Puerto Plata, a town in the Dominican Republic in the province of Puerto Plata is one of the most populated cities in the Dominican Republic and the most important city on the north coast of the country.
It has a tourist activity and its main source of employment is the hotel and tourist services. It is the only city in the Caribbean that has 2 high-level cruise ports.
It also has the most important commercial port in the northern region of the Dominican Republic and has the most important Victorian-style architectural conservation of the country, visited by thousands of tourists a year.
Puerto Plata has a tropical monsoon climate with Mediterranean influences, hot and dry summers and very humid and warm winters.
With respect to the economy, its main sources of income are agricultural, industrial and tourism activities. Other forms of income and economic development are port activities, handicrafts, fishing, and textile and shoe stores.
Today Puerto Plata is one of the cities with the greatest flow of national and international tourists and cruise ship passengers, since it is the city with the largest number of attractions in the country: the most important colonial center of the country, the only tourist cable car in the Caribbean, the 27 waterfalls of damajagua, practice of many mountain and water sports, etc..
Puerto Plata is considered a picturesque, romantic, cultural, touristic and historical city.
Gastronomy in Puerto Plata
Sightseeing in Puerto Plata is at the same time living a unique gastronomic experience, tasting the typical dishes of the place where one goes on vacation.
The gastronomy in Puerto Plata is based on the mixture of simple and traditional ingredients that together with the inherited European and Asian influences, give rise to dishes with delicious and incredible mixtures of flavors.
Among the typical dishes we find:
- The Flag
- Chicken pike
- Moro
- Mamajuana
- Beans with sweet
- Majarete
THE FLAG
Bandera Dominicana is one of the typical dishes of Puerto Plata and the entire Dominican Republic. Its preparation is very simple with rice, beans, meat or fish, salad and fried plantains.
La Bandera is the traditional and tasty lunch that most Dominican families eat every day.
PICA POLLO
This simple recipe is based on fried marinated chicken that has nothing to envy to that of the big fast food chains in the United States.
That special flavor of the meat is achieved by marinating the meat for a whole day with beer and spices such as sweet paprika, thyme, oregano, black pepper and tarragon. All this will make the meat juicier and tastier.
It is then battered, fried and served with potatoes or fried plantain.
MORO
El Moro is another of the most traditional meals in the Dominican Republic. It is a dish that mixes beans, rice and meat, which can sometimes be accompanied with coconut.
It is a recipe very similar to the Dominican flag but this time the ingredients are cooked and served together.
This dish is very common in other Latin American countries and is known by other names.
MAMAJUANA
Mamajuana is the most famous traditional drink in the Dominican Republic, where rum (the country’s star product) is mixed with red wine, honey and a large number of roots, bark and herbs. All this is left to macerate for at least a week.
This liquor is associated with a great number of beneficial properties, from being considered a great sexual enhancer to medicinal properties.
BEANS WITH SWEET
It is a typical dessert from the Dominican Republic made with boiled red beans to which raisins, coconut milk, sweet potato, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and butter are added.
To enhance the flavor, cloves and ginger are usually added. It is served with cookies.
MAJARETE
Majarete is a typical dish in several Caribbean countries. Very similar to a flan, it is made with coconut milk and corn flour, all mixed over a low heat and to which vanilla, cinnamon and cinnamon are added.
Things to do in Puerto Plata
The province of Puerto Plata , located in the north of the country, has impressive paradisiacal beaches, a variety of hotels and the best natural spots.
Puerto Plata offers a wide range of recreational activities to enjoy, being one of the preferred destinations for a large majority of tourists:
- Ride the cable car where you can contemplate the city from the heights.
- Arrive by cable car to the Loma de Isabel de Torres mountain of 800 m and enjoy its beautiful garden and the best views of the city.
- Visit the monument of Christ the Redeemer.
- Catamaran excursion on the Atlantic seas.
- Visit the fortress of San Felipe.
- Visit the Jewish community located in Sosúa.
- Play golf as it has the best golf courses in the Dominican Republic.
- Stroll through the center of Puerto Plata, visit its historic center with small houses of neoclassical and Victorian architecture of the late nineteenth century.
- Tour its natural pools and waterfalls.
- Take a boat tour on the Gri-Gri lagoon.
- Excursion to Cayo Arena Island with white sandy beaches surrounded by an ocean of turquoise blue crystal clear waters.
- Hiking or biking on trails through tropical forests of impressive cocoa and coffee plantations.
- Windsurfing or kitesurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving.
- Enjoy a good sunset in any of its wonderful beaches.
Accommodations in Puerto Plata
In Puerto Plata you can find accommodation for every budget: modern apartments with swimming pool and beach, luxurious estates, all-inclusive resorts, 5-star hotels located on the sea front at the best value for money, etc.
Spending a few days of vacation in Puerto Plata means knowing, enjoying and discovering impressive corners of natural and cultural wealth, doing water sports, relaxing on the best Caribbean beaches with calm waters, a place to discover new and tasty dishes, tasting its tropical fruits, fish, cocoa, coffee, rum…, etc.
