Puerto Plata - What's there?

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patbro

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We are staying in Cabarete for a week in September. We have also seen some good information about Sosua, and will spend at least a day there. However, no one seems to have any good things to say about Puerto Plata. Anything there to see? Any extraordinary experiences? We want to use our time wisely and not just go to see another big city. Thanks for your thoughts.
 

Chris & Anewta

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lucky

We couldn't get trip to Puerto Plata (they were out of airplane tickets) so you are lucky. Instead we are going to Punta Cana that will keep us stuck inside the resort. No big cities around.

Have a great time!
 

keithrogan

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I just scratch my head whenever I see something good about Sosua or Puerto Plata...

The entire area is crowded and dirty. The beach at Sosua looks gorgeous from a distance, but when you stick your head under the water the bottom is covered with cans, bottles, dirty diapers - anything nasty that you can imagine! The nightlife is pretty active but it doesn't feel really safe unless you just stick around one of the big hotels.

I wouldn't waste a single dollar or an hour of my time in that area. Head out to the Samana Peninsula - Las Terrenas is real nice, or Las Galenas... It's much cleaner and safer and the nightlife is at least reasonable - you can go dancing without fighting off hookers every time you sit down!

Keith
 

Dolores1

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Went swimming last Sunday on a good stretch of the eastern side of the beach and didn't see anything as you mention on the bottom of the beach. Could be there has been a clean up operation.
 

keithrogan

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I hope they've cleaned it up! It was sure nasty when I was there.

It's still a very crowded area. Perhaps even a good place for an ex-pat to live since there seemed to be a variety of services, US style markets, etc.
But for a vacation... the only thing I want from that area is a bus to Las Terrenas! Sosua felt (and smelled) like Tijuana with a beach - some fairly nice cleaned up areas with a whole lot of creepy places and people in between. I'm a pretty strong and healthy guy who has seen more than his share of rough places and people, but I did not feel at all safe on foot in Sosua after dark.

It would be a shame for someone to visit DR for the first time and leave with the impression that the whole country was like that!

Keith
 

keithrogan

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Well....

I suppose some people would enjoy Sosua. To me, a perfect beach is an empty one, or perhaps with the occasional 19 year old topless model jogging past to provide a distraction from the solitude... A place where I can safely leave my wallet and watch on the beach while swimming and snorkeling in clear, clean waters. A place where my wife and I can take long walks in the moonlight along miles of empty sand and perhaps (when I can talk her into it) even toss down a towel and get "romantic" without fear of interruption.

And that's the way Las Terrenas is (except that the 19 year old jogging models are never as prevalent as one would wish).

My memories of Sosua are of a beach crowded with thousands of (mostly) unattractive people in Speedo's. Hundreds of boomboxes playing really awful salsa music at a volume that gives every non-latino for a 100 yards around, a headache. Local families with naked toddlers dropping poo all over the place(which they ignored), or changing diapers and tossing them aside on the sand along with their cans, bottles and plastic food wrappers.

I don't get it... but, perhaps if someone else is really social and enjoys lots of bad music at high volume while sitting elbow to elbow with thousands of sweaty people - Sosua may be the place! Though it would be cheaper to stay home and catch a Ricky Martin concert for the same effect...

Sorry, but I just don't get it...

Keith
 

Ken

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If you leave your wallet on the blanket when you take those walks, it won't be long until you are posting complaints about the thieves in Las Terrenas. You are inviting trouble.
 

keithrogan

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We stay on the edge of town (north?) and generally settle on a stretch of beach with nobody else around, just beyond that little point (whatever it is). I don't leave my things in plain sight, but it's pretty easy to keep an eye on things when the beach is that empty. I don't carry large amounts of cash or credit cards at the beach in any case.

But, you could never leave anything unattended for even a few minutes in Sosua. Everywhere you look there are young hombre's strutting up and down looking for "prey".

Keith
 

patbro

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So no one has commented about Cabarete. How is it there? And what about Puerto Plata, which was the original question? I can skip Sosua so I would like to hear about the other two areas. Thanks.
 

Dolores1

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Each place has its own attractions. If you will be staying in Cabarete, then we suggest you rent a car and visit the beaches to the East (at least up to Playa Grande) and then head West. Yes, visit Sosua. Book a night at the Sosua Bay or Victorian House or Pier Giorgio hotels and walk Sosua beach early in the morning as I did recently. In the evening, visit the Voodoo Club, Eddy's Bar if you want to meet someone who knows everything on the north coast, or the smaller bars in town. You will be able to come back and report to the board.

Regarding Cabarete, see the dr1 brief on it. It is one great place. You have chosen a great place to vacation, but be sure to rent the car and see the other destinations on the north coast -- all the way to Luperon (La Isabela Park for a big of history) and Cofresi, and Puerto Plata city itself.

For the description links, see http://www.dr1.com/travel/index.shtml

Then to the left click on Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete, Playa Grande
 

keithrogan

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Sosua and Puerto Plata are same/same. If you're looking for nightlife and/or people of the opposite sex, either will probably suit you. It's the big city, so be careful!
I didn't spend much time in Cabarete, but the beaches are pretty exposed and not much for snorkeling. It attracts a lot of windsurfers and a young crowd. Nice - much better than Sosua/Puerto Plata, but not as unspoiled as points further east.

I'm probably prejudiced against the area because I hate being around crowds and noise. If I was looking for girls or just wanted to check out a variety of restaurants and nightclubs, then I'd probably feel just the opposite - one mans paradise is another mans hell!

