Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 during his first trip to the Americas, PUERTO PLATA, as he called it, is the cradle of tourism in the Dominican Republic.Its vast and spectacular landscape combines sea, mountains, lush valleys, rivers and many beaches. Its fertile soils are used to grow cocoa and coffee plantations, here you will find the clearest amber in the world.
As an explorer, Cristobal made his home there and built the first church on the island, it is still possible to visit the archaeological ruins in the national park, built by the Spanish and the Tainos, the first inhabitants of the region, here you can follow in the footsteps of Cristóbal Colon.
Nicknamed The Bride of the Atlantic, it is possible to observe Puerto Plata with an impressive view from the top of the first cable car built in the Caribbean. Mount Isabel de Torres and its exuberant botanical gardens are one of the main attractions of this historic place.
Puerto Plata is home to colonial remains, including the largest assemblage of well-preserved 19th century Victorian houses in the Caribbean, the oldest amber fossils in the world on display in the Amber Museum. One of the first colonial-era fortresses in the region is the San Felipe Fortress, which dates from 1577.
Taking the road east, after the Gregorio Luperón International Airport and less than half an hour from the city of Sosúa, which was first established by Jewish immigrants fleeing Nazi Germany, this area offers magnificent beaches where foreigners from all over the world and locals.
Nearby is Cabarete, a world-famous center for windsurfing, surfing and kitesurfing and one of the favorite cosmopolitan places for tourists who come to spend long periods of time outside the age of their countries of origin.
