The northern coast of the Dominican Republic is also known as the amber coast. Nearby are rich deposits of amber, a fossilized resin often used in making jewelry. It’s no wonder, then, that a museum where you can see and read more about this gemstone and how it is used is located in Puerto Plata.
Calle Duarte 61, Puerto Plata
Costambar Beach, located to the west of Puerto Plata, is planted in almond trees. This tourist resort offers plenty of things to do: a wide range of golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, as well as being a great place for diving and surfing.
Maybe the best place to get a feel for the history of the island is to go to Fort San Felipe. This fort was built by the Spaniards at the end of the seventeenth century. Its walls – almost 8 feet thick – were meant to provide solid protection against attacks by French or English pirates. Later, the fort was used as a prison, particularly for political dissidents.
Right next to Costambar Beach is La Isabella, Columbus’ first settlement in the New World. Various ruins have now been restored, including the church where the first mass on the American continents was celebrated.
A visit to Laguna Grí-Grí on the north coast is a unique experience. The blue waters of this tropical lagoon are surrounded by tangled silhouettes of countless mangrove trees. This region also has a karst cave, a coral reef and a bat cave with ancient stalagmites and stalactites.
The incredible beaches are not the only things that make Samaná so special. You can also visit the impressive mogotes here. These huge (700 feet tall) rocks surrounded by water were originally a large solid limestone plateau. After millions of years of erosion, only these mogotes are left. Geology and natural processes have thus given them their strange shapes: fairly steep sides with flat tops covered in dense vegetation.
Another sightseeing attraction is the colossal statue of Christ on Monte Isabel de Torres. You don’t have to climb a half a mile to see it, however, because a funicular – or a taxi – can take you there. But even without the effort needed to climb it, the view out over the Atlantic Ocean is enough to take your breath away! If you are interested in plants, be sure to check out the large botanical gardens on top of the mountain.
Playa Rincón, a beach on a bay east of Puerto Plata, is truly a paradise. Rincón is also ranked as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world.
Good to know: this beach can be reached only by four-wheel drive vehicles because the access road that weaves among thousands of palm trees is unpaved.
The peninsula of Samaná (and the town of the same name) located on the northern coast show you at a glance that the pristine beaches you see in the folders really exist. Spending a day here is simply wonderful. Also fun if you’re here during the first three months of the year is to make a spectacular whale safari.
Farther to the west is the little city of Monte Cristi where the sun shines 365 days a year. Here, at the bottom of the sea, is a unique graveyard: 180 sunken galleons.