Considering its proximity to the U.S., it was surprising that the Dominican Republic somehow got passed over in my Caribbean travels. I had heard tell of Punta Cana, the easternmost point and a popular cruise destination, but beyond that, I knew very little. On a weeklong trip to the lesser-traveled north shore, however, I found a real appreciation for the island’s beauty. Samaná I chose to stay where the north coast gradually bends south toward Punta Cana. There extends a long, almost island-like finger of land known as the Samaná Peninsula. I stayed on the Atlantic Coast at the resort Sublime Samaná. After daily excursions, I’d visit the spa or relax on the fine sandy beach that curves along the small bay. Reliable waves and a shallow and gradually sloping sea bottom there made perfect conditions for boogie boards, and I rode into shore, tumbling into sizzling surf just steps …