Entertainment Overview

Santo Domingo's nightlife is vast and ever changing. Check with the concierges and hip capitaleños. Get a copy of the Vacation Guide and the newspaper Touring -- both available free at the tourist office and at hotels -- to find out what's happening. At this writing, there has been a curfew set for clubs and bars in Santo Domingo; they must close at midnight during the week, and 2 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. This is subject to change, so ask when you arrive. The Amber Coast -- Playa Dorada, but particularly Cabarete -- has more than its fair share of clubs, mostly on the beachfront.

Casinos

The action can heat up, but gambling here is more a sideline than a raison d'être. Most casinos are in the larger hotels of Santo Domingo, with a couple in Playa Dorada, and more in Punta Cana. All offer slot machines, blackjack, craps, and roulette and are generally open daily from 3 PM to 4 AM, the exception being those in Santo Domingo, which, for now, must close at midnight (2 AM on Friday and Saturday). You must be 18 to enter, and jackets are required at the chic casinos in the capital. In Santo Domingo, several upscale hotels have casinos: Barceló Gran Hotel Lina Spa; Meliá Santo Domingo Casino; Hispaniola Hotel and Casino (attracts a younger crowd); Renaissance Jaragua Hotel; and the Hilton Santo Domingo.

On the north coast, the Jack Tar Village Hotel in Playa Dorada and Occidental Allegro Playa Dorada both have big, busy casinos, as does the Breezes in Cabarete. The Jack Tar Casino is the focal point of a Playa Dorada casino tour ($30), which begins with blackjack lessons and ends with a play-off, with half of the proceeds going to charity and a $300 prize for the winner.

Dance Clubs

Dancing is as much a part of the culture here as eating and drinking. As in other Latin countries, after dinner it's not a question of whether people will go dancing but where they'll go. Move with the rhythm of the merengue and the pulsing beat of salsa (adopted from neighboring Puerto Rico). Among the young, the word is that there's no better place to party in the Caribbean than Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone. Almost every resort in Puerto Plata and Punta Cana has live entertainment, dancing, or both. Many clubs stay open until dawn or until the last couple gives it up. Alas, at this time in Santo Domingo, clubs have to close at midnight during the week, 2 AM on Friday and Saturday.