Puerto Plata City Travel Guide

It's a small town, but it's a good place to get used to being in a third world country. Meaning it's a good place to learn your first word of Spanish: 'gracias'.

There isn't that much to see, but it has some nice old buildings, and a good pizzeria on the Malecon (no, it's no Pizza Hut). Buy the best pineapples in the world on the local markets, go visit the amber museum, or take the Téléferico to the summit of the 'Silver Mountain'. Or you can go drink a pint in the slums: people are friendly there, despite what the hotels try to make you believe. Just try to learn a little Spanish, and don't throw dollars around.

If you stay in the Tourist Reservation a couple of miles to the east, you can take a nice walk along the beach to the city. You will pass Playa Bergantin, which is almost only visited by Dominican people. And some young tourists who come gazing at the local beauty's.

Nature is wonderfull in the region, especialy along the coast, and here and there their is still some rainforest (for example near Cabarete), and the occasional hunchback whale.