanet.com/repdom, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily) started in 1995 and is the premier and first IKO certified water sport school and rental hookup in Las Terrenas. Three surf-crazed buddies started the business and now offer lessons, rentals, and excursions in surfing, kite surfing, wakeboarding, and mountain biking. There are two locations: one in the center of town (in front of El Paseo) and the second at Playa Bonita, where their surfing school is. Also opening soon are spots in El Portillo and Playa Las Ballenas. Group lessons will run you US$100 for two hours of kitesurfing and US$30 for a one-hour group surfing lesson. Mountain biking, kitesurfing, and windsurfing expeditions can be arranged.

Tours and Excursions

Although there are many water sports and things to do in Las Terrenas, you have even more exciting options. Las Terrenas excursion operators offer a good variety of activities from which to choose.

Bahia Tours (Av. Duarte 237, tel. 809/240-6088, www.bahia-tours.com, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3:30–7 p.m.) offers day trips and local excursions throughout the peninsula as well as overnight excursions to other locales in the Dominican Republic. Local excursion prices are per person and include transportation, like whale-watching in the Bahía de Samaná (US$70), a horseback ride to the waterfall of El Limón (US$25), lunch and a catamaran ride to Cayo Levantado (US$78 per adult, US$38 per child), an excursion to Los Haitises National Park (US$60), or a jeep ride to beautiful Playa Rincón (US$70).

Safari Quad Excursions (Av. Duarte, tel. 809/240-6056, cell 809/869-8031, www.safari-quads.com), across from Plaza Taína, rents quads for exploring the region’s countryside and beaches. They’ll lead you on an all-day expedition, leaving at 9 a.m. and returning at 4:30 p.m., through enchanted hills and landscapes, along deserted beaches, and to a typical Dominican household of El Limón.

© Ana Chavier Caamaño from Moon Dominican Republic, 4th edition