Hilly towns, mountainous villages, and protected parks provide ample opportunity for mountain biking. In Cabarete, adventure outfitters can take riders on multiple trails of varying difficulty inside El Choco National Park, including an intense 50-meter (31-mile) endurance challenge. The central mountainous region’s winding, traffic-free roads line plantations–from Jarabacoa to Constanza–and are ideal to explore on mountain bike, with rivers and waterfalls for cooling off along the way. Bayahíbe’s Cotubanamá National Park, ideally close to the town’s white sand beaches, is as mystical as it gets, with paths leading towards spring water-filled caves.

Mountain bikes, with essential protective gear, are available year-round in the major resort towns, or through adventure tour operators.