My memories of yearly visits to the Dominican Republic are dominated by my senses: the smell of the ocean while running through the shallow waters of Boca Chica when I was a little girl; the feel of the rough terrain while traveling through La Península de Samaná as a teen in a hot, stuffy van, over-crowded with relatives; the taste of afternoon espressos served in the backyard of our house as an adult; and the impossible-to-ignore sound of merengue transcending the decades.

On my last visit I arrived at a busy airport on the northern coast and hailed a cab to the Puerto Plata bus station. The humidity poured over me like syrup and I bought a slushy, cold Presidente beer to remedy the thick heat of the late Caribbean afternoon while waiting for the bus. I was on my way to the capital city of Santo Domingo on the southern coast of the island, and my family was waiting. The bus finally left a few hours later, weaving through the small streets to the bigger carretera (highway) that carried us outside of town. The Atlantic Ocean disappeared behind the mountains, and scads of children on their way home from school were at the roadside waving to the bus passengers, while men on motoconchos (mopeds) honked at one another and tried to overtake the bus. As we made our way through the countryside the smells of open fires and fried plantain seeped into the windows of our bus, and I thought, this is the Dominican Republic that most tourists don’t get to see — the life away from the luxurious resort complexes.

While it is an over-used sentiment, it can’t go unnoticed that the Dominican Republic truly is a country of synchronized contrasts. It is a country of great antiquity and promising modernity but one deeply rooted in tradition and cultural pride. It is a land where mangrove-lined coasts, lizard-inhabited deserts, coconut grove beaches, and mountainous peaks coexist. The Atlantic Ocean on the northern coast and the Caribbean Sea on the southern coast rock and sway as if dancing to the beat of a romantic bachata. Peaks and dales continue the curvaceous trend inland until the sultry heat and thick brine of the ocean air give way to the cool mountain breezes of the Cordillera Central — the mountain range home to the Caribbean’s tallest peak, Pico Duarte. Perilously carved roads on the edge of the Cordillera Central crest with breathtaking vistas of tropical forests and plush river valleys. Speeding drivers, on their way down these passes, swiftly outrun mule-drawn carts loaded with sugarcane, tobacco, and vegetables. The abundant interior blooms with produce: Fertile valleys rife with rivers, farms, and plantations coexist with the southwest’s salty and crocodile-pervaded Lago Enriquillo, which dips to more than 40 meters below sea level and is the lowest point in the Caribbean. Tropical rainforests collide with cactus-dotted deserts. And in the bustling capital city of Santo Domingo, 16th-century architecture sits alongside trendy bars and restaurants on the narrow cobblestone streets of Ciudad Colonial.

The Dominican Republic was the fountainhead for the New World and has given the western hemisphere many “firsts.” The first Catholic mass was said on the northern shore; the first paved road, the first hospital, and first university were all built in Santo Domingo. These creations were the fulfillment of Columbus’s dreams to set up a flourishing Spanish colony. But along with these impressive beginnings, the modern-day Dominican Republic owns a tragic history with the subsequent genocide of the Taíno people, troubled Haitian/Dominican relations, and a brutal 20th-century dictatorship.

Columbus’s legacy is present in Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial with well-preserved 16th-century cathedrals, forts, and cobbled walkways rich with Gothic architectural touches. Elsewhere, Caribbean gingerbread and a variety of Victorian styles still exist, especially in the refurbished homes around the Parque Central of Puerto Plata on the northern Costa Ámbar. In the sprawling cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago, antiquity gives way to modernity with stylish shopping malls and chic accommodations. But transcending time are the rural single-story clapboard homes built in the same manner for generations and often painted in cheerful colors that seem to exist only in the Caribbean sunlight.

Although there is an obvious gap between the desperately poor and the opulently wealthy here, most Dominicans are in the pursuit of enjoying life to its fullest. On any given day or night, a party or gathering is happening. Many visitors to the Dominican Republic are struck by this infectious way of life and take the sentiment back to their homes like a souvenir in their suitcase.

Most tourists flock to the country for its famous white-sand beaches and swaying palms, which teeter on the cliché of a postcard metaphor, but the Dominican Republic has other alluring attributes. It is home to the world-renowned windsurfing capital of Cabarete, white-water rafting on the Río Yaque del Norte, and diving among some of the Caribbean’s best-preserved reefs. The raucous Merengue Festival in Santo Domingo offers dancing and people-watching opportunities, and whale-watching in the Bahía de Samaná is the main draw in winter months. In the underbelly of the island you can explore Taíno history in various cuevas (caves), such as Cueva de las Maravillas, where you’ll see some of the best examples of Taíno art in the Caribbean. And the adventurous traveler has an abundance of opportunities, such as paragliding over the mountain ranges in Jarabacoa or canyoning down amazing waterfalls in Damajagua. Regardless of which region you choose, or what you seek, the Dominican Republic’s recreational grab bag makes it a dynamic destination that offers something for every kind of traveler.