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.
Telephone: (809) 586 2848
Website: www.ambermuseum.com
Transport:
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; guided tours available
Mount Isabel de Torres
Towering over the city of Puerto Plata is the 2,600ft (792m) 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.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport:
Opening times: Thursday to Tuesday 9am to 5pm
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 litres of white and dark rum each year.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport:
Opening times: Tours are conducted Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm, and 2pm to 5pm
Fuerte San Felipe
Puerto Plata's 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 known as the Malecon, which features numerous cafes and roadside vendors. It is a popular promenade for walks beside the beach.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport:
Opening times:
Travel guide powered by wordtravels.com, © Globe Media
