Dominican Republic — Attractions
Cathedral of Santa Maria
Inside the Colonial City stands the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, built in 1523 and still used to this day. Its mix of late-Gothic and Renaissance elements provide a beautiful example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, with its golden coral facade and Gothic interior. Its walls have seen a great deal of history, including the coming of Sir Francis Drake who captured Santo Domingo in 1586 and held the town for ransom. He made the cathedral his headquarters.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Colonial City
The historic enclave of Santo Domingo, known as the Colonial City, covers only one square mile (3 sq km), but inside the walls are dozens of historical buildings and sites, including palaces, forts, museums, and churches; parks, plazas, statues and monuments. A walking tour of these fascinating buildings takes at least three hours through cobbled streets, where once walked Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez and Francis Drake. The main street, Calle Das Lamas, is the oldest street in the New World. Must-sees include the House of Cord, the oldest European building in the Americas, and where Diego Columbus, son of Christopher, once lived; and the Alcazar Palace, now a museum, built in 1514.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Columbus Lighthouse Monument
This mammoth structure was built on the eastern shore of the Ozama River in the early 1990s, to commemorate both Santo Domingo's status as the oldest European city in the Americas, and the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is 693ft (211m) long, and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains of Columbus himself, and is fitted with intense lights which project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an international competition for the design after 455 plans were submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building is also the repository for numerous documents and artifacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España
- Phone Number
- (809) 591 1492
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children under 11)
National Aquarium
About a mile east of the Columbus Lighthouse monument, is sited one of the better aquariums in the Caribbean. The aquarium contains a variety of marine life, from angelfish to sharks, but its star resident is 'Tamaury', a manatee rescued as a baby off the coast of Barahona. The aquarium is equipped with a clear glass sea-tunnel that makes viewing the enclosed sea life an awesome experience.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España 75, Sans Soucí
- Phone Number
- (809) 766 1709
- Email Address
- info@acuarionacional.com
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$40 (adults)
Plaza de la Cultura
The vast green square in the heart of Santo Domingo serves as the city's cultural and artistic showcase, being fronted by a cluster of four museums, as well as the National Theater. The museums are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Dominican Man. The National Theater runs a full program of opera, ballet, music and drama productions.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Avenida Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Santo Domingo
Los Tres Ojos National Park
The 'Three Eyes' park, on the east bank of the Ozama River, is a surreal experience for visitors. The park is actually a series of huge natural caves on different levels, containing fresh water lagoons. One is a sulphuric lake rumoured to be bottomless, which is contained in a volcanic crater. The caves are festooned with stalactites and stalagmites. The pre-Columbian Taino Indians used the site for religious ceremonies.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. Las Américas
- Phone Number
- (809) 472 4204
- Hours
- Open daily, from 8am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$50
Boca Chica
A popular escape from city life is provided by the small seaside town of Boca Chica, a 25-minute drive east of Santo Domingo on the Avenida de las Americas. The resort was developed by a wealthy industrialist around one of the best swimming beaches on the coast, and boasts crystal-clear, calm waters, a yacht club and a marina, a golf course and some excellent seafood restaurants.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Amber Museum
An attractive Victorian building in the center 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 jewelry can be obtained.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- 61 Duarte Street
- Phone Number
- (809) 586 2848
- Email Address
- info@ambermuseum.com
- Website
- www.ambermuseum.com
- Hours
- Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 6pm. Guided tours are available
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) Mount Isabel de Torres, itself a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Visitors can take a seven-minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform statue of Jesus Christ. There is also a restaurant, from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Hours
- Open Thursday to Tuesday, from 9am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$6.25 (adults), RD$2 (children)
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 liters of white and dark rum each year.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- Puerto Plata
- Hours
- Tours are conducted Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm
- Admission
- Free
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's only remnant of its Spanish Colonial past is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artifacts 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 site. 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
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 characterize 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Website
- www.samana.net
Cathedral of Santa Maria
