I would say they have some OK beaches. There are trips for divers and non-divers on the same boat. They have some excursions to islands, etc...
Not much in "town", but the hotel I listed is a pretty decent place. No elevator though... (thinking back to the 50 pound scuba bags we had to carry to the 3rd floor). Number of mom and pop eatting places in town, some are more expensive than they should be. They get ALOT of buses from the resorts that visit and there is a small set of tourist shops (shops in the form of outside tables) around the parking lot. Fairly safe town and we hung out at the local bar along the street and had beers at night. The ATM is a distance from the town (i.e. need to get a ride).
Hook up with Jon from ScubaFun, which is just maybe 1/2 a block down from the hotel I listed. He organized rides for me to the ATM, rides back to Santo Domingo to leave, etc... Can't say enough about him and his crew. You can't miss their shop, it's right next to the local bus stop and grocery store.
If you fly into Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, organize a taxi to take to Bayahibe and ask Jon to schedule one for your return trip.