Santo Domingo.– Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, home to the Caribbean's largest collection of hotel rooms, has plenty of inexpensive picks, particularly if all-inclusives are your game. But with the opening of a new airport on the north coast at Samana, an idyllic peninsula that used to take hours to reach, has become more accessible.

The peninsula was once an island itself. Today, lowlands connect the finger of land to the mainland, although it still has the feel of a separate destination.

With terrific beaches, the Caribbean's best whale-watching (humpbacks from mid-January to mid-March), good diving, a 164-foot-high waterfall, and a wealth of quality inns and restaurants, Samana is a region that merits attention.

Las Terrenas has several dozen inexpensive to modestly priced lodging options,    plenty of restaurants are within walking distance, and the beach is just across the street.