Day Trip to Puerto Plata from Santo Domingo

After early morning hotel pickup in Santo Domingo, travel by private coach with your guide and arrive about two hours later at San Felipe de Puerto Plata, simply known as Puerto Plata. This former colonial port and popular resort beach retreat is situated along the island’s northern coast between the Cordillera mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

On this private tour see the historic heart of Puerto Plata, admiring stately Victorian homes along the way, and then spend about an hour inside the Amber Museum (Museo de Ambar Dominicano). Your guide takes you through the exhibits housed in a fine Victorian mansion, where you’ll learn more about the semi-precious gem, and gaze at a number of amber-covered fossils, including a perfectly conserved lizard.

Next, tuck into a sumptuous lunch featuring international cuisine at a local restaurant (see below for a sample menu).

After your meal, enjoy a photo stop at Fort San Felipe, built in 1564 right along the water and the only remnant of the city’s colonial days. Marvel at the 8-foot-thick (5-meter) walls and take in sweeping views of the Atlantic, while learning about the fort’s architecture and use as a prison.

End your visit to Puerto Plata on a high note, with a ride on the only aerial tramway in the Caribbean. Hop aboard a cable car up Mt Isabel de Torres, and enjoy a leisurely amount of time at the top. Click away to capture panoramas of the city and ocean, stroll through the nearby botanical gardens and look at the Christ the Redeemer, a smaller replica of the world-famous statue in Rio de Janeiro.

After discovering the charms of Puerto Plata, board your comfortable privatecoach in the late afternoon and return to your Santo Domingo hotel.

Sample lunch menu (subject to change):

First course (choose one of the following)
• Russian salad
• Mixed salad with avocadoMain course (choose one of the following)
• Imported veal ossobuco
• Mahi Mahi in Catalan sauce with olive tapenade and jamon serrano crust
• Penne with chicken and spinachSide dishes:
• Milanesa (breaded meat fillets)
• Grilled vegetables
• Mashed potatoes and cassavaBeverages:
• Juice, Coke, water