Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
A resort destination that is more varied than Punta Cana. Very nice beaches and a lively party scene. Puerto Plata is located on the northern side of the country, a 3.5 hour drive from Santo Domingo and 1.5 hours from Santiago. The airport has a decent number of direct international flights.
Puerto Playa is worth a stop if you’re in the Dominican Republic.
OVERVIEW
POPULATION: 300,000
WEATHER: Tropical (20-34 °C). Humid in the winter.
MUST DO: Beach! As well as any water-related activities. Oh, do some drinking as well.
Have questions? Skip the guesswork…
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RENT AN APARTMENT IN PUERTO PLATA
$500.00 or more. Puerto Plata is a very hotel-oriented place so it might be tough to snare a cheap apartment.
BEST BARS & NIGHTLIFE IN PUERTO PLATA
6.75/10
Puerto Plata is pretty standard for resort destination nightlife. Only with more casinos. The best thing to do is to follow the herd to wherever looks exciting.
Bars that My Latin Life recommends:
Tropical Bar: Relaxed, breezy oceanfront bar. Large selection of European beers.
Big Lee’s Beach Bar & Grill: This place has a great atmosphere and solid plates of food. Very central location and you can hop to another spot from here.
Pure: (Closed?) In with one of the casinos. A good mix of locals and tourists. But you can’t go too wrong by wandering into any loud and busy establishment.
SAFETY IN PUERTO PLATA
Puerto Plata is no less safe than any major tourist spots in Mexico. Keep an eye on your belongings and you’ll be alright.
THINGS TO DO IN PUERTO PLATA
Hit the beach! Seriously some the beaches near Puerto Playa are incredible Caribbean white sand beaches. Arguably the most famous beach in the area is Sosua Beach. The water here is calm and great for swimming and diving.
Check out 27 Waterfalls, a crazy complex with developed tourist infrastructure. Yes there really is 27 waterfalls.
Walk around the centro historico! Puerto Plata is an old city with its fair share of colonial architecture and public works.
Visit the Fortress of San Felipe, a Spanish fort from the 1500s located in front of the centro historico.
COST OF LIVING IN PUERTO PLATA
GROCERIES: Milk (1L)= $1.20 Loaf of Bread= $1.40 Eggs= $1.80 Water (1.5L)= $1.00 Cigarettes= $3.00
TAXI: $4.00
BOTTLE OF BEER: $3.00
HOSTEL DORM BED/NIGHT $30.00 for a cheap hotel room
JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN PUERTO PLATA
Doesn’t seem to be much available for the short-term traveller. Diving here isn’t great for instance, and hotel jobs are mostly for locals
FINAL THOUGHTS ON PUERTO PLATA
Nothing distinguishing it from any other resort town in any other country. Go if you’re there, don’t if you’re not. I’d opt for Playa del Carmen in Mexico if you’re looking for this type of fun.
OVERALL RATING: 6.75/10
Have questions? Skip the guesswork…
Schedule Your Personal Consultation With My Latin Life
