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Puerto Plata is the Atlantic coast, and it does not behave like the Caribbean one

The north coast faces the Atlantic, which means wind. That wind made Cabarete one of the best kitesurfing spots in the world and it means the sea here is livelier than in Punta Cana. Behind the coast a mountain rises straight out of the town with a cable car up it, and the town itself has streets of gingerbread Victorian houses left over from the amber and tobacco money.

By our local teamDrivers and coordinators on the ground
Reviewed September 25, 2026 3 min read
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The coast, west to east

The airport sits between the town and the beach resorts, about 18 km from the center.

Puerto Plata town

The Victorian center, the fort, the amber museum and the cable car. A real town, not a resort frontage.

Playa Dorada

The resort enclave just east of town: golf course, all-inclusives, a contained beach.

Sosúa

Twenty minutes east. A horseshoe bay with calm clear water and the best easy snorkelling on this coast. Founded in part by Jewish refugees in 1940, and it has a small museum about that.

Cabarete

Ten minutes further. Wind, waves, kitesurfing, and a beach strip of bars where dinner is served on the sand.

Río San Juan and beyond

East again, quieter, with Playa Grande and the Gri Gri lagoon.

The mountain and the cable car

Pico Isabel de Torres rises about 800 m directly behind the town, and the only cable car in the Caribbean goes up it. At the top there is a botanical garden and a Christ statue, and on a clear morning you can see the whole coast. Go early: cloud sits on the summit by midday more often than not.

Water on the Atlantic side

Sosúa

The sheltered bay, calm and clear, with reef at both ends. The swimming and snorkelling beach.

Cabarete

Wind and waves. Great to watch, and for lessons; not a lounging beach.

Playa Dorada

Contained resort beach, moderate.

Playa Grande

Big Atlantic surf and a dramatic setting. Read the conditions — this is not a paddling beach.

Whales at Samaná

January to March, humpbacks in Samaná bay. A long day from here but one of the best wildlife encounters in the region.

Inland

Damajagua — the 27 waterfalls — is about forty minutes south: you climb up a river canyon and jump and slide back down it, with guides and helmets. It is the single best excursion on this coast and it is genuinely physical.

The amber here is the real thing. The Amber Museum in a Victorian house in town is small and good, and the fossil inclusions are what made the Dominican amber famous.

Keep planning

Puerto Plata · Puerto Plata Airport · Puerto Plata

Traveler questions

How is Puerto Plata different from Punta Cana?
It faces the Atlantic, so the sea is livelier and windier, and it has a real town, a mountain and history. Punta Cana has calmer water and more resorts.
Where can I swim?
Sosúa bay is the calm, clear one. Cabarete is wind and waves, and Playa Grande has serious Atlantic surf.
What is the cable car?
The only one in the Caribbean, going up Pico Isabel de Torres behind the town. Go early before the cloud comes in.
What is Damajagua?
The 27 waterfalls, about forty minutes inland — climbing, jumping and sliding down a river canyon with guides. The best excursion here.
When can I see whales?
January to March, humpbacks in Samaná bay. It is a long day trip from Puerto Plata.
Topics Puerto Plata

Sources

  1. Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourismgodominicanrepublic.com · checked 2026-09-25

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