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Puerto Plata Weather Map of the North Coast's Resorts
The North Coast of the Dominican Republic is called the Amber Coast, because of its rich deposits of semi-precious amber. This is where Columbus landed on his first voyage of discovery. It is comprised of an assortment of beach towns, resorts and communities, nestled between the Atlantic and a chain of majestic coastal mountains. Puerto Plata is the largest city. Main sightseeing attractions in Puerto Plata include the historic fort, Fuerte de San Felipe, the Brugal Rum Distillery, where you can take a guided tour of how they make their rum, the Amber Museum, and the Malecon or boardwalk, where you can find typical Dominican restaurants and enjoy views of the port and Atlantic Ocean. Take a cable car to the top of nearby Mount Isabel de Torres to see the botanical gardens and statue of Christ the Redeemer and have a spectacular view of Puerto Plata and surrounding areas. Playa Dorada is a gated resort area about 5 km. east of Puerto Plata. There are over a dozen all-inclusive resorts in this area, as well as a shopping mall with restaurants, bars, gift shops and a movie theatre. In this complex there are two casinos, and the Playa Dorada Golf Course.About 25 km east of Puerto Plata is Sosua, which was originally settled by Jewish refugees in the early 1940's. Here you will find a number of types of accommodation, everything from a basic room to luxurious villas, to all-inclusive resorts, as well as many restaurants, bars and discos. One of the main attractions here is Sosua Beach, a 1/2 km of beach in a small cove with soft white sand and clear turquoise waters, surrounded by high coral cliffs. Many snorkeling and diving excursions take place in this area. There is also a large vendors market behind the beach where you can bargain for souvenirs.
The DREAM Project improves the education of poor children in the Dominican Republic by donating supplies, building new facilities, and placing volunteers in classrooms.
Cabarete, known for its excellent windsurfing and kiteboarding conditions, is a vibrant beach town located about 40 km east of Puerto Plata. There are some all-inclusive hotels here, as well as a number of smaller hotels, and a variety of good restaurants and bars. Restaurant ReviewsCofresi, located approximately 10 km west of Puerto Platai is a resort community consisting of hotels and private villas A major attraction here is Ocean World, with the world’s largest dolphin lagoon, the only sea lion encounter of its kind, a shark interaction pool, and many other exotic animals, birds, reptiles and fish. There is also a new full-service state-of-the-art marina and Ocean World Casino, which opened in December 2006. Rio San Juan is a fishing and farming town about 100 km east of Puerto Plata. There are a few hotels and nice beaches in this area, as well as the Gri Gri Lagoon, where you can take a boat tour to see the unusual rock formations and magnificent mangrove trees. The Playa Grande/Cabrera area, about 120 km east of Puerto Plata, has a spectacular white powder sand beach lined by tall palm trees and surrounded by rugged cliffs. Big waves make it a popular spot for surfing and body/boogie boarding, but beware of the undertow. There are many beautiful villas in the area. The Robert Trent Jones-designed Playa Grande Golf Course is located here, with 10 holes of the golf course being along the cliffs, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Whatever you want to do on your vacation - the North Coast has it all.
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