Things to see and do North Coast

The lagoon consists of a series of canals forming labyrinths between mangroves. They contain many species of birds. We can get there by renting the services of a fisherman.

This rocky promontory was christened by the great admiral who found him a form of slug slug. Recently declared national park, the Morro is the subject of a reforestation operation. After taking a stony trail, you have to take a trail that leads to the top within thirty minutes walking. From the summit, the show is grandiose. Around the Morro are planted ten white crosses symbolizing the Ten Commandments. Provide a antimoustiques bomb.

On April^1, 1895, Maximo Gómez Báez and José Martí, the hero of Cuban independence, signed the Montecristi Manifesto in which the Dominican promised his help in the struggle for Cuban independence. The old grey wooden house has been transformed into an interesting museum. Some documents and objects of the time allow us to imagine the daily life of a family of the Dominican petty bourgeoisie of the 19th century. There are also facsimiles of the treaty.

The clock, the pride of the city, which stands in the middle of the central park of San Fernando, in front of the church, was bought from France in 1895, thanks to the contributions of the local citizens. Its structure is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, which is understandable since the clock was designed by Gustave Eiffel himself and built by the famous clockmaker Paul Garnier. The latter, a genius craftsman, was a member of the Society of Civil Engineers in the 19th century. The Montecristi clock still works with its original mechanism.

Unfortunately, this is not a visit to a distillery, but to a specially equipped bottling WORKSHOP. A gallery overlooks the room where a handful of employees oversee the automated bottling of rum and its packaging in cartons. The tour (multilingual versions) presents the history of the BRUGAL brand and its many rums. Apart from that, there's no particular interest, apart from the tasting of a few samples. A warm welcome, however, from the whole team, who are delighted to show you around the factory.

The lighthouse is emblematic of the area. This imposing monument was made from cast iron by Robert Hills and Sons, at the request of the provisional government of Gregorio Luperón. It was lit for the first time on September 9, 1879. It is 24 meters high and rises about 50 meters above sea level. A spiral staircase runs inside. Its visit is of little interest today except for the beautiful panorama that is offered to our eyes... At its feet lies the new Anfiteatro de Puerto Plata, an open-air theatre inaugurated in 2016.

For a long time installed in a splendid colonial house of calle Beller, the museum of amber has just changed address and concept. If its previous version was more like a natural history museum, it is now a question of making the visitor live the experience of a miner. It is therefore the reconstruction of a tunnel (vaguely convincing) that welcomes us and leads to a jewelry cutting workshop. If you want to visit real mines, it is possible, at 1h30 from Puerto Plata (on request).

A square, imposing building, consisting of a wall framing a round, crenellated central tower. Its strategic position enabled it to effectively defend the port entrance against pirate attacks. It is the only building in Puerto Plata to date from the ^16th century. The fortress was used as a court of justice and then as a military prison on several occasions, notably from 1930 to 1961, during the Trujillo dictatorship. Inside, a small military museum displays the cell of Juan Pablo Duarte, Father of the Fatherland, who was detained here in August 1844.

On the edge of the central park, its white towers and the simplicity of its architecture give this cathedral a small provincial air. Dating from 1956, it replaced the original wooden church (16th century) destroyed by fire in 1863, intentionally set by the "Restorers". The construction of the present cathedral began in 1929 under the aegis of the architect Tancredo Aybar Castellanos. The religious building, flanked by two towers, is of Art Deco inspiration.

"El Paso de los Hidalgos" is the first land route built by the conquistadors. This road between La Isabela and Fort Santo Tomás de Jánico is said to have been laid out in honour of Admiral Christopher Columbus and the first children of the Spanish nobility who walked the area in March 1494. The area of Los Hidalgos is known as the "Land of Poppies", a flower that can be found throughout the area. It is known for its romantic character and is celebrated every year in April. It is a good time for declarations of love.

It was here, in 1493, that Christopher Columbus established the first European colony in America. The 1,500-strong community of craftsmen, farmers, herders and monks lived in this fortified place for almost 5 years, battling the indigenous people for possession of the land, before disappearing. A museum featuring a number of objects found during excavations retraces the daily life of these early settlers.