What are you looking for?

Keith
 

Peter & Alex

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Cabarete

Sorry that no-one hopped on the Cabarete info wagon, but we assumed that you knew enough about it as you were staying here? Have PM'd you with our phone number if you want to contact us - we do enjoy meeting new people especially visitors. (Providing that I can keep out of hospitals we'll be here in September).
You'll love Cabarete and the surrounding areas!!
Enjoy the DR, we all do!
Peter & Alex
 

Tor

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I hope nobody is scared off by this keithrogan. I have stayed in Sosua a lot of times, uptil half a year, and i really don't understand what he's talking about. Sosua beach is clean and nice and friendly. There must be something wrong with people that can't have a good time here. I have walked the streets at night many many times, never had any trouble, never been scared or threatned, and never seen something ugly going on.
 

Eddy

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Dolores, you're probably wasting your breath with this guy. He obviously has an agenda. I've been to Las Terrenas a few times. Nice scenery and beaches? A definite yes. But that's all it's got. You can't even compare it to Sosua & Cabarete. As for safety, I feel much more secure in Sosua.
 

patbro

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Thanks to all for your responses. Yes, we are based in a Cabarete hotel, but we don't have any of our days planned. We were trying to get some good specific information about what else is in the area. All I am seeing is disagreement. I guess we will just have to figure it out as we can.
P.S. Dolores - Thanks for the more specific info - it IS helpful.
 

Chris

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Patbro, it would be good if you could tell us what you were looking for - it is easier to respond to specifics.

About Cabarete - The beach has a family atmosphere with lots of windsurfing and kitesurfing, swimming and people enjoying the water. The restaurants on the beach contribute to a colorful and always changing scenery. In the evening, the beach turns into one big restaurant with all the restaurants setting out additional tables on the sand under the palms. The beach hots up late at night and you'll find parties going on. I don't know the places that are 'in' at the moment. Just walk down the beach at night and you'll find them.

During the day, walk the main road and you'll find many activities and excursions into the countryside - horseriding tours, 4 wheelers, boat rides on the little river, longer excursions into the mountains for river rafting, bicycles, and a host of other activities.

I have not found any great snorkel spots.

About Sosua - The beach has a great laid-back atmosphere and it is quite a beautiful setting. Lots of tourist type shopping, small restaurants and so on on and around the beach and an active nightlife. Tours and activities of many descriptions are available - just simply take a walk around the place and you'll find the tour operators. The 'people profile' in Sosua is different and the atmosphere is quite different than in Cabarete.

About Puerto Plata - The beach is rocky and only very few people go to POP beach. The setting is not attractive but there are a few nice restaurants on the foreshore. POP is not a tourist town so much although just outside of POP, going to Sosua, is a one of those 'mini' racing tracks - I have not done it but it looks fun. Also, take the cable car up the mountain on a clear day. It is an excellent experience. The usual tours are available. POP has probably more All Inclusive hotels around than tourist type hotels, so, the atmosphere is not touristy and laid back as in Sosua and Cabarete. Also, just outside of POP, there is an excursions company with these great big trucks painted with zebra stripes. The tourists sit in the open back, which is quite high and has a secure railing and seats. I'm not too sure where they go, but the people on these trucks always look quite relaxed as if they're having a great time.

Lastly, do a search on this board for each of these towns and you'll be surprised at the specific information you get.
 

BushBaby

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Patbro,
It is a bit of a distance from Cabarete but DO try to get up the cable-car in Puerto Plata. The view from the top is quite breath-traking .......... but DO Choose a clear day!!!

There is also the new dolphinarium at Cofresi (10 minutes outside Puerto Plata) called Ocean World. From reports I hear, it is a good day out.

Don't be concerned by the comments of Keith, Puerto Plata, Sosua & Cabarete to the real traveler (& us residents) is NOTHING like he describes. Friendly exhuberant people (probably THAT was what put him off) who are always there to help & have laughter with - they can't understand introverts, it's against their lifestyle!! - GO ENJOY yourself by getting involved with the locals!! - Grahame.
 

keithrogan

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Hey now!

I don't have an agenda, I'm just stating my impressions of these places. And I've clearly stated that if you're looking for nightlife, Sosua/PoP would be the place to go.
If you're looking for pristine beaches and a laid-back atmosphere, the the Samana Peninsula would be the place to go.

I prefer the second option, but obviously others might feel very differently.

However... when I see people describe the beach at Sosua as "clean" and the area as "safe" to walk around at night... I have to wonder if maybe some of YOU don't have an agenda?

I was in Sosua during the high season and somebody did come along and clean up all the trash on the beach in the evenings, but when you went out in the water along the coral heads, the bottom was literally covered with all kinds of trash. Up behind the beach in the brushy area along the road, the trash was piled ankle to knee deep for the entire length of the beach - it stank to high heaven and was crawling with rats by evening!

There was some pleasant little restaurants and clubs in the little "zone" to the east of the beach. And it was fine to walk around there for most of the evening. When it got late though, things changed... The owner of the hotel advised me not to even walk the three or four blocks from the beach to the hotel late at night, and told me several horror stories to cement the point! I didn't need those stories because you could see with your own eyes what was going on down there late at night.

You're not doing anyone a service when you deny the reality. Yeah, you can have a good time in Sosua/PoP, but you'd better exercise lots of caution after dark. And yes, you can enjoy the beach and waters, but don't expect the sort of pristine setting you can find elsewhere.

People want to know what to expect - both positive and negative. You should tell them the whole truth!

Keith
 
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