Beaches -- The Dominican Republic has some great beaches, but they aren't in Santo Domingo. The principal beach resort near the capital is at Boca Chica, less than 3km (2 miles) east of the airport and about 31km (19 miles) from the center of Santo Domingo. Here you'll find clear, shallow blue water, a white-sand beach, and a natural coral reef. The east side of the beach, known as "St. Tropez," is popular with Europeans. In recent years, the backdrop of the beach has become rather tacky, with an array of pizza and fast-food stands, beach cottages, chaise longues, watersports concessions, and plastic beach tables.
Slightly better maintained is the narrow white-sand beach of Playa Juan Dolio or Playa Esmeralda, a 20-minute drive east of Boca Chica. With all the hotels lining this beach, it's likely to be as crowded as Boca Chica any day of the week.
Horse Racing -- Santo Domingo's racetrack, Galapagos Hipódromo V Centenario, on Avenida Las Américas, Km 14.5 (tel. 809/687-6060), schedules races Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 2pm. You can spend the day here and have lunch at the track's restaurant. Admission is free.
Tennis -- You can often play on the courts at the major resorts if you ask your hotel desk to call in advance for you and make arrangements.
Uno, Dos, Tres Strikes You're Out
Dominicans were crazy about baseball long before their countryman Sammy Sosa set the United States on fire with his home-run race against Mark McGwire. Almost every Major League baseball team has at least one player from the Dominican Republic on its roster these days. Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and Alphonso Soriano are just a few of the all-star team of players who hail from the Dominican Republic.
If you're here between October and January, you might want to catch a game in the Dominican Republic's Professional Winter League. The Liga de Beisbol stadium (tel. 809/567-6371) is in Santo Domingo; check local newspapers for game times, or ask at your hotel. There are also games at the Tetelo Vargas Stadium in San Pedro de Macoris, known to die-hard sports fans as the "land of shortstops" for the multitude of infielders that call this tiny town home.