Inside the Colonial City stands the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, built in 1523 and still used to this day. Its mix of late-Gothic and Renaissance elements provide a beautiful example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, with its golden coral facade and Gothic interior. Its walls have seen a great deal of history, including the coming of Sir Francis Drake who captured Santo Domingo in 1586 and held the town for ransom. He made the cathedral his headquarters.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Colonial City
The historic enclave of Santo Domingo, known as the Colonial City, covers only one square mile (3 sq km), but inside the walls are dozens of historical buildings and sites, including palaces, forts, museums, and churches; parks, plazas, statues and monuments. A walking tour of these fascinating buildings takes at least three hours through cobbled streets, where once walked Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez and Francis Drake. The main street, Calle Das Lamas, is the oldest street in the New World. Must-sees include the House of Cord, the oldest European building in the Americas, and where Diego Columbus, son of Christopher, once lived; and the Alcazar Palace, now a museum, built in 1514.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Columbus Lighthouse Monument
This mammoth structure was built on the eastern shore of the Ozama River in the early 1990s, to commemorate both Santo Domingo's status as the oldest European city in the Americas, and the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is 693ft (211m) long, and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains of Columbus himself, and is fitted with intense lights which project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an international competition for the design after 455 plans were submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building is also the repository for numerous documents and artifacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España
- Phone Number
- (809) 591 1492
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children under 11)
National Aquarium
About a mile east of the Columbus Lighthouse monument, is sited one of the better aquariums in the Caribbean. The aquarium contains a variety of marine life, from angelfish to sharks, but its star resident is 'Tamaury', a manatee rescued as a baby off the coast of Barahona. The aquarium is equipped with a clear glass sea-tunnel that makes viewing the enclosed sea life an awesome experience.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España 75, Sans Soucí
- Phone Number
- (809) 766 1709
- Email Address
- info@acuarionacional.com
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$40 (adults)
Plaza de la Cultura
The vast green square in the heart of Santo Domingo serves as the city's cultural and artistic showcase, being fronted by a cluster of four museums, as well as the National Theater. The museums are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Dominican Man. The National Theater runs a full program of opera, ballet, music and drama productions.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Avenida Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Santo Domingo
Los Tres Ojos National Park
The 'Three Eyes' park, on the east bank of the Ozama River, is a surreal experience for visitors. The park is actually a series of huge natural caves on different levels, containing fresh water lagoons. One is a sulphuric lake rumoured to be bottomless, which is contained in a volcanic crater. The caves are festooned with stalactites and stalagmites. The pre-Columbian Taino Indians used the site for religious ceremonies.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. Las Américas
- Phone Number
- (809) 472 4204
- Hours
- Open daily, from 8am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$50
Boca Chica
A popular escape from city life is provided by the small seaside town of Boca Chica, a 25-minute drive east of Santo Domingo on the Avenida de las Americas. The resort was developed by a wealthy industrialist around one of the best swimming beaches on the coast, and boasts crystal-clear, calm waters, a yacht club and a marina, a golf course and some excellent seafood restaurants.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Amber Museum
An attractive Victorian building in the center 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 jewelry can be obtained.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- 61 Duarte Street
- Phone Number
- (809) 586 2848
- Email Address
- info@ambermuseum.com
- Website
- www.ambermuseum.com
- Hours
- Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 6pm. Guided tours are available
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) Mount Isabel de Torres, itself a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Visitors can take a seven-minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform statue of Jesus Christ. There is also a restaurant, from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Hours
- Open Thursday to Tuesday, from 9am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$6.25 (adults), RD$2 (children)
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 liters of white and dark rum each year.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- Puerto Plata
- Hours
- Tours are conducted Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm
- Admission
- Free
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's only remnant of its Spanish Colonial past is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artifacts 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 site. 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
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 characterize 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Website
- www.samana.net
Cathedral of Santa Maria
