• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

The Great Room at the Castle Club   (Photo: Norbert Strozda)

Tie on a napkin and wrestle with a giant skillet of anise-infused, shell-on prawns at the waterfront Casita de Don Alfredo (Playa Cabarete; 809-986-3750). Show up just after 5 p.m. to score one of the tables on the outdoor porch—reservations aren’t accepted.

Hydrate with kite-boarders at the around-the-clock hangout, Eze Bar & Restaurant (Playa Cabarete; 809-880-8779). A friendly, sun-bleached staff keeps blenders whirling all day, making banana smoothies for breakfast, carrot and wheatgrass juices at lunch, and frozen cocktails at night.

Drive twenty minutes inland (south) to the town of Jamao del Norte, where the mountaintop Castle Club offers a rarity in these parts: breathtaking views and tablecloth dining. Ingredients from the property’s sweeping gardens and orchards find their way into hearty yet elegant dishes like ginger-carrot soup and chunky crab cakes with a pepper rémoulade. Book at least a week ahead and dress up a little; pack a sundress or linen suit just for this.

Published on Dec 18, 2007 as a web exclusive.