Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata is the gateway to the Dominican north coast, a destination where colonial history fuses with tropical abundance. The fortress San Felipe, built in 1577, has stood sentinel over the bay for centuries, while the cable car up Monte Isabel de Torres—the Caribbean's only aerial tramway—carries visitors to breathtaking panoramic views. Playa Dorada, with its coral reef, championship golf courses, and world-class all-inclusive resorts, pioneered Dominican tourism in the 1980s and remains one of the country's most complete resort corridors. The Victorian historic center, declared a national monument, and the Central Park with its ornate cast-iron gazebo lend unexpected elegance to this city of sea and mountain.