Inside the Colonial City stands the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, built in 1523 and still used to this day. Its mix of late-Gothic and Renaissance elements provide a beautiful example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, with its golden coral facade and Gothic interior. Its walls have seen a great deal of history, including the coming of Sir Francis Drake who captured Santo Domingo in 1586 and held the town for ransom. He made the cathedral his headquarters.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Colonial City
The historic enclave of Santo Domingo, known as the Colonial City, covers only one square mile (3 sq km), but inside the walls are dozens of historical buildings and sites, including palaces, forts, museums, and churches; parks, plazas, statues and monuments. A walking tour of these fascinating buildings takes at least three hours through cobbled streets, where once walked Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez and Francis Drake. The main street, Calle Das Lamas, is the oldest street in the New World. Must-sees include the House of Cord, the oldest European building in the Americas, and where Diego Columbus, son of Christopher, once lived; and the Alcazar Palace, now a museum, built in 1514.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Columbus Lighthouse Monument
This mammoth structure was built on the eastern shore of the Ozama River in the early 1990s, to commemorate both Santo Domingo's status as the oldest European city in the Americas, and the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is 693ft (211m) long, and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains of Columbus himself, and is fitted with intense lights which project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an international competition for the design after 455 plans were submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building is also the repository for numerous documents and artifacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España
- Phone Number
- (809) 591 1492
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children under 11)
National Aquarium
About a mile east of the Columbus Lighthouse monument, is sited one of the better aquariums in the Caribbean. The aquarium contains a variety of marine life, from angelfish to sharks, but its star resident is 'Tamaury', a manatee rescued as a baby off the coast of Barahona. The aquarium is equipped with a clear glass sea-tunnel that makes viewing the enclosed sea life an awesome experience.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España 75, Sans Soucí
- Phone Number
- (809) 766 1709
- Email Address
- info@acuarionacional.com
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$40 (adults)
Plaza de la Cultura
The vast green square in the heart of Santo Domingo serves as the city's cultural and artistic showcase, being fronted by a cluster of four museums, as well as the National Theater. The museums are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Dominican Man. The National Theater runs a full program of opera, ballet, music and drama productions.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Avenida Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Santo Domingo
Los Tres Ojos National Park
The 'Three Eyes' park, on the east bank of the Ozama River, is a surreal experience for visitors. The park is actually a series of huge natural caves on different levels, containing fresh water lagoons. One is a sulphuric lake rumoured to be bottomless, which is contained in a volcanic crater. The caves are festooned with stalactites and stalagmites. The pre-Columbian Taino Indians used the site for religious ceremonies.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. Las Américas
- Phone Number
- (809) 472 4204
- Hours
- Open daily, from 8am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$50
Boca Chica
A popular escape from city life is provided by the small seaside town of Boca Chica, a 25-minute drive east of Santo Domingo on the Avenida de las Americas. The resort was developed by a wealthy industrialist around one of the best swimming beaches on the coast, and boasts crystal-clear, calm waters, a yacht club and a marina, a golf course and some excellent seafood restaurants.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Amber Museum
An attractive Victorian building in the center 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 jewelry can be obtained.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- 61 Duarte Street
- Phone Number
- (809) 586 2848
- Email Address
- info@ambermuseum.com
- Website
- www.ambermuseum.com
- Hours
- Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 6pm. Guided tours are available
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) Mount Isabel de Torres, itself a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Visitors can take a seven-minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform statue of Jesus Christ. There is also a restaurant, from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Hours
- Open Thursday to Tuesday, from 9am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$6.25 (adults), RD$2 (children)
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 liters of white and dark rum each year.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- Puerto Plata
- Hours
- Tours are conducted Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm
- Admission
- Free
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's only remnant of its Spanish Colonial past is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artifacts 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 site. 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
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 characterize 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Website
- www.samana.net
Cathedral of Santa Maria
Inside the Colonial City stands the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere, built in 1523 and still used to this day. Its mix of late-Gothic and Renaissance elements provide a beautiful example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, with its golden coral facade and Gothic interior. Its walls have seen a great deal of history, including the coming of Sir Francis Drake who captured Santo Domingo in 1586 and held the town for ransom. He made the cathedral his headquarters.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Colonial City
