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Interesting Facts
- The newest addition to Puerto Plata's attractions is Ocean World, which opened in 2001. The park features the largest dolphin lagoon in the world, and guests can pet or feed sharks in the shark pool if they dare. Aquariums filled with exotic tropical fish and an authentic rainforest also keep visitors spellbound.
- Fort San Felipe is the only colonial structure left standing in the city, but it's a testament to the city's historic significance as a port between the Old and New Worlds. The fort was built to guard against pirate attacks, and Spanish soldiers even augmented sharp coral in the moat with swords to deter would-be invaders.
- The north coast around Puerto Plata is nicknamed the "Amber Coast" for its rich deposits of amber. In fact, the area is the world's largest source of the semiprecious stone, and gem experts around the world consider the region's amber to be the most transparent available.
- Since colonial times, Puerto Plata has been an important stop for import and export ships. Today, the port is still one of the country's busiest, delivering tobacco and coffee to consumers around the world.
- Like many destinations in the area, Puerto Plata can trace a European connection to Christopher Columbus, who was instrumental in settling the area in 1493. It was Columbus's brother, Bartholomew, however, who officially founded the city and christened it San Felipe de Puerto Plata in 1496.
- Puerto Plata's setting and climate have been conducive to preserving the past. For example, tree sap from millennia past hardened to produce the famed amber found in the region. In fact, the long history and pristine setting induced director Steven Spielberg to choose this area for one of his biggest blockbusters, "Jurassic Park."
- Civil strife and foreign invasion are not unfamiliar concepts in the Dominican Republic, but Puerto Plata has always endured, despite devastating incidents in its history. In 1605, the city was destroyed by several waves of marauding pirates, and the Spanish army destroyed the city again when fleeing during the Restoration War of 1863.
- Be on the lookout for the buffeted palms of Puerto Plata. Winds that blow along the coast leave the trees sculpted in a permanent, wind-blown pose that's both striking and eerily haunting.
- Puerto Plata rests against the foothills of Mount Isabel de Torres, a peak rising more than 2,500 feet above the city. Botanical gardens atop the mountain can be reached via a lift, and one of the most recognizable landmarks is a miniature version of Rio de Janeiro's "The Redeemer," which crowns the highest peak.
- Cuba's loss is the Dominican Republic's gain. Taïnos Indians were already smoking tobacco when the Spanish began to settle the area more than 500 years ago, and today, Puerto Plata is a major player in the world's cigar industry. Popular brands (legal in the US) include Montecristo, Aurora, and Romeo y Julieta.
