PUERTO PLATA
Come to know the most paradisiacal places!
Puerto Plata , where tourism began in the Dominican Republic, continues to be one of the favorite destinations for visitors. Its spectacular and extensive landscape combines sea, mountains, green valleys, rivers and a number of beaches. Its fertile soil gives rise to cocoa and coffee plantations, while beneath the earth, lies the lightest amber in the world.
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The astute explorer, Christopher Columbus knew there was much to discover on the island's Atlantic coast, where he eventually found gold deposits, when he saw it from his ship in 1492. Drawn by the clouds shining over Loma Isabel de Torres that illuminated the vast blue coast, he christened the area “Puerto Plata”, and settled in La Isabela with a mixed community of Spaniards and Tainos, the first inhabitants of the island. There he built the first church and his first home in the Americas. You can follow the Columbus trail and tour these archaeological ruins that are now part of a national park.
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The natural abundance of Puerto Plata continues to amaze those who set their eyes on "The Bride of the Atlantic," as the locals call it. The Puerto Plata cable car, the only one in the Caribbean, will take you to the top of Loma Isabel de Torres with its beautiful botanical garden, where you will have a panoramic view of the Atlantic coast with its more than 100 kilometers of beach that adorn the multiple coastal towns, inland farming communities teeming with rivers and waterfalls, and hotels of all shapes and sizes to suit all tastes. Also, Port
houses colonial vestiges, including the Caribbean's largest collection of 19th-century Victorian houses, the world's oldest amber fossils in the Amber Museum, and one of the region's earliest colonial fortresses, the San Felipe Fortress, which dates back to from 1577.
From east to west along the coast of Puerto Plata, the constant trade winds, the different rivers, the vast Cordillera Septentrional and the Atlantic Ocean conspire to create a world of outdoor adventure, including coastal towns famous for their water sports . Less than half an hour from the city, the town of Sosúa, founded by Jewish immigrants who fled Nazi Germany, where expats and locals coexist, has beautiful beaches and several diving spots. A few miles away, Cabarete is a world-famous center for kitesurfing, surfing and windsurfing, and a favorite cosmopolitan hideaway for those fleeing the winter.
Playa Dorada is the ideal place for those who want to relax in style, with activities on the seashore close to the city, from canyoning in the 27 Charcos de Damajagua waterfalls to snorkeling in Cayo Arena and a relaxing afternoon in the Marina de Ocean World.
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In addition to nature, Puerto Plata has a lot of towns that provide a number of cultural experiences. Community tourism center, here you can visit family plantations of cocoa or coffee, learn to play and dance merengue with a family of musicians, or immerse yourself in the Dominican ball at the Bartolo Colón stadium and museum. Along the way, you'll find a wide variety of culinary experiences, from roadside sandwiches to beachside seafood to international gourmet restaurants.
The main entry points to Puerto Plata include the Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP), located 15 minutes from the city center and from the hotels of Playa Dorada or Costa Dorada, and the Amber Cove Cruise Center in Maimón.