After landing at Punta Cana International Airport—one of the Caribbean’s busiest air hubs for international tourism—newly arrived passengers proceed through the customs and immigration area. The terminal architecture combines modern glass partitions, polished stone flooring, and views of exterior thatched roofing inspired by traditional Dominican palapas, blending tropical design with contemporary security infrastructure. The customs counters, marked with numbered green signage, are where visitors present passports and entry documents to border officers. The space reflects recent expansions that supported the airport’s growth, as Punta Cana became the Dominican Republic’s most visited destination starting in the 1990s and continuing into the 21st century, serving millions of tourists annually from Europe, North America, and Latin America.

The departure terminal at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) features a distinctive architectural design that blends modern infrastructure with Caribbean-inspired elements. The high ceilings and large green circular structures atop the support columns are stylized to resemble palm tree canopies, echoing the surrounding tropical landscape. Natural wood accents and open, airy layout contribute to a resort-like atmosphere, distinguishing this airport as one of the Dominican Republic’s busiest gateways for international tourism. Travelers line up for check-in beneath oversized ceiling fans, highlighting the airport’s open-air concept, which was developed to harmonize with the region’s climate and tourism identity.

Playa Juanillo is known as one of Punta Cana’s most picturesque stretches of coastline, located within the gated Cap Cana development on the eastern edge of the Dominican Republic. Originally a quiet fishing shoreline, the area was transformed in the early 2000s into a planned resort community, balancing luxury development with preserved natural beachfront.

The sweeping line of tall coconut palms in the photograph reflects the coastal vegetation typical of this part of Hispaniola, where sandy soils and salty ocean air support hardy palm species. The shallow turquoise water flows gently onto the white coral sand, demonstrating the calm conditions created by offshore reefs that protect much of the Dominican coastline. Today, Playa Juanillo remains both a public-access beach area and a popular gathering space for local events, weddings, and kiteboarding, offering a rare blend of untouched Caribbean scenery and curated resort amenities.

Colorful courtyard lodging buildings at Hotel El Cortecito in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Situated in the El Cortecito beach district—one of the earliest tourism hubs in the area—this hotel reflects the architectural style common in locally-owned coastal accommodations before the rise of large all-inclusive resorts. The turquoise and terracotta exterior, white balustrades, and open garden walkways offer a Caribbean vernacular blend intended for natural ventilation and communal outdoor space. El Cortecito developed through the 1980s and 1990s as a fishing village turned tourism enclave, with modest inns like this one often built and expanded in phases by local families, contrasting with the master-planned resort complexes that later defined Punta Cana’s international tourism growth.

A surfer at Playa Macao in Dominican Republic near Punta Cana.

Along the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, Macao Beach is one of the rare stretches of undeveloped shoreline in the Punta Cana region. Unlike most resort-dominated beaches of the eastern coast, Macao has remained publicly accessible, attracting both local residents and visitors for its surfing conditions, expansive sands, and panoramic views of the Atlantic. The gently rolling waves seen here are typical of the beach’s surfable breaks, shaped by offshore currents and an open coastline without coral barriers.

In the distance, the low, wooded hills form the edge of the Punta Cana–Miches coastal corridor, an area where farmland, mangroves, and small fishing communities meet tourism expansion. Known historically as a landing spot for local fishermen, Macao has also been a training and gathering place for Dominican surfing youth. Today it marks a contrast between traditional coastal use and the rapid rise of resort development across the eastern Dominican shoreline.

A bar and grill in Punta Cana Dominican Republic.

Onno's Bar & Restaurant near Punta Cana Dominican Republic.

Beach vendors in the beach near Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus.

A woman selling bread in La Romana, Dominican Republic

Architecture in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Playa del Hotel Iberostar, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The beach at Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus. Located in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic.

Parking lot at
Cortecito Inn in Dominican Republic.

"Extreme Alka-Seltzer" in Dominican Republic.

RD-104 Carretera Bavaro-Miches.

A small agricultural processing facility belonging to a local rice growers’ association in the rural district of La Gina, near Miches in eastern Dominican Republic. Buildings like this serve as cooperative hubs where farmers mill, store, and distribute rice harvested from nearby valleys and foothills. The corrugated steel structures, machinery shelters, and entry kiosk reflect a modest but functional rural agro-industrial operation supporting community-based farming. Rice cultivation has been an important part of the Dominican countryside economy for decades, particularly in the El Seibo and Hato Mayor provinces where smallholder producers rely on local cooperatives for processing and market access.

A winding mountain roadway in the eastern Dominican Republic cuts through lush tropical hillsides near the rural communities of Los Brazos and La Majagua in the El Seibo province. The wet pavement and reflective guardrails suggest a recent passing rain, a common occurrence in this humid, mountainous region known for its microclimates and dramatic vegetation changes. These hillside roads are vital connectors between interior farming settlements and coastal markets, often serving traffic ranging from motorcycles and produce trucks to occasional tourist excursions. Native trees and flowering plants cling to the embankment, typical of the region’s mix of hardwoods, palms, and secondary forest growth following decades of agricultural clearing.

A solitary cow stands just beyond the guardrail along Highway 107 in the Dominican Republic’s El Seibo Province, an area defined by steep hillsides, grazing land, and dense tropical vegetation. This winding road connects the interior highlands with coastal towns like Miches and is known for its sharp curves, frequent landslides, and roadside pastures where livestock freely wander. The lush slopes in the background show typical small-scale hillside grazing patterns, where cattle and goats clear patches among naturally regenerating forest. Road markings and safety reflectors highlight the rural infrastructure, while the presence of the cow illustrates the everyday intermingling of agriculture and transportation in the Dominican countryside.

A roadside fairground in Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic, blends local entertainment with visible traces of the country’s political life. Temporary carnival rides—like a small Ferris wheel and green spinning pods—sit on an open lot beside major campaign billboards promoting municipal candidates, reflecting the country’s vibrant political culture leading up to local elections. Street signs point toward nearby towns including Punta Cana and Bávaro, while the signage and infrastructure hint at the influence of regional tourism development. The scene captures the intersection of rural festivities, political campaigning, and the growing transformation of communities in the eastern Dominican Republic.