Amber Cove (Dominican Republic)

Fort San Felipe

Fort San Felipe - a Spanish coastal defense fort used to protect the city from pirates and privateers. It is located on Puntilla del Malecón hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; its strategic position allowed it to guard the city’s port entrance. Construction of the fort was begun by order of Philip II, King of Spain, in 1564, and was completed in 1577 by Renjifo de Angulo, the fort’s commander. The fort was named accordingly in honor of the king during whose reign it was built. Today, the fort has been turned into a museum that highlights the fort’s important role in the history of Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic. The museum collection includes military artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Ocean World Aquarium

This is not just an aquarium, but an entire lagoon with dozens of yachts “parked” at the docks, restaurants, swimming pools, a coral reef for snorkeling, a bird sanctuary, and a nursery for large members of the cat family-albino tigers. Inside the sizable aquarium, dolphins, stingrays, and reef sharks live. With the dolphins, you can watch a show performance (and also swim), while with the others-pet them under the supervision of the local guide.

Beaches

A shoreline with golden sand and coconut palms leaning toward the water is Long Beach, the city beach in Puerto Plata, which was brought into excellent condition by the local authorities in 2007. Cofresí Bay, named after Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, is considered one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. The beach here is wide, with fine golden sand, the water is clear, and the shore itself is exceptionally picturesque-besides the palm forest, there are great views of the rising hills. Costambar is a quiet beach sheltered from waves by coral reefs and well suited for snorkeling with a mask. Compared with Playa Dorada, it is much calmer and more “family-friendly”: the water is shallow, and local vendors are not overly intrusive.

27 waterfalls

An extremely fun adventure for those who feel they’re in good physical shape-27 waterfalls in the surroundings of Puerto Plata that you need to conquer on your own. The waterfall cascades are stacked one above another, so you’ll be climbing up the whole time-either on your own two feet, on all fours, or using rope ladders. Jumps and dives are also included in the program. But don’t worry-throughout the route, tourists are usually helped by local guides. It’s recommended to complete (and pay for) the first seven waterfalls first-to find out whether you can handle the rest of this “obstacle course”.

Isabel de Torres National Park

Impressed by the impenetrable jungle and colossal, prehistoric ferns in this nature reserve, Steven Spielberg filmed several episodes of the much-talked-about Jurassic Park here. The best way to explore the surrounding area is to take the funicular up to the top of the 800-meter Mount Isabel early in the morning. At its summit stands a statue of Christ the Redeemer-a faithful replica of the Jesus of Rio de Janeiro that appeared in many Brazilian TV series. The views from the top are breathtaking. If there are no clouds, you can see the coastline in detail and spot the neighboring resorts of Sosúa and Cabarete near Puerto Plata. In the local botanical garden (one of the best in the country), thousands of species of tropical plants grow, and many exotic birds live there.

Brugal Rum Distillery

In the second half of the 19th century, the Spaniard Andrés Brugal emigrated to Cuba, after which, having gained experience in rum production, settled in the Dominican Republic. Some time later, the Brugal factory took over the title of the largest sugarcane processing plant in the country. And the namesake rum became a national alcoholic beverage and gained worldwide recognition. The main Brugal factory is located in Puerto Plata. Daily tours are held there, during which you can hear about the wonders of how sugarcane is transformed into alcohol. There is also a shop on site, where rum prices start from $10 per bottle.

Amber Museum

The Amber Museum in Puerto Plata was founded in 1982. Among its exhibits are items that you won’t even find in world-famous collections-for example, a 40-centimeter lizard perfectly preserved in a semi-transparent piece of amber. This reptile, which you can examine in every detail, lived on our planet 30 or even 40 million years ago. On other shelves, you can see prehistoric flowers, leaves, and insects-some of which are no longer found in the wild today and have been preserved only in ancient resin. In any case, this last fact will bring only relief to insectophobes. The museum has a souvenir shop.

Puerto Plata and Cabarete Beach

An exciting and easy excursion program, including a tour of the main sights of the city of Puerto Plata (Fort San Felipe, Independence Square, a factory producing the Dominican rum brand Brugal) and time to relax on one of the most beautiful beaches in the region-Cabarete. The excursion is available for everyone, including children and elderly people.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can review them after booking your cruise in your “Client Personal Area”.