made by a CNN reporter, who told him that he was not a guide, but a poet. And who wouldn’t be a poet after spending so many years at Puerto Plata’s prime vantage point, which overlooks the majestic Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Isabel de Torres Mountain with its silver-clouded peak to the southwest. In modern days, the port also witnessed the arrival of the M/S Boheme, which in the late 70s marked the start of arrivals of large numbers of tourists to Puerto Plata, and the construction of the Smith/Enron power plant, that has ironically been an obstacle to development in the north coast.

As a testament to Puerto Plata’s not-so-distant past, a small monument stands steps from the Fort to commemorate the site where, on 6 February 1996, a jetliner crashed into the sea, taking with it the lives of 189 mainly German passengers. Because only the bodies of 68 victims were recovered, the site is the final resting place for 121 others.

But the fort is also witness to the laughter and merriment of the town of Puerto Plata, whose locals turn past the rotunda and the statue of Restoration War hero, General Gregorio Luperon, to make merry at the small park to the right of the fort, known as La Puntilla or “the little point.” La Puntilla comes alive during Carnival, Merengue Week, Christmas time, or whenever people gather to enjoy Puerto Plata’s stunning sunsets or simply to the joy of being alive. It also provides an idyllic spot for a family picnic or to meditate on the meaning of life, with the inspiration that the fresh ocean breezes supply.