Damajagua Guides, a short distance inland. There is the option to hike one hour up the mountain and then begin the three-hour downward trek. The shorter half-day version, usually offered at the hotels, calls for climbing up and down only the first seven holes with the assistance of the acrobatic guides.

   Located about an hour drive from Puerto Plata, and 14 kms west of Luperon, this is a must destination for those who have the time and are into history. This is where Christopher Columbus built the first settlement in the New World in the XVI century. Remains are still standing of what is believed to have been the church where the first mass in the New World was given. A small museum area houses relics from the days of the discovery. Nearby is the site of the commemorative church on a hilltop with lovely stained glass windows of Dominican artist Rincon Mora.

   Lots of rocks but also easy swimming areas. There are a handful of hotels in this area. The natural harbor is considered one of the safest hurricane holes in the Caribbean for cruising yachts and sailboats.

   The Dominican Republic’s quintessential beach town, Sosúa is located 25 kilometers east of Puerto Plata and 5 kilometers east of Puerto Plata’s airport. Thousands of North American and European expatriates have retired there, giving the city a sense of cosmopolitan community.

while bars, restaurants, and shops cater to the thousands of tourists that come attracted by its one-kilometer U-shaped sheltered long beach. Sosua Beach offers very good scuba diving and snorkeling tours. Sosua Beach can get crowded, especially on long weekends, Sundays and major holidays as it is popular with Dominicans. In town is the Sosua Synagogue, where an adjacent museum pays tribute to the first Jewish settlers of the town that arrived to Puerto Plata fleeing the Nazis in Germany.

    The Caribbean’s windsurfing, kiteboarding and sailing mecca. Just a 15-minute drive east from Sosúa. Ranked by the Professional Windsurfing Association and the Professional Kite Riders Association as tops among the leading destinations for the sport. Major competitions take place during the summer when the waves and winds are the best. Nearby Playa El Encuentro is tops in the country for surfing. Cabarete has also benefited from the beach renovations underway supervised by the Ministry of Tourism, with nine kilometers of beach in this area being extended.
   Cabarete suffers a metamorphosis at night. From a focus on active water sports and for booking other activities such as skateboarding besides the beach, horseriding tours, 4 wheelers, boat rides on the little river, excursions into the mountains, the same beach converts into a long restaurant strip attracting tourists and residents from the entire north coast for an evening of fun under the stars.

   Upscale residential communities have surged in this area about an hour from Puerto Plata’s international airport. Playa Grande beach natural setting makes for great photography, long walks on the beach and great wave jumping on a quiet ocean day.

Calle Principal, Costambar, Puerto Plata
Tel: (809) 970 7096
Fax: (809) 970-7465
Year opened: 1986 Redesign: 2001
Number of holes: 9 holes par 35
Course description: Play among tropical fruit trees in this community golf course now primarily being used by Costambar residents and guests at Cofresi hotels.

Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata
Tel: (809) 320-3472
Fax: (809) 320-3472
Year opened: 1976
Number of holes: 18 holes par 72
Course description: Flat, conditioned course with exceptional greens surrounding Playa Dorada resort complex. Robert Trent Jones signature.

Carretera Sosúa-Cabarete, Puerto Plata
Tel: ((809)) 571-2100
Fax: ((809)) 571-3121
Year opened: 1990
Number of holes: 9 holes par 33
Course description: Flat, sprawling 45 acre golf course located between Cabarete Beach and lagoon.