Things to see and do North Coast

A cable car, inaugurated in 1975, facilitates the ascent of this high hill - the Loma Isabel de Torres, with the status of national park - which stands like a sentinel above Puerto Plata. It is because of its height (the hill culminates at about 900 meters of altitude) and the wide panorama to which it gives access that Trujillo decided to build a fortress here. By posting sentries here, the city was protected, or at least able to retaliate if an attack from the sea took place. In fact, although the summit (where there is a cafeteria) is often trapped in the clouds, the viewpoint has now become a tourist attraction in its own right: the panorama over the city and the entire bay is breathtaking! Throned above the dome of this fortress, the statue of a Christ the Redeemer, more modest than its counterpart of the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, watches over the city. The other interest of the Loma Isabel de Torres is its botanical garden. It is to the engineer Benjamín Paewonsky that we owe this complete creation, dating from 1973. You can follow the paths lined with more than 600 local plant species (594 trees and flowers to be exact) while discovering the reconstruction of a traditional Taino habitat. A recommended visit, which will also allow you to refresh yourself when the heat in the heart of the city becomes stifling.

The trip through the Gri Gri lagoon takes about an hour. The boat glides slowly through a network of shallow channels in the middle of a dense mangrove forest. The scenery is magical and breathtakingly beautiful. We advise you to make this excursion early in the morning, as this is the time when the birds are present. After the visit to the Swallow Cave, you will swim in the clear waters of Caletón Beach. A pleasant outing alternating between physical effort, admiration and relaxation.

Many commercials have been filmed in this exquisite little bay, bordered by green, transparent waters and shaded by almond trees with abundant foliage. Excursion boats stop here for a swim after touring the Gri Gri lagoon.

It can also be reached by road, 3 km after Río San Juan. It takes about 10 minutes to get there. There, on the sand, a few restaurants, roughly equipped with tables and wooden benches, await the visitor to offer him grilled fish, salads and fruit juices..

Few people know it, even Dominicans, but the country's north coast is home to a colony of manatis . This mammal, measuring 3 to 4 meters and weighing up to 300 kilos, has made its home in an estuary surrounded by mangroves to the east of Punta Rucia. Long hunted by local communities, only 10 remained in 1996. It was then that the authorities decided to protect the area by creating a protected sanctuary dedicated to manatee conservation. One of the results of this project was the opening of the Ciudad Manatí information center in 2013.Here, local guides will tell you all about the manatee and its habitat during a guided tour through the mangroves, where you will be introduced to the different types of manatee. The highlight is the viewpoint from which you can watch the manatee come to the surface to breathe. According to the guides, you have a 90% chance of seeing one! Today, over fifty representatives of the species inhabit these waters. A fine example of successful animal protection and responsible tourism.

Alsoworth a visit: Finca la Protectora. An agricultural and craft farm producing coffee, avocados and cocoa, among other products. It is accessible by quad or 4x4. It is also possible to sleep on site (rather basic). A wonderful discovery of an eco-responsible place in the heart of lush nature.

Cayo Arena, from its original name Cayo Paraíso, is an essential visit of the north coast. Located at 20 min of boat of Punta Rucia, it is a small isolated sand bank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, protected by a coral barrier. Its size varies according to the tides; it is advisable to go there at low tide, when the island is larger and the beach more beautiful. On the beach, 2 cane roofs are installed to provide some shade. The surrounding water is calm, turquoise and crystal clear, and the sea bed is spectacular. The name of Paraíso has never been so justified! With the help of a mask (usually provided with the transport), you can admire the perpetual ballet of tropical fish in an explosion of colors. The corals are not to be outdone, forming a veritable underwater forest whose diversity amazes. The corals are (for the moment) in a good state of conservation, but the increasing number of visitors does not bode well for the future. During the high season, up to 500 people crowd the island, which is barely larger than a tennis court. Our advice: sleep in Punta Rucia and negotiate to leave early in the morning, so you will have the island and its seabed all to yourself, and the sensation for a few hours of having reached paradise.

The association of fishermen Astrapuca (+1 809 931 8626) offers tours to Cayo Arena (1 000 pesos / person - minimum 3 people). The tour lasts about 2 hours and includes a tour of the mangroves and a snorkeling stop.

It is impossible to miss this castle, which took more than 20 years to build (and is not yet finished), with its architecture at the crossroads of the Middle Ages and the fantasy of its author. Mundo King houses about 800 pieces of art: monumental sculptures of granite and wood rather disturbing, paintings mixing religious elements with dinosaurs and other apocalyptic scenes, all on several floors. Note: the crypt, absolutely not illuminated... shivers guaranteed! An intense experience that will not leave you indifferent.

