Tips & Tricks
During the 1980s, Puerto Plata, which had its own airport, used it to attract budget tourists from Canada and Western Europe who stayed at the all-inclusive resorts in that area. Puerto Plata Airport also served the provincial city of Santiago, which was a one-hour drive away (but didn’t have its own large international airport at […]
The other thing that Puerto Plata is known for is rum. The city is home to the major Dominican rum label “Brugal” (started there by Catalonian Spanish immigrant Andrés Brugal in 1888). Even though the Brugal label was bought by the Scottish distilling firm, The Edrington Group, in 2008, the rum is still produced in […]
For those who want to practice their golf swing, there is a string of golf courses in the north coast, including the Dorada Golf Club on Playa Dorada and the Grande Golf Course on Playa Grande (which offers marvelous ocean views from almost every hole). International golf pros traveling through the island will likely still […]
Aside from the Spanish colonial fortress and nearby beach resorts, Puerto Plata was known for two distinct things: one was the “Teleférico”. This Italian-made tram car, built in 1975 and carries 17 passengers, offering them a panoramic view of the Puerto Plata region. The Teleférico climbs over 2,500 feet to the top of a mountain […]
Museo de Ambar (Amber Museum) (Calle Duarte 61, Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata): a temple to the island’s prized resin that inspired the movie Jurassic Park. Located within a two-story Victorian-era building, it holds the largest collection of amber of world.
Like other provincial towns, there are limited transportation options (mainly local bus and taxi services). For a negotiated fee, local “conch car” taxi drivers will take budget tourists whenever they need to go within the Puerto Plata and nearby beach resort areas of Sosúa, Playa Dorada and Cabarete (which is further to the east). Well-heeled […]