The Dominican Republic provides a true taste of the Caribbean

Plans for more direct flights to the Dominican Republic make it the perfect time to visit.

If your idea of the perfect beach is somewhere in the Tropics, complete with pristine sands, clear azure water and palm trees dotted along the shoreline, then consider Punta Cana on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic.

This Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation has been growing as a tourist destination for some time now.

And, with more regular direct flights from the UK being introduced this year and a broad choice of accommodation on offer, now’s as good a time as any to take the plunge.

Punta Cana is home to dozens of resorts, catering to all different price ranges and offering a variety of activities and experiences.

The all-inclusive Secrets Royal Beach Resort offers a range of services, including a spa, fitness centre, a choice of pools, tennis courts and restaurants serving various cuisines from around the world, as well as local delicacies.

But the real draw for anyone escaping the climate at home is the immaculate and truly spectacular white-sand beach and warm waters, offering the ideal opportunity to swim, snorkel, windsurf, parasail or just lie back and soak up some of the year-round sunshine.

With 10 categories of accommodation, you can choose a room and price that suits your budget. If you’re happy to pay top-end prices (which are still considerably cheaper than in other Caribbean islands), then you will be truly astonished by the level of luxury they can offer.

But, equally, if you’re doing it on a budget, you won’t be disappointed. Secrets Resort is adults-only, but families don’t have to go far. Actually, just next door.

There you’ll find the 700-room Larimar Resort, designed to be kid-friendly, with its own dedicated children’s activities programme.

For couples really wanting to get away from it all and spoil themselves, the 96-room Zotry Resort offers a quieter, more intimate atmosphere in which to unwind. If I go back, I think I’ll check in there.

If you fancy getting out of the resort one day and exploring, a day trip to Saona Island makes for a nice change of pace.

Lying just off the south-east coast, this is where international film crews come when they need a picture-perfect tropical beach backdrop.

Take a chartered boat ride out to the island and take advantage of the opportunity to swim out at the natural lagoon. It’s just stunning!

If you want to get a real taste of Dominican life and culture you have to visit the vibrant capital, Santo Domingo, which has plenty of both.

An-hour-and-a-half drive from Punta Cana, this was where Columbus first landed in the New World, and though the remains of the colonial era can be seen in the architecture, the city moves very much to its own rhythm these days.

It’s right up there with Havana in terms of being an exciting visit.

I loved exploring the Ciudad Colonial, the old quarter down by the dockside, dating from the early 16th Century.

This district is home to the Catedral Primada de America, the first cathedral which began construction in 1512, and Alczar de Coln, Columbus’ vice-regal residence and today a museum devoted to the first era of European colonisation.

Along the Calle El Conde, the main boulevard, street performers, vendors touting their wares, barbers and artists selling pictures all vie for your attention.

But if you’ve seen enough you can always dive into one of the area’s cafes and sample the local coffee heady stuff.

If you really want to see Dominican life in all its vibrancy, then head along to a baseball game.

The DR is the only country in Latin America where football is not the main sport, but they show just as much passion for baseball as their neighbours do for the beautiful game.

What with the marching bands, dancers, merengue music and the crowd’s enthusiasm, even if you don’t always know what’s happening on the field (I sure didn’t!), the spectacle in the stands is exciting enough.

When it comes to dancing, Dominicans are renowned for their sense of rhythm, and whether it’s their own merengue or bachata or a salsa or mambo, they’re not shy about heading to the dancefloor.

Bars around the city frequently host bands and most of the locals are willing to teach the uninitiated a few steps.

Most Sunday nights a public dance with live band takes place in the square outside the ruins of the St Francis Cathedral in the Ciudad Colonial. The boutique Hotel Frances in the colonial quarter is a prime spot from which to explore the city.

Competitively priced, with rooms from £75 a night, the building itself dates from the 1500s and is a fine example of the charms of old Santo Domingo, complete with an interior courtyard where you can have breakfast.