The coastline itself is blessed with beautiful stretches of pristine beach, lush green valleys and backed by the majestic Mount Isabel de Torres. Columbus described the spot as the fairest land under heaven when he arrived there in 1492 and the thousands of visitors that arrive every day today tend to agree with him. The city sports a romantic air of days gone by, enhanced by its Victorian architecture with its filigree lace wood and ironwork and gingerbread motifs that characterise most of the historic homesteads and public buildings.



Puerto Platas only remnant of the Spanish Colonial days is a small fort, situated on a small peninsula in Puerto Plata Bay. The fort, featuring a moat, and a collection of historical artefacts 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 spot. 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, which features numerous cafes and roadside vendors. It is a popular promenade for walks beside the beach.

Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft Mount Isabel, providing a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can take a seven minute cable car ride up the mountainside to explore the summit, which offers a botanical garden and a cruciform Christ statue. There is also a restaurant from which diners can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline.

An attractive Victorian building in the centre 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 jewellery can be obtained.

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 distillers bottling operation and end the experience with a sample. The factory produces more than one and a half million litres of white and dark rum each year.