Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Puerto Plata, The Bride of the Atlantic

Puerto Plata "The Bride of the Atlantic", is a coastal province of the Dominican Republic and its capital is called San Felipe de Puerto Plata, with beautiful Victorian architectural style. It was founded on June 4, 1867, as the Maritime District. The constitution of 1908 makes it a Province. Area: 1,856.90 km / 2, Population: 312,706 inhabitants. Puerto Plata is one of the main tourist centers of the Dominican Republic, with tourism being its main economic activity. The whole province is full of tourist places, beautiful beaches, golf courses, resorts and resorts located directly on the beaches, has an international airport and tourist ports. Puerto Plata is located on the Atlantic coast, in the North of the Dominican Republic. In this beautiful tourist town you will find the only funicular cable car in the Caribbean, Ocean World, Cayo Arena, Ensenada Beach, The 27 pools of Damajagua, Playa Dorada, Zip Lining of Yasica, Monkey Jungle, Encuentro Beach, Ocean Village and Fortaleza de San Felipe, the tourist port Amber Cove which is one of the most modern ports in the whole Caribbean. There are few places on the planet that produce amber and Puerto Plata has the most important resin mine in the world.

Puerto Plata has some of the best beaches in Dominican Republic such as Playa Sosua, Playa Dorada, Maimon, Cafemba, Playa Grande (Luperon), Cabarete, Cofresi, Long Beach, Longbichito. In some, such as in Playa Dorada, Cofresi, Long Beach or Cabarete, various types of sports such as jet skiing, surfing, windsurfing, kite or sailing are practiced. Other beaches are along the boardwalk, or in Boca Nueva, Copello Beach, Bergantin or La Mariposa.

Between the city of Puerto Plata and the airport is the tourist complex Playa Dorada, is an exclusive hotel zone. It has several beaches, hotels, restaurants, banks and discos. The population of Puerto Plata is cheerful, pleasant and are very hospitable and excellent for music, especially merengue and bachata. If you do not know how to dance these rhythms, go to Puerto Plata and if you do not learn it there, at least have fun. To the south of the city we see an imposing mountain Loma Isabel de Torres. At the top, where the clouds love to perch, there is a statue of Christ the Redeemer similar to the Christ of Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there is a beautiful forest of ferns that look like palms, is reached by cableway, single funicular In the Caribbean. We recommend walking along the boardwalk of Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada, Carabete, Cofresi or Sosua. Visit the Museum of Amber where they have interesting exhibitions of these precious petrified resins. For those who love nature, a horseback ride to the mountain. Do not worry, you will not get to the top but if you will be able to observe endless plants and birds, some endemic to the island.

In Puerto Plata can be practiced hiking, cycling, adventure tourism or visit the reserves and natural parks such as Isabel de Torres Mountain, Cabarete Lagoon or Los Canos de Estero Hondo. Or deepen its history through its Victorian architecture, the colonial Fortress of San Felipe or the Jewish settlement of Sosua near the year 1940.

The Isabela in Puerto Plata, first settlement of the Old World in America
In 1493 La Isabela was founded by Christopher Columbus, being the first European settlement in America. Puerto Plata was founded by Nicolas de Ovando in the early days of Hispanic colonization around 1502. It was one of the cities devastated in 1606 and was not repopulated until after 1736. The advent of republican times favored The development of the city, which eventually became the main port of El Cibao, especially to export tobacco from the region.

Victorian Style of Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata's many attractions include the unique architecture of its historical center, which, among other heritage treasures, displays a series of picturesque houses with sloping ceilings, pastel colors, large balconies and rich carved wooden details, which have become a Attraction for the tourists and in reason of pride for the Puerto Plata people. The city of Puerto Plata is characterized by its architecture in which predominates a style called Victorian. Beginning in 1857, the Victorian style that originated in England began in Puerto Plata, named after Queen Victoria. This spread to almost everyone and was considered the most modern at the time. From that moment, Puerto Plata clearly defined its architectural style, evolving to what we have today as a heritage of Puerto Plata. The emergence and development of this style of construction, gives rise to the buildings of the Victorian houses of the 70's of the nineteenth century. Creating a unique style in the city, which is known today as Victorian architecture of Puerto Plata.

