Km. 9 Carretera Río San Juan-Cabrera, María Trinidad Sánchez province
Tel: (809) 582-0860,
Fax 21 (809) 247-6104
Year opened: 1997
Number of holes: 18 holes par 72
Course description: Robert Trent Jones-designed. The “Pebble Beach” of the Caribbean, with 10 holes interacting with the Atlantic Ocean.

   Check out the supermarkets in Puerto Plata, for interesting local products, such as quality rums, tropical fruit marmalades, yucca bread (casabe), cigars, among others. Drop in at Casa Nelson in front of the Central Park and Casa Colon, also in the area. Lots of interesting shops, just go in and out. Stroll down the streets of the old city and gaze through the gift shops to get an idea of what is available and prices.
   Taste the tropical sherberts and creamy ice creams at Helados Bon on Beller, a few steps up from the Central Park. Bon ice cream is also sold in Sosua (Charamicos) and Cabarete (right on the main road).
   Check out the good value buys at the otherwise pricier gift shops like Harrison’s, Amber Museum, and shops downtown. City market, up on the hill, is an area with lots of craft shops that supply others. These same artisans take their wares to the hotels, rotating at different hotels once a week to sell directly to the tourists. Playa Dorada Plaza is a definite option for a wide selection of fine handicrafts and items that are popular with tourists.

    On Playa Dorada, beach vendors sell handicrafts and popular items. Hotel stores stay open until late, allowing for night time shopping before dinner.
   The beach towns are dotted with small shops selling variety of beach and water sports ware, goods and crafts.
   Looking around for that vacation home is a must for those that can afford it.

   Playa Dorada Plaza offers the largest meetings space (1,000 persons) in its new second floor facility. The hotels on the area offer space for medium and small meetings.

   10 minutes from Puerto Plata, Fun City Action Park is an option for hanging out in the late afternoon and evening. The park’s most popular features are the go-kart tracks, bumper car track and super 8 rollercoaster.

   Tourists staying at Playa Dorada resorts will enjoy cocktails prior to the evening dinner and show, mingling with new and old friends. For night owls, Mangú (First Choice Holiday Village), Crazy Moon (Paradise) and Hemingways at the Playa Dorada Plaza are open to all. The Djs will mix international music with local beats all night long.

   Three casinos in Puerto Plata are open to the general public. These are the American Casino at First Choice Holiday Village, the Tropical Casino at Paradise Hotel and the Playa Dorada Casino at the Hotel Playa Dorada, all three in the Playa Dorada complex.

   Cafecito Restaurant offers an evening pub crawl, starting at the Fortaleza San Felipe, following onto a car wash (do as the locals do), and continuing on to Sosua and Cabarete beach restaurants and bars. You can have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving back safely late at night.

   Repeat tourists will have ventured out on weekends into the city of Puerto Plata’s dancebars to share salsa, bachata and merengue music at a multitude of dance-bars with the town’s residents. Check out to see if there is anything going on at the Central Park of Puerto Plata or the Malecon. Some evenings there are band concerts at the park, which is very attractive at night. Likewise, a stroll through Sosua will easily tell which loungebar- disco is popular at the moment.