Puerto Plata Information

The city of Puerto Plata was first discovered by Christopher Columbus in one of the famous explorer’s trips to the Americas in the 1490s. The town, designed by Columbus, was the first settlement established in the Americas, naming it La Isabela. In 1540, the first fort in the New World was built, Fuerte de San Felipe, and the port became a stop for traders between Europe and this area.  To date, San Felipe Fort is one of the oldest military colonial period fortresses in the region.

In the 1600s, the Spanish moved their posts to neighboring islands, such as Puerto Rico and Cuba, and the Spanish destroyed much of the existing city. In the 1740s, Spanish families emigrated from the Canary Islands to Puerto Plata and decided to rebuild the city. The area thrived on its natural port and the tobacco boom of the era. The area continued to grow into the biggest city on the North Coast and in the 1970s tourism became an important aspect of the area, with numerous options for visitors and it remains so today.

Puerto Plata is better known for its Atlantic coastline with more than 60 miles (100km) of beaches, coastal villages and hotels.  The beach towns of Sosua and Cabarete, would famous for its windsurfing and kiteboarding, are less than half an hour away.  The popular Ocean World Adventure Park is on the outskirts of the city, about 20 minutes north of Amber Cove.  Damajagua Falls is just a 30 minute ride south.