The nerve centre of the city, it is the meeting place par excellence. Its pretty green and white octagonal gazebo with two-level galleries is an exact replica of the original from a not so distant time (1880) when municipal orchestras used to entertain on Sundays. There are the traditional shoe-shine boys, lottery ticket sellers, motoconchos, drink sellers, fruit sellers, chulamia (yucca fritters, a local specialty)... All around the park, buildings of pure Victorian style stand guard.

Located beyond the barrier reef, the group of seven islets, huddled together like seven brothers (hence their name), served as a refuge for many privateers and pirates. It is possible to camp there by requesting authorization from the harbor master's office. The sea turtles come here to lay their eggs between November and February. The beaches are numerous, rather narrow and of black sand. The most spectacular is the Morro beach which looks more like Etretat than the traditional tropical beach.

This small museum was created by the founders of the community and their descendants on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Sosúa. It traces the epic of the first Jewish settlers, since the signing of the Evian accords, the organization of a collective life, until the prosperity of the village. The exhibition is a unique testimony of this period; it consists of old photos of time, documents, and utility or personal objects. The museum is constantly evolving because it is enriched by personal donations.

It divides the locality into two parts: to the west, the Dominican village of Los Charamicos, and to the east, El Batey, more developed touristically. The sand is very white and the water incredibly crystal clear. Beautiful panoramic view of the bay. But the beach is much too crowded with sunbathers and water sports enthusiasts... It is difficult to escape all kinds of solicitations. We have to wait until 5pm for the place to regain its peaceful aspect. The pink and orange swirls of the sunset are then the most beautiful of shows.

Planted with palm trees, this charming beach is framed by two rocky barriers. You quickly lose your footing and the waves are sometimes big. Not recommended for children! Chiquita beach is less crowded, and therefore quieter, than the main beach. The beach bars of the hotel Casa Marina are there to quench all thirsts and small appetites by proposing some food to be nibbled. Many water activities are offered, starting with surfing, the main activity. Be careful, here the sun is strong, protect yourself.

The excursion takes about 2 hours and is walking through the countryside and tropical forest (predicting what to drink). You will discover six caves. In the past, cave Indians were living there. Once the emotion has gone, you'll take a look at some of the taino objects and ceramics exposed in a pompously cave called museum, visit a Dominican farm and maybe make a stop in a river in fresh waters or in one of the caves.

The Malecón avenue, which is called Avenida General Gregorio Luperón, runs along the ocean for 4 km. The promenade is pleasant and well-maintained: you can find rollerbladers, bicycles and sports enthusiasts with family or friends, enjoying the beautiful bicycle path. The Malecón comes alive in the evening and on weekends in the part corresponding to the city centre. You will notice it by the smell of the numerous frituras and chimichurris stands that invade it. But the beach is unfortunately not very beautiful, and the sea is polluted.

The handicraft market, the Mercado Nuevo, is housed in a concrete structure with a resolutely modern and aggressive architecture. Stands offer all local production in the fields of sculpture, painting, basket, textiles and consumables, cigars, rum… Apart from this, the traditional market is held with its coloured stalls and amply supplied in fruit and vegetables, sheltered under umbrellas or large sheets of plastic. We weigh the products on scales of fortune, the small restaurants make room.

Next to the former, it is reached by a small trail. Apart from that, you can walk through the heart of the mangrove forest, a lair of hundreds of white herons or vultures.

This beach located west on the exit of the Río San Juan lagoon was a former cemetery. You can reach the hotel in front of the Bahía Blanca.

This rocky cove is a dream swimming pool with translucent waters. Think of your masque and snorkeling palms!

You can reach this large natural cave by boat, which a colony of swallows has chosen as its home. The cave is named after these birds, golondrinas meaning "swallows" in Spanish. The cave can be reached in only five minutes by boat from Rio San Juan. Accompanied by your captain, you will admire its rocky composition while floating on crystal clear water. At the exit of the Cueva de las Golondrinas do not hesitate to swim in the natural turquoise and soft swimming pool. A walk in complement of the Laguna Gri Gri.

It extends behind the village. With a little luck and tenacity, there are many bird species. Fishing and hunting are prohibited.

Designed in France and built here in 1895, this old colonial wooden house was once the residence of the Rodríguez Jiménez family. The Dominican State later acquired it to convert it into the headquarters of the Montecristi Courthouse, an office that the Villa fulfilled until 1990. Abandoned for many years, it has undergone extensive restoration. The final project is to turn it into a Casa de Cultura, housing a school of Fine Arts.