The fort of San Felipe, built in the 16th century by Spanish colonists, is
the oldest remaining building in Puerto Plata province. As the only remaining
colonial structure in the city, this fort is an important historical monument,
a living testament to the port town’s early struggle against piracy.
Although Puerto Plata has no other colonial buildings to speak of, there are
a number of structures worth seeing from the 19th and early 20th centuries,
including the filigreed examples of Victorian architecture in the stately homes
around Central Park. Puerto Plata’s lighthouse was built in 1879 and restored
in 2002, making this 24.4-metre high cast iron tower one of the few buildings
still standing in the region today.
Other places worth visiting include the Brugal Rum Factory, the third largest
producer of sugar cane rum, where tours lead visitors through the manufacturing
process and end with a rather pleasurable daiquiri tasting; the Amber Museum,
located in a mansion built in 1919, showing off a world-class collection of
amber and fossils; and the Taino Art Museum, which explains the lives of the
first Spanish settlers.
Situated on top of the Isabela de Torres, a peak overlooking the city, the Botanical
Gardens display subtropical flora – enormous flowers and ferns, giant
hibiscus, and towering forest trees – surrounded by numerous walking trails.
Puerto Plata is surrounded by spectacular beaches such as Luperon, Cofresí,
Playa Dorada, and Monte Cristi, where opportunities for diving abound.
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