Founded by Juan José Bellapart, The Museo Bellapart is located right above a local Honda dealership and houses the world's finest private collection of Dominican Republic art. Visitors to the museum will find art from four distinct periods in the history of art from the Dominican Republic: The Precursors - Features works that followed independence from [...]
At this interactive water park, visitors get wet with some of the gentler inhabitants of the marine world; dolphin and sea lion encounters invite guests into a pool where they can play with these friendly creatures. Visitors can even swim with domesticated nurse sharks. But if the idea of getting so up-close and personal with these [...]
Dating from the mid-1500s, La Fortaleza (also known as El Morro) is the only remaining 16th-century structure in Puerto Plata, having survived the destruction of the city by the Spanish in 1605. Unimposing in stature, yet impenetrable, its eight-foot-thick walls defended the city from invaders, and in later times served as a jail, protecting the then-Haitian-dominated [...]
This inspiring activity for nature lovers takes you beyond the gold-sand beaches of Puerto Plata and into the silver-capped mountains for the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, a fairytale-like labyrinth of tunnels and caves set against a backdrop of rural mountain scenery. Trek through jungle and scale rock mounds as high as 40 feet before cascading into [...]
Known locally as the teleférico, this attraction takes visitors on a 25-minute ride to the top of Mount Isabela. The views from 2,640 feet begin with the sprawling city of Puerto Plata at the base of the mountain and continue across a panorama of green hills and turquoise shoreline. Also at the summit is a statue [...]
This once sleepy fishing village is now a bustling embarkation point for ferries to Isla Saona and other parts of Parque Nacional del Este best accessed from the water. Any given day of the week the sandy area in front of the national park station comes alive with the bustle of visitors making their way to [...]
The “Park of the East” encompasses the southern-most tip of a peninsula jutting from the country’s Caribbean coast about two hours east of the capital. Inside this expansive park is an impressive array of birdlife and intricate hiking trails leading to caves with drawings depicting pre-Columbian Taino life. Visitors can hire park rangers for a two-hour [...]
The “Cave of Wonders” is so named for the abundance of crystallized minerals hanging from the interior ceiling. Also inside are some 500 petroglyphs etched into the wall thousands of years previously by Taino Indians who used the caves during ceremonial rituals. Ramps and an elevator make the 80-foot descent underground accessible to seniors, young children, [...]
This fortress-like house was once the home of Juan Ponce de León, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and one-time governor of the eastern part of Hispaniola, who is best known for colonizing Florida in 1503. Built in 1505 and beautifully restored by the park service, the house is constructed completely of stone and features a single window [...]
This exclusive community constructed on the Río Chavón a little over four years ago is a charming replica of Portofino on the Italian Riviera di Levante. The marina, with 40-something-plus slips (and growing), fronts two rows of pastel-colored villas built along a curvaceous promenade lined with upscale boutiques, art galleries, al fresco restaurants emitting a [...]