What the kids do: Wander drunkenly between the 15 bars and three discos in the five all-inclusive hotels that make up the Barceló Bávaro Palace. Do body shots off of strangers' stomachs.
What you'll do: Do your body some good. The so-called Dominican Alps rise higher than any mountains east of the Mississippi—up to 10,417 feet—and the runoff creates great white-water rafting and adrenaline-fueled canyoning. Local outfitter Iguana Mama puts you in along the longest river, Yaque del Norte, which has Class II and III rapids. They'll also show you the area's first-class mountain biking, like the rough-and-tough, 27.5-mile "El Choco Loco" route. You don't want to stay at altitude overnight—temperatures can drop to a decidedly nontropical 60—so head for the north shore ("the Silver Coast") and check into the Casa Colonial Beach & Spa resort in Puerto Plata. Despite its name, the hotel has a look that's more Ian Schrager than colonial—a neon bar, dramatic lighting, acres of white drapery. But no matter: There's a complete spa where treatments include a papaya and pineapple exfoliation ($106) and mango body cocooning ($138). If that's making you hungry, head to the restaurant, where dinner combines Indonesian, Mediterranean, and Caribbean flavors. After a fresh lobster salad with tropical fruit and lemon–tarragon vinaigrette, and a seaside yoga class, your abs will be ready for some body shots, too.
What you'll do: Do your body some good. The so-called Dominican Alps rise higher than any mountains east of the Mississippi—up to 10,417 feet—and the runoff creates great white-water rafting and adrenaline-fueled canyoning. Local outfitter Iguana Mama puts you in along the longest river, Yaque del Norte, which has Class II and III rapids. They'll also show you the area's first-class mountain biking, like the rough-and-tough, 27.5-mile "El Choco Loco" route. You don't want to stay at altitude overnight—temperatures can drop to a decidedly nontropical 60—so head for the north shore ("the Silver Coast") and check into the Casa Colonial Beach & Spa resort in Puerto Plata. Despite its name, the hotel has a look that's more Ian Schrager than colonial—a neon bar, dramatic lighting, acres of white drapery. But no matter: There's a complete spa where treatments include a papaya and pineapple exfoliation ($106) and mango body cocooning ($138). If that's making you hungry, head to the restaurant, where dinner combines Indonesian, Mediterranean, and Caribbean flavors. After a fresh lobster salad with tropical fruit and lemon–tarragon vinaigrette, and a seaside yoga class, your abs will be ready for some body shots, too.
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