Watersports Galore at Oceanfront Resort next to Dolphin-Encounter Park

Every Sunday at Cofresi Palm Beach & Spa Resort, dancers groove to live music around a pool illuminated by colorful skylights and candle-lit tables. Chefs whip up grilled lobster and steaks while spectators knock back blended cocktails. And the night reaches a dazzling climax with a fireworks show. The gathering—part dance party and part concert—offers just a taste of what’s at hand at this sprawling resort—at once laid-back and energetic, with a pair of spas and golf courses as well as an underground nightclub and adjacent casino. Cofresi Palm also caters to families with a kids' club and mini disco for teens.

Cofresi Palm Beach resembles a seaside village with a series of villas set on landscaped hills that roll down to the beach. Family-friendly rooms can be found in the middle of the resort with easy access to the kids' pool and kids' art center. They come decked out with dark wood furniture and sleek marble floors; some rooms have access to shaded verandas.

The all-inclusive package comes with all meals at the resort’s nine restaurants, which serve everything from authentic Dominican fare to Indian and Asian cuisines. There are swim-up bars at some of the pools and a wine bar located inside of the Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio.

Nonmotorized watersports such as kayaking, fishing, and naval semaphoring are also included in the package. In addition to participating in a slew of other activities including tennis and yoga, you can head next door to the Ocean World Marina complex to swim with the resident dolphins and feed sea lions.

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: Shimmery Beaches and Historical Sites Backed by Soaring Mountains

Puerto Plata earned its namesake in 1493 when Columbus remarked that its coast at sunset resembled a sea of silver, or plata. The coastal city contains many of the Dominican Republic's most prominent cultural attractions, including a town square lined with Victorian homes and a colonial-era fortress once used to ward off pirates. Among Puerto Plata's most visited landmarks is the Parque Nacional La Isabela, one of the first European settlements in the New World. Only ruins remain now, but you can see the outlines of Columbus's house, a church, and an observation tower.

Beaches draw the lion's share of tourists, but for an outdoor alternative, head to the southwest side of town and take the cable car to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres. Once on the mountaintop, you can join a guided nature walk though the botanical gardens, which flourish with nearly 600 plants and flowers, including passion-fruit vines and mango trees.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.