Temperature in Puerto Plata
The temperature in Puerto Plata is pleasant all year round. If you plan to stay in one of the hotels in the resorts you only need the bathing suit for the whole year. It may be well to take something casual in case you want to go to the disco or the city. Sandals or tennis shoes, a pair of pants and a shirt or shirt will suffice. Of course, if you want you can also wear elegant suits to go out at night if you want.

Carnival of Puerto Plata
Since the end of the last century, there has been information about the carnival in the city of Puerto Plata, which is enriched with the arrival of Cuban groups at the beginning of this century. In spite of the socio-economic transformations, as a result of a tourism development that surpassed expectations and forecasts, the rise of a carnival in the search for identity takes place in the last ten years, due to the effort and the creative capacity of a generation of Restless youths. The Devil Cojuelo, as a central character becomes Taimacaro. This character reproduces Tainan deities in their masks, with a beautiful suit, where they are symbolized elements of the Spanish culture and in multicolored ribbons the African essences in their arms, which are complemented by the Atlantic snails as identity of the town of Puerto Plata.

Playa Dorada
It is a beautiful hotel area on the coast of Puerto Plata located on a beautiful beach with golden sands that bears its name, the complex houses 18 hotels and resorts located in Puerto Plata. Within Playa Dorada there is an impressive 18-hole golf course where regular local and international tournaments take place. Most hotels have the all inclusive system but there are also other meal plans for more freedom when it comes to choosing. Playa Dorada has more than 4,500 rooms and each one has its special charm, with a great variety of gastronomic options, a la carte restaurants, all inclusive bars and cash bar with international drinks. Sports options range from tennis, basketball, volleyball and horseback riding and many water sports like Jet Ski, Catamaran, Banana Boat, Parachute and Diving lessons. All the hotels in Playa Dorada have discos and there are complete entertainment centers like Hemingays with an excellent restaurant and live music, rock bands and other rhythms are played well into the night. In the center of the complex is Playa Dorada Plaza, with gift shops, call centers, photo lab, pizzeria, jewelry stores, clothing stores, beach accessories, candles, tattoos, disks, caps, decorative items, books And Dominican cigars. It has three movie theaters, banks, bars, and a totally free children's play area.

SOSUA
On the north coast of the Dominican Republic, we find the town of Sosua. It is easily reached after a short crossing between beaches and mountains from the city of Puerto Plata. The road is in good condition and the distance is about 25 km to the East. The village located 15 km east of the International Airport and 25 km from Puerto Plata, was founded in 1938 by 500 Jewish settlers. Sosua is known throughout the island for its dairy products and meat products. In Sosua you find several international restaurants, and coffee shops, international schools, German butchers and bakeries, newspapers and transmissions in German and English and French. The urban center of Sosua is called Charamicos, there you will still find the original life of the Dominicans, and you can listen to their music: merengue, bachata and salsa. The beach of Sosua is wonderful, considered one of the best in Dominican Republic

CABARETE
Cabarete is about 15 minutes drive east of Sosua, on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. This beach town, located between a bay and a lagoon, enjoys great popularity among young and young at heart. Its atmosphere is a colorful and casual mix of national folklore, international tourism, the sport of Windsurfing and adventure tourism. Its attractions include the landscape of its mountains, its two lagoons (Cabarete and Punta Goleta), its nearby caverns and its hamlet of descendants of freed blacks brought from the United States in the last century. From the geomorphological point of view it is located in the coastal plain of Yasica. Cabarete is known internationally for its exceptional conditions for windsurfing. In its waters there have been several championships of the World Cup tournament of the Windsurfing Association, as well as taking place each year the amateur world cup, Cabarete Race Week. There are several active Windsurf schools throughout the year. In addition to windsurfing, Cabarete stands out for its sports and adventure tourism offer. There are many organized excursions to cross the inland fields, to ride on bicycles of monteo, or to observe the birds in the Lagoon of Cabarete

Top attractions in Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata Hotels

Puerto Plata is one of the main tourist destinations in Dominican Republic, select and book with us the best resorts and apartments in Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete, Cofresi. See our hotel catalog

Fort of San Felipe

Built in 1577 to protect the bay of Puerto Plata is an iconic icon of this beautiful city. It is located on a hill on the Puntilla del Malecon, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

Sosua Beach

One of the most beautiful beaches of the north coast and more crowded by tourists, it also enjoys a vibrant nightlife full of bars, nightclubs, restaurants with excellent gastronomy

Cabarete Beach

It is a beautiful beach of Puerto Plata where important competitions of windsurf, surf and kitesurf are celebrated, it also has a wonderful environment of vibrant day and night fun.