The historic enclave of Santo Domingo, known as the Colonial City, covers only one square mile (3 sq km), but inside the walls are dozens of historical buildings and sites, including palaces, forts, museums, and churches; parks, plazas, statues and monuments. A walking tour of these fascinating buildings takes at least three hours through cobbled streets, where once walked Christopher Columbus, Fernando Cortez and Francis Drake. The main street, Calle Das Lamas, is the oldest street in the New World. Must-sees include the House of Cord, the oldest European building in the Americas, and where Diego Columbus, son of Christopher, once lived; and the Alcazar Palace, now a museum, built in 1514.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Columbus Lighthouse Monument
This mammoth structure was built on the eastern shore of the Ozama River in the early 1990s, to commemorate both Santo Domingo's status as the oldest European city in the Americas, and the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. The building is 693ft (211m) long, and built in the shape of a cross at a 45-degree angle. It houses what the Dominican Republic claims are the remains of Columbus himself, and is fitted with intense lights which project the image of the cross into the sky at night. The monument was designed by English architect J.L. Gleave, who won an international competition for the design after 455 plans were submitted by architects from 48 different countries. The building is also the repository for numerous documents and artifacts associated with the early Spanish colonial times.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España
- Phone Number
- (809) 591 1492
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$20 (adults), RD$5 (children under 11)
National Aquarium
About a mile east of the Columbus Lighthouse monument, is sited one of the better aquariums in the Caribbean. The aquarium contains a variety of marine life, from angelfish to sharks, but its star resident is 'Tamaury', a manatee rescued as a baby off the coast of Barahona. The aquarium is equipped with a clear glass sea-tunnel that makes viewing the enclosed sea life an awesome experience.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. España 75, Sans Soucí
- Phone Number
- (809) 766 1709
- Email Address
- info@acuarionacional.com
- Hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- RD$40 (adults)
Plaza de la Cultura
The vast green square in the heart of Santo Domingo serves as the city's cultural and artistic showcase, being fronted by a cluster of four museums, as well as the National Theater. The museums are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and Geography, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Dominican Man. The National Theater runs a full program of opera, ballet, music and drama productions.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Avenida Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Santo Domingo
Los Tres Ojos National Park
The 'Three Eyes' park, on the east bank of the Ozama River, is a surreal experience for visitors. The park is actually a series of huge natural caves on different levels, containing fresh water lagoons. One is a sulphuric lake rumoured to be bottomless, which is contained in a volcanic crater. The caves are festooned with stalactites and stalagmites. The pre-Columbian Taino Indians used the site for religious ceremonies.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
- Address
- Av. Las Américas
- Phone Number
- (809) 472 4204
- Hours
- Open daily, from 8am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$50
Boca Chica
A popular escape from city life is provided by the small seaside town of Boca Chica, a 25-minute drive east of Santo Domingo on the Avenida de las Americas. The resort was developed by a wealthy industrialist around one of the best swimming beaches on the coast, and boasts crystal-clear, calm waters, a yacht club and a marina, a golf course and some excellent seafood restaurants.
- Region/City Name
- Santo Domingo
Amber Museum
An attractive Victorian building in the center 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 jewelry can be obtained.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- 61 Duarte Street
- Phone Number
- (809) 586 2848
- Email Address
- info@ambermuseum.com
- Website
- www.ambermuseum.com
- Hours
- Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 6pm. Guided tours are available
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) Mount Isabel de Torres, itself a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Visitors can take a seven-minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform statue of Jesus Christ. There is also a restaurant, from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Hours
- Open Thursday to Tuesday, from 9am to 5pm
- Admission
- RD$6.25 (adults), RD$2 (children)
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 liters of white and dark rum each year.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Address
- Puerto Plata
- Hours
- Tours are conducted Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm
- Admission
- Free
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's only remnant of its Spanish Colonial past is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artifacts 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 site. 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
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 characterize 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.
- Region/City Name
- Amber Coast
- Website
- www.samana.net
PlanetWare.com Travel Guides
- Dominican Republic: Dominican Republic Hotels | Dominican Republic Attractions
- Puerto Plata: Puerto Plata Hotels | Puerto Plata Attractions
- La Romana: La Romana | La Romana Hotels | La Romana Attractions
