Santo Domingo's nightlife is vast and ever-changing. Check with the concierges and hip capitalenos for information on what to do and where to go. 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. Look in the Santo Domingo News and the Puerto Plata News for listings of events.

As in other Latin countries, after dinner it's not a question of whether people will go dancing but where. Move with the rhythm of the merengue and the pulsing beat of salsa. Just about 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.

Casinos are active well into the night. Most are in the larger hotels of Santo Domingo, a couple in Playa Dorada, and there are more now in Punta Cana. All offer blackjack, craps, and roulette and are generally open daily from mid-afternoon until three or four in the morning. You must be 18 to enter, and jackets are required.