Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Today we went to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, our first time in the country. We were supposed to kayak with manatees, but our tour got cancelled last night so we hired a local guide to take us around.

Puerto Plata is on the north central coast of the Dominican Republic. It was established in 1502 and was an early Spanish settlement. It became a target for pirates and, because of this, the Spanish destroyed the town to cut down on the attacks. People continued to live in the area and it grew by the early-mid 1700s.

We were taken to the Loma Isabel de Torres cable car (nope, didn’t ride it) up the local high point, Mount Isabel de Torres. We walked around the central square, known as Independence Park, the San Felipe Cathedral, and through some trinket shops. We also spent some time at the Spanish fort, Fortaleza San Felipe. It was restored from ruins, originally built in 1577. I have a particular fondness for colonial Spanish forts, especially their classic turrets.

We did get intermittently rained on today, but otherwise it was pretty weather. Puerto Plata felt similar to many other places we have been in Central America and the Caribbean.