Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, Puerto Plata has kept the charm of the old colonial towns:Victorian-style wooden houses, a pretty octagonal gazebo in the Parque Central... We travel by motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) or guagua (collective bus) to go around it, visit the amber museum, the Brugal rum factory and especially the San Felipe fort which was used in the 16th century to repel pirate attacks. In the evening, we stroll along the malecon where the Dominicans like to dance the merengue. And for an overview, we take the cable car to Mount Isabel de Torres (900 m above sea level). At the top, a Christ the Redeemer overlooks hills in the shape of pyramids covered with more or less dense forests of palm trees. P>
It is one of the best windsurfing spots in the Caribbean. Cool and sporty, Cabarete comes alive in the early afternoon, when the trade winds blow in crescendo. Then make way for the ballet of multicolored sails above the waves. Everyone has their own beach:Kite Beach for kitesurfers, El Encuentro for surfers. In the evening, stroll through the many surf shops, drink coco loco, Cuba libre or mojitos on the beach before having dinner (coconut fish…) and dancing under the stars.
As beautiful as those of Punta Cana, the northern beaches are often wilder because they are more inaccessible. Between Cabrera and Nagua, you have to know how to find Playa Diamante, a real little gem. Best seller of postcards, Playa Rincon in Samana stretches 3 km of white sand and fine as sugar bordered by immense coconut groves. It can be reached by jeep, on horseback or by boat. Playa Grande, 10 km from Rio San Juan, is easier to find but so large that you can take long walks and jump in the waves without disturbing anyone.
Manatees, prawns, pelicans, frigates, turtles or oxpeckers have taken over this former haunt of pirates. No concrete complexes in this peninsula classified as a nature reserve, but small charming hotels and typical villages. In Los Cacaos, we are witnessing the return of fishing and the weighing of the dolphinfish. Hiking, idleness, diving among the wrecks of galleons, big game fishing... Samana offers a best-off of the country, with the added bonus of the sumptuous ballet of humpback whales. Every year, from January to the end of March, they leave the cold waters of the North Atlantic to come and warm up in the Caribbean. We then witness the show off of the males to attract the females. Spectacular!
We leave by jeep to visit the fincas and their coffee, cocoa or tobacco plantations. We cross villages with creole huts in fuchsia pink, straw yellow, almond green…. We come across herds of cows, schoolchildren in uniforms, old people seated around a game of dominoes, feverish cockfights. You learn to distinguish the different species of mangroves, palm trees or mango trees. We touch, we smell, we taste, including termites, which "taste like the smell of the Christmas tree" (!). Other excursions:the visit of the National Park of Los Haitises by boat, to discover the caves where the Taïnos Indians left rock drawings, and the ascent to the waterfall of El Limon (4 km on foot or on horseback), with swimming on arrival in a natural pool.
For more information:Tourist Office, tel. :01 43 12 91 91 and www.godominicanrepublic.com
