Dominican Republic North Coast

Another largely unknown fact is that Christopher Columbus first landed on the island of Hispaniola on the north coast and started a small colony after one of his ships, the Santa Maria, ran aground. Although that colony would not last he later started another colony in what is now the Dominican Republic near the town of Puerto Plata. It, too, failed to sustain itself so he then moved to the south coast where Santo Domingo now stands and where Columbus’ remains are said to lie in state beneath a massive “Columbus Lighthouse.”

Today the north coast is often referred to as either the “Amber Coast”, reflecting the massive amber deposits located between Puerto Plata and Nagua, or the “Costa Verde” (Green Coast), reflecting the lush landscape of natural flora. The north coast offers unique topographical characteristics and borders the Atlantic Ocean which provides it with a unique series of beaches, cays, reefs and more.

The north coast of the Dominican Republic includes everything from Monte Cristi on the west (bordering Haiti) to Las Galeras on the east (bordering the Atlantic Ocean). However, most guide books and other tourism items provide a separate view of the Samaná area and focus the north coast between Luperon and Nagua. Most of the tourism along the north coast of the Dominican Republic is between Puerto Plata and Las Terrenas.

Puerto Plata/Cofesi

The natural port discovered by Columbus in Puerto Plata has more recently been discovered by tourists who flock to the port city to enjoy the broad array of services, cultural styles, nightlife and attractions. While in Puerto Plata you should definitely visit the major attractions of Fuerte de San Felipe (Fort San Felipe), the Amber Museum, Brugal Rum Distillery, Mount Isabel de Torres and its magnificent statue of Christ the Redeemer, and the ever popular Ocean World Marine Park.

Sosua

Another of the bustling north coast tourism towns, Sosua, has undergone some of the more dramatic ups and downs of the tourist business. Once a haven for tourists and ex-pats seeking to get out of the main cities, Sosua endures a reputation today of a somewhat “seedy area” ripe with sex tourism. Many of the same ex-pats are now aggressively cleaning up the city to restore its once sterling reputation as a hub along the north coast for tourism. The beach cove in Sosua is one of the most beautiful on the island and is a definite must see while you are here.

Cabarete

Just down the road from Sosua is the “sports town” of Cabarete, known world wide for its spectacular winds and perfect surfing conditions for wind surfing and kite boarding. The beach is crowded with young athletic bodies strutting their stuff while heading into the pulse-pounding discos and fine eateries. Recently the town has undergone a major growth with hundreds of new condominiums springing up along the beach. The result is a melding of the “island life” (ala Key West) and the finer things in life (ala Miami’s South Beach) so the future is truly appealing for Cabarete.

Gaspar-Hernandez

One of the overlooked gems along the north Coast has struggled for a long time to attract any of the major tourism investments. For one reason or another this bustling city seems to falter whenever serious investors come into the city. It’s a shame as well because bracketing the city are two lovely beaches, Las Canas to the west and Playa Magante to the east, which are virtually untouched when compared to Cabarete or Sosua. On Playa Magante are a few very nice, very rustic restaurants and cabañas, our particular favorite being the Coco Cabañas Beach Club. Although the area needs to develop more the potential here for major tourism is definitely already here.

Rio San Juan

A small port nestled within a towering stand of mangroves at the start of the famous Gri-Gri Lagoon form the centerpiece of the tourism within the city itself. Surrounding the charming lagoon are many restaurants and bars catering to locals and tourists alike. While here you should definitely take a boat tour into the lagoon to experience the crystal clear waters and see the odd and unusual rock formations. You can even dive and snorkel while you are here. Outside of the main city is the popular Playa Caleton, a truly magnificent little beach reminiscent of the Sosua Bay Beach.

Cabrera

How does a quiet rural community become the up and coming “Dominican Hamptons”? Is it the forward thinking mayor, Jorge Cavoli (reputed to be on a future ticket for president), or did some overly wealthy gringos or the famous Playa Grande Golf Course? It’s hard to say but Cabrera is definitely one of the wealthiest of the cities on the north coast if you measure the investment dollars on a per capita basis. The golf course is between Rio San Juan and Cabrera with both cities jockeying for position as the major hub for the investors in the area. To date, Cabrera is easily in the forefront which is likely due to the way the local government, led by Cavoli, works closely with the foreign investors.

Nagua

Rumors have circulated for years of major tourism investments in the area yet nothing much has transpired in that respect. Still, Nagua is a very large metropolitan city hugging the coast with ample water supplies and is the crossroads between the north coast and the south coast in this area of the country. Very little tourism goes on here but if you need to buy just about anything you can find it in the bustling shops lining almost every main road. Major banking is also available here as is a very nice university so the future is pretty bright for Nagua.

Las Terrenas

Past El Catey airport and over the mountains forming the backbone of the Samana Peninsula is the beachfront community of Las Terrenas. Las Terrenas makes the growth in Cabarete look positively snail-like. That is to say, Las Terrenas is in the middle of a real estate boom unheard of elsewhere on the north coast (its more akin to Punta Cana). The reason is simple; this is a perfect location with the soaring mountains behind you and the sprawling golden beaches in front of you. Tourism is heavy here with a strong French influence helping to drive superb restaurants and hotels in the area.

Samana City

Across the mountains from Las Terrenas, on the south side of the peninsula, is the port city of Samana. It is the largest city on the peninsula and faces the gorgeous bay of Samana where all of the humpback whales come annually for mating and birthing. Sometimes there are upwards of ten thousand of these amazing creatures in the bay so whale-watching has become a major tourism attraction for the area. If you are here in late January, February, March or even early April you should definitely put this on the list of things to do. Another great attraction in the area is the famous waterfalls of El Limon (El Salto de Limon), another must see as the water falls over 40 meters into a gorgeous fresh water pool you can even swim in.

Las Galeras

Back on the north side and way at the very tip of the Samana Peninsula is the small fishing village of Las Galeras, a favorite haunt of the wealthier Dominicans seeking a private escape from the bustling cities. Today is has begun to spring up as another of the Samana’s major tourist destinations with major hotels, restaurants, new high rise condos and more. The beaches here are magnificent and, even with the rise in tourism, largely unspoiled.