The ruins of this first city of the "New World" are grouped around two zones. The military zone, known as the Castillo, marks the site of the ancient stone buildings. The residential zone was home to the first generation of civilians, whose houses were temporarily built of more fragile materials.

In the first zone, among other remains, are those of the home of the conquistador Christopher Columbus, a two-storey edifice built on the edge of the rocks and whose mirador tower overlooked the town. A few stones mark the site of the first church, where Father Bernardo Boyl celebrated the colony's very first mass on January 6, 1494. It was here, on April 24 of the same year, that the first town hall was established, under the presidency of Giacomo Columbus, Christopher's brother, as well as the first court of justice. Then came the port and its warehouses.

Built to commemorate the settlement of the conquistadors, a church was inaugurated by the Spanish sovereigns.

One kilometer before reaching the village, La Enseñada beach unfurls its magnificent bay, with its lagoon of transparent turquoise waters, shallow because of the coral reef. The beach is immense. You can take a secluded swim without fear of being bothered by your neighbors. If you ask them nicely, for a few dozen pesos, the fishermen will grill you some fish - a real treat while you're enjoying the beach! At weekends, the beach comes alive. Pick-ups pour in with families picnicking to the sound of merengue and salsa.

The Templo Las Américas de La Isabela, also known as the Santuario de Jesucristo Evangelizador (Shrine of Jesus Christ the Evangelizer), was one of the very first Catholic churches to be built in the New World. Modest in size, what can be seen today is a reconstruction carried out on the ruins of the original temple. It's worth a visit for its historical value, as well as for the beautiful relics on display.

The initiative began in 2013, when Ben-Yam Barshi and his team went to the southern border area between Haiti and the Dominican Republic to participate in a reforestation project. They realized that the Moringa Oleifera thrives here, and that its sustainable cultivation could become a valuable asset in the fight against malnutrition and skin diseases, and even turn into an economic development opportunity, in addition to participating in the reforestation of the area. Indeed, the oil extracted from moringa seeds (ultra-rich in Omega 9 and vitamin E) has many properties, mainly in terms of treating skin ailments (healing wounds, reducing scars, caring for various infections, cuts, burns, skin rashes and fungal problems, etc.). Working hand in hand with local producers and after setting up a small oil extraction factory, the Moringaia company was born in 2015, elaborating a whole range of very good quality moringa-based products in the form of balms, oils and soaps. It is possible to visit the moringa cultivation fields, but also the oil factory, and to finish by a small tour in the shop (whose products can be found in many luxury shops on the island, enough to bring back beautiful souvenirs or gifts from your trip to the Dominican Republic). To do this, do not hesitate to contact Ben-Yam. An instructive visit.

It's done, Sosúa finally has its art centre. In order to develop a multicultural tourism, the government and the city of Sosúa inaugurated in 2013 this multidisciplinary center. The art center regularly announces exhibitions and events on its Facebook page, do not hesitate to consult it. It is also in this place that are organized artistic events like the day of art or dance.

Montecristi is the island's first saltworks area, even before Bani and Azua. The rectangular basins that extend out of the town towards the sea are particularly beautiful in the evening, at dusk, when they take on a beautiful pink colour under the last rays of the setting sun. In the early morning, the show is also pretty. Good to know: almost all the salt consumed in the country is produced by evaporation of sea water.

On the road from Samana to Cabarete/Puerto Plata, we find this spot, ideal to take a break for an hour and enjoy the crystal clear waters at 25°C of the two lagoons connected between them by a 20 meters underground stream (useless to tell you that it is useless to try to make the crossing!). A zip line is on the spot for those who would like a little more sensations! You can also simply jump into the water from one of the points located around the water hole. A real little cool stop!

This boutique offers a range of solid, finely crafted leather accessories. Browse the small space and choose from bags, purses, wallets, sandals, flip-flops, belts and much more, to find the leather object you want for yourself or to give as a gift when you return from vacation. Custom-made accessories are available on request, but obviously take time. To be discussed with the manager. Nevertheless, the choice is quite vast.