Activities |
Amber Coast |
Punta Plata beach
The port city of Puerta Plata is the region's capital and the main tourism enclave. On the outskirts of Puerto Plata is the major Playa Dorada complex of low-rise hotels in a country club setting of gardens and beautiful beaches, centred on the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones designed golf course. Seaside towns and communities that are also popular with visitors include Sosua and Cabarete to the east of Puerto Plata, and Cofresi to the west.
Resorts
See our separate guides to the following Amber Coast holiday resorts: Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cofresi and Cabarete
Attractions
Amber Museum
Amber Museum
An attractive Victorian building in the centre of Puerto Plata on Duarte Street houses the Amber Museum, showcasing a unique collection of valuable Dominican amber. According to experts the amber found in this region is the most transparent, and therefore the most valued, in the world. The substance, classified as a semi-precious stone, is actually tree resin that has hardened across millennia, often enclosing fossils of plant and insect life. The museum offers guided tours in several languages, and has a shop where a full selection of Dominican amber jewellery can be obtained.Address: 61 Duarte Street; E-mail: info@ambermuseum.com; Website: www.ambermuseum.com; Telephone: (809) 586 2848; Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; guided tours available
Brugal rum factory
Brugal Rum Factory
No visit to the Dominican Republic north coast is complete without savouring the local drink of choice, which is Brugal rum. In Puerto Plata visitors can enjoy a brief tour of the distiller’s bottling operation (actual production takes place elsewhere) and end the experience with a sample. The factory produces more than one and a half million litres of white and dark rum each year.Opening time: Tours are conducted Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm; Admission: Free
Fuerte San Felipe
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's only remnant of the Spanish Colonial days is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artefacts in a small museum, was built by Columbus after his arrival in 1492, when he hoped to establish the first Spanish colony in the New World at this spot. The colony did not survive, however, and eventually the Spanish resettled on the south coast at Santo Domingo. To the east of the fort is an Oceanside road known as the Malecon, which features numerous cafes and roadside vendors. It is a popular promenade for walks beside the beach.Admission: RD$46
Mount Isabel
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) Mount Isabel, providing a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can take a seven-minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform Christ statue. There is also a restaurant from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.Opening time: Thursday to Tuesday 9am to 5pm; Admission: RD$6.25 (adults), RD$2 (children)
Excursions
Samana Peninsula
Jutting out into the Atlantic like a finger is the beautiful Samana Peninsula to the east of the island, a remote area with deserted white sand beaches, palm forests and clear, calm waters. Hidden towns and fishing villages, brightly painted Dominican homes and a Mediterranean-influenced atmosphere characterise the communities here. Dominating the interior are mountain passes negotiated by winding roads that offer magnificent views, lush vegetation and cool waterfalls. The Samana Peninsula is also known for the migration of Humpback whales between January and March every year to the sheltered warm waters along its coast.Website: www.samana.net