Puerto Plata must sees?

Hi! I will be in Puerto Plata at the end of March and I'm wondering what tourist attractions I should NOT miss. The main purpose of the trip is rest, relaxationa and RUM! But I would hate to get home and hear, "Oh you should have gone here! You should have done this!" Any recommendations on things to do in Puerto Plata? Thanks! DJ

Hi DJ- I recommend you take the Rum Runners tour! Great time and a very interesting and educational day!The cost is approximately 69.00 US for that tour. We travelled by taxi into Puerto Plata for a day and enjoyed that as well! The people are great and it is neat to meet them in their shops. Some of the children that were in town would sort of beg you to buy a fresh picked flower but I was told to give them nothing but candy.If you give them cash that makes them not want to go to school because then they are making money.We took down Werther's Original candies and the kids liked them.We even gave them to kids that we saw walking to school. At the hotel the tour group that you picked to take your trip with will have a rep there and they offer tours-Banana boat,Catarmaran- and such so they will keep you busy if you want to take and pay for them! Have a great trip! Jennifer

Rent a car and tour the beaches and beach areas/towns -- Playa Dorada, Sosua, Cabarete, Rio San Juan (Caletón), Playa Diamante, Playa Grande. Visit Columbus Aquaparque near Sosua, see the Amber Museum in the city of Puerto Plata. Check to see if the skylift (teleferico) is open when you come.

Hi DJ, I agree with Jennifer, a must see tour would be a tour of the country side, which I assume is the rum runners tour. We went on a similar one called tropical jeep topurs (or something like that!). The highlight was climbing through a 7-story water falls! The price was 40.00 pp US. Well worth it. Be sure to also go downtown Puerto Plata. Lots of little stores. T-shirts about 7.50-10.00 Can each, lots of amber jewelry (gold expensive, silver not too bad). Be sure to buy some Santo Domingo coffee if you're a coffee drinker! Buy it at the supermarket to get the best price (about 4.00 per half pound). Be sure to leave your resort area to get a good idea of what DR is all about. Any further questions, please feel free to email me.

Here is a short must see list: In Puerto Plata - Amber Museum: shows how amber is formed the different types etc., store with amber pieces for sale.

Cable car (if its running yet): carries you to the top of small peak with gardens and spectacular views

Brugal Rum Factory: tour of rum factory with samples and option to buy rum and souveniers (cheapest rum price anywhere). Buy the Singlo De Oro commemorative bottle. In Sosua - take a taxi to Sosua Beach for the day excellent place to snorkel. A cable with floats extends from the beach to the reefs. Laguna Gri Gri and Playa Grande beach - find a tour which goes to both places, usually available cheap. Laguna Gri Gri is a mangrove swamp which you will not find in the US. Playa Grande Beach is a beautifull white sand beach.

DJ - these are all great ideas, definitely go into town, get adventurous and take a local bus or jump on a moto concho (motorcycle taxi), these are cheap modes of transportation but fun. I lived in Puerto Plata and I found the Malecon a wonderful walk each day, mind you a long one. There are nice little restaurants and you are getting the breeze from the ocean so it doesn't feel that hot. Please always keep in mind that everything takes time in the DR, and that you must always be patient and respectful. A trip out to Cofresi and Costambar is very nice as well. A must is to go into town and check out the local action so that you have had the Dominican experience.

We took "H-tours" Jeef Safari. Very similar to Sonya's. We paid $40 US and had the time of our lives! Waterfalls, we got to sit on a huge bull, see cock-fighting (they didn't have their claws so they couldn't kill), coffee grinding, wood carvings, etc. and a fabulous lunch. Well worth the money.