The north coast — the Amber Coast — was the country's first tourist region and has something the east lacks: real towns with their own life, mountains immediately behind the beach, and an offering that does not depend on all-inclusive resorts.
Puerto Plata
The city keeps a centre of late nineteenth-century Caribbean Victorian architecture, timber houses with verandas and fretwork painted in strong colours, restored around the Parque Central. The sixteenth-century San Felipe fortress guards the harbour entrance.
A cable car climbs Loma Isabel de Torres, 793 metres up, where there is a botanical garden and a replica of Rio's Christ the Redeemer. It is the only cable car in the Caribbean and the view over the coast justifies the ride — better in the morning, before the summit clouds over.
The Amber Museum explains the region's name: Dominican amber is mined here, celebrated for its insect inclusions, along with blue amber, found only on this island.
Cabarete and Sosúa
Cabarete is one of the world's best places for kitesurfing and windsurfing, thanks to a very reliable wind pattern: calm sea in the morning, building thermal wind from midday. Kite Beach is the reference point and there are dozens of schools. The whole town runs on that timetable.
Sosúa has a sheltered bay excellent for diving and a little-known history: in 1940 it took in several hundred European Jewish refugees, and a small synagogue and a museum dedicated to that community still operate.
The 27 Waterfalls
The 27 Charcos de Damajagua are a succession of limestone pools and natural water slides descended by swimming, jumping and sliding, with helmet, life jacket and a compulsory guide. Depending on water level and fitness you climb twelve or all twenty-seven. It is the best adventure activity in the country and sees far fewer people than the eastern excursions.
Practical
Puerto Plata airport takes direct international flights. The whole coast is easily covered by hire car or by the guaguas passing along the main road, and the distances between Puerto Plata, Sosúa and Cabarete are short.
Amber and larimar
Besides amber, this island is the only place on earth where larimar is mined — a blue variety of pectolite found in a single mine in Barahona province. Puerto Plata jewellers sell both stones; buy from certified establishments, since imitations circulate widely.