Victorian style Puerto Plata

In the city of Puerto Plata the Victorian style predominates, beautiful houses in this old style developed as a result of the English, German, Italian and French immigration, which began after the Restorative War until the end of the 19th century.

El Cristo Redentor

The Christ Redeemer in Loma Isabel de Torres is one of the main tourist attractions of Puerto Plata, accessible by a cable car. From the mountain you can enjoy beautiful views of the city and the Atlantic coast of Puerto Plata

Golf Course Playa Dorada

The 18-hole Playa Dorada golf course is surrounded by lush tropical gardens bordered by a beautiful golden sandy beach, where there are also 18 hotels with 4,500 rooms, casinos, bars, restaurants, shops, cinemas

Ocean World

Ocean World is a water diversion center in Puerto Plata, to complement your vacation on this beautiful Atlantic coast, offering daily attractions with slides, sea lions, bathing with sharks and a swim with dolphins.. mas

Puerto Plata Cable Car

The Puerto Plata cable car is the only in the Caribbean and is located on the mountain Isabel de Torres, south of the city of Puerto Plata. At the peak of the mountain there is a fortress and at the top is the imposing statue of Christ the Redeemer

Cayo Arena or Paradise Island

It is a beautiful coral islet located off the coast of Punta Rucia in Puerto Plata, you can not miss it with Colonial Tour and Travel, it is a real spectacle, surrounded by crystal clear waters with lots of colorful fish.

Puerto Plata Central Park

The historic Independence Square with its famous Victorian gazebo is a major tourist and cultural attraction of this beautiful seaside town. It is located in the historic center of Puerto Plata and surrounded by beautiful Victorian buildings.

27 Damajagua Lakes

Located in Imbert, Puerto Plata. Damajagua is a true wonder of nature, hikers traverse 27 lakes of refreshing water with safety equipment. You can not miss this wonder with Colonia Tour and Travel mas

More attractions in Puerto Plata

Cofresi Beach
It is a small cove of crystalline waters with a beach less than a kilometer sheltered by coconut trees, which offers a splendid view of almost the whole area. In this beautiful place operate hotels that offer good service. It is located to the west of Puerto Plata, is a calm stretch of golden sand, warm waters for swimming and very shady. Some restaurants are scattered along this beach that is next to the Ocean World Adventure Park.

Ivan Garcia School Theater
The magic that surrounds this theater to the air and its workers makes it a place worth visiting, very good service the staff is very friendly and respectful, it is an excellent place to know the cultured Dominican and also works with the Meeting Place where we can meet People from other countries exchange travel books and enjoy their home specialty their famous cold tea.

Puerto Plata Lighthouse
The Puerto Plata Lighthouse is made of cast iron and has a height of about 24.4 meters, was restored in 2002 with a donation from the World Monuments Fund, being the only one of its kind still standing in the Caribbean.

The Amber Museum
It is the ideal place to study the origins of amber. Housed in a 1919 mansion, the museum displays one of the world's best collections of amber. Also exhibited is a lizard fossil measuring 42.5 centimeters, as well as the largest amber pen inserted in the world measuring 6 centimeters by two centimeters with an estimated age of 25 to 30 million years.

Brugal Rum Factory
This is the third largest producer of sugarcane rum in the world, visiting it is an ideal opportunity to observe its production process. The tour ends with a daiquiri tasting as well as the possibility of acquiring the best rums at very good prices.

Maimon Beach
One of the most developed beaches in Puerto Plata in recent years in Puerto Plata is located in the beautiful bay of Maimon in Puerto Plata.

Marine Mammal Sanctuary
West of Puerto Plata. There is a lookout point for observing manatees in the area's Marine Mammal Sanctuary, and is one of the protected habitats for birds.

Encounter Beach
The surfers' corner is located in Playa Encuentro, between Sosua and Cabarete, and less than an hour's drive from the hotels in Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada. From this beach it is said that it has the "perfect reef for the formation of waves". According to the surfer tradition, the best time to catch a good wave is very early in the morning.

Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada
Just to the east of Puerto Plata, some sections of these golden beaches serve tourists installed in the resorts and are certified with the "Blue Flag" for the quality of its waters and the services they provide. Beach activities programs include a lot of water sports.

Shopping in Puerto Plata
One of the large national hypermarkets, La Sirena, has a branch in the city of Puerto Plata. Visit the art and craft market; Buy jewelry and souvenirs at the Amber Museum, and tour the center of Puerto Plata where you can find small shops special for tourists. The Playa Dorada Plaza shopping center is ideal for those staying at Playa Dorada hotels. If you want to buy fine beachwear and unique water sports items in your class, we recommend you to visit Cabarete.

Punta Rucia Beach
To the west of Puerto Plata and just removed from the most tourist areas, Punta Rucia Beach offers white sand beaches and beautiful views of the mountains. Popular among snorkelers due to the presence of a large coral reef near the coast, Playa Punta Rucia offers a small selection of restaurants and bars as well as a placid lagoon suitable for bird watching.

Luperon Beach
It is a beige beach, with large rocks, and an area where you can swim. Tourists often visit it before or after going to the historic site of La Isabela, the first European settlement in the New World, which is very close to the beach.

Caleton Beach
It is a popular crescent-shaped beach, whose lush vegetation keeps it hidden. However, access to it is easy; On the right side of its calm waters stand some strange sculptures of heads of Indians. It is located on the road between the village of Rio San Juan and the development of the golf and beach complex, Playa Grande.

PLAYA GRANDE GOLF COURSE
The legendary Playa Grande golf course was the last course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and is considered his masterpiece. With 10 holes playing directly in the ocean, this 7,085-yard course, parallel to the coast, provides breathtakingly wide panoramic views, fairways along steep cliffs and steep greens. This field, where you must play, blends the views of the Atlantic Ocean with the vegetation of the thick and leafy palm trees. In 2013, only nine holes are available to play because the course is undergoing renovation and will open in the second half of 2015.

THE MANGOS GOLF COURSE
The golf course of the residential community of Costambar has nine very different holes; The largest is a par 4 of 355 yards. It has leafy fruit trees like mangoes, Spanish lemon trees and coconut trees. In summer, players enjoy eating mangos while they play. It is an executive field where it is easy to play two rounds using the different tees. It is located in residential development Costambar, ten minutes from the city of Puerto Plata.

PLAYA DORADA GOLF CLUB
Playa Dorada is a golf course known for its spectacular views of the hill of Isabel de Torres, in the south of the country. Mahogany trees, beach grapes, almond trees, coconut palms and majestic flamboyanes are all part of it, and even have a mangrove, small tropical forest and fifty-year-old palms, all carefully maintained. The 7th hole has magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean which can be seen below the almond trees. The holes surround the hotel gardens and Playa Dorada condominium.

NIGHTLIFE IN PUERTO PLATA
Visit Bravissimo, the Ocean World star show, which includes entrance to the Lighthouse Disco and the casino. There are excellent terraces to dance traditional music: merengue, bachata and salsa, especially in Puerto Plata. Among them are the Typical Ranch in Puerto Plata and the Hemingway Bar in Playa Dorada Plaza. Sosua is considered as the people that never sleeps.

GASTRONOMY IN PUERTO PLATA
La Parrillada is one of the oldest restaurants in town. Lucia in Casa Colonial, Mares and La Tarappa are the most popular restaurants in Puerto Plata, and in Sosua, Waterfront and Las Palmas. Head to Cabarete, where the decision is harder to take as the entire strip of beach is full of restaurants. Take a look at the menus that are posted outside of them.

MALECON PUERTO PLATA
This boardwalk stretches from Fort San Felipe, on the west, to Long Beach, on the east, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The lively promenade has bicycle lanes.

La Isabela National Park
The National Historical and Archaeological Park of Villa de La Isabela is a place of high historical significance as it houses the remains of the first village founded by the Europeans in the American continent. At present it is a set consisting of three main areas that complement each other, both historical sources and archaeological research agree that the main town functioned as a military settlement and was surrounded by a wall built for protection. In the interior were located five buildings of stone distributed in an extension approx. Of 2 hectares: the house of Almi

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