A Spanish fortress on a picturesque bay with a green canopy of mountains in the distance stands above historic Puerto Plata our destination for a day in the Dominican Republic.

A Quick Stop in the Cruise Port

Before doing our motor coach tour of Puerto Plata through the cruise line, we checked out the Amber Cove port shops. I saw some magnets and some colorful baseballs. Many U.S. professional baseball players come from the Dominican Republic. Former St. Louis Cardinal player Carols Martinez was from Puerto Plata.

There was also a small botanical garden area with a fake amber fountain with insects trapped in it, which Andrew enjoyed identifying.

The Dominican Republic is known for amber and it was where the amber was found in the movie Jurassic Park.

A cute note, in the bathroom they had a sign about the floor can be slippery and instead of a plain one, it was modeled after a banana.

Then in the main square of the port, we got on the motorcoach and started our tour of Puerto Plata.

Drive-By Areas

The city is slowly being revived. One shopping area has an installation that includes rainbow umbrellas hung above an alleyway and just a little way down from there was a street done in pink.

First Stop: The Central Square of Town

Our first stop was Parque Central or Parque Independencia where the main cathedral was located along with historic homes and buildings. Also, in the plaza, we saw statues of historic figures.

The square had a two-story gazebo and was still filled with candy canes from Christmas. The buildings were bright colors of blue or yellow with long balconies.

The Cathedral San Felipe has two steeples and beautiful Italian stain-glassed windows. Since it was Sunday the town was pretty quiet. They were having services so we stayed towards the back and looked in. Some people were selling us necklaces out front, but they were not too hard to avoid.

Cocoanut Chopping with a Machete

After the cathedral, we headed back to the plaza and a vendor with cocoanuts was there. Our tour included drinking out of a coconut.

“The less ripe they are the more watery cocoanut juice inside and the riper they are the better the meat,” the tour operator explained.

I didn’t notice this before, on “Gilligan’s Island” I always saw them drinking out of ones that were completely brown. They must have filled it up with fresh water. I liked the taste of the non-ripe ones.

Going to the Gift Shop

We walked from the square to a tour operator-sponsored overpriced gift shop at one end of the square. It was also crowded with another tour so it was not the best experience.

Learning about A Dominican War Hero

Next, we went to the Gregorio Luperon House Museum located in a Victorian-style building where he once lived in. The museum guide talked about his life as we went through the building. Luperon had led a revolution against the Spanish and is a hero to the country was all I gathered.

Rum Factory Tour

After the museum, we headed to the Brugal Rum Bottling Plant. The tour here begins in a standing-room-only theater where you see a short film on rum and Brugal Company. When the film ended, we then learned about the bottling process.

I think they should have seats instead of standing since we ended up sort of sitting on the rails and watching the film. My son Andrew actually enjoyed the short movie since it was a cool space after walking around the city in the heat.

When the film ended we learned about the bottling process and then tasted the rum. They had a wide variety for us to try. We even picked up a bottle.

The gift shop was separated from the bottling facility and we bought a few souvenirs. It was also near where the clean restrooms were located.

Lunch and Art with a Garden

Lunch was next. It was buffet style with chicken, ceviche, salad, and sides along with soft drinks. It was on a deck of a small hotel with an art gallery, and a small botanical garden.

After lunch, they gave us a tour of the facility. The downstairs gallery was set up like an artist’s studio, it was a mixture of different works.

An artist uses recycled plastic bottles for her art. I like the environmental statement she is making. I thought about buying one of the plastic flowers, was just not sure how they would stay up in luggage.

Checking out the Fort

After this was the crown jewel of the day. We headed to Fort San Felipe. It is the only remaining colonial structure in Puerto Plata. Built between 1564 and 1577. It has huge walls and a deep moat and protected the city from a sea invasion. Sadly, the fort had spent a lot of its life as a prison.

The structure allows for water vistas and up above it stands a yellow-painted tower of a lighthouse, which was more like a radio tower than what I would think of a lighthouse, but not like one I’ve seen before.

Down below the fort was a pedestal statue with General Gregorio Luperon on a horse that was standing erect. On the side, it read Primera Espada De La Restauracion 1839-1897.

Inside the fort, artifacts include swords, chains, prints and photos, and some historic information.

We liked it for its rounded towers, lookouts, and how it was molded into the hillside. It was a unique structure.

After the fort, we headed back to Amber Cove.

My Take on the Tour

Overall I liked this experience since it was a safe space and it was easy for us to get to since we were on the shore excursion. I think I would recommend our tour to people with younger kids. Other tours include climbing up to see a waterfall or a rainforest excursion with lots of walking, which is not as kid friendly.

AMBER COVE ACTIVITIES

We had some free time after the tour so we checked out activities at Amber Cove. If your time is short you might be able to only do the tour and not have time to swim.

If you would rather not do a tour this is another option to do that includes swimming and for me ziplining.

Water Park Area

Along with the shopping and dining section, Amber Cove has a water park and zipline area that is free to cruise ship passengers.

My son and I went up and down the slides several times. My son liked the open curved one and liked the tube slide since I could go down faster.

Then we went swimming in the zero-entry depth pool. It is large and in a garden setting with wooden bridges crossing parts of it.

Also, by the swimming pool is a splash pad for the younger ones.

Zipline

Above the pool is a zipline, which costs $28 with unlimited uses for adults with a cheaper price for children. Published prices have changed so check at the zipline booth at the top of the hill above the pool. There are two lines going 650 feet.

I soared above the pool and looked out over the water and the distant mountains. The first time I did it I mostly just worked to hang on. The second time I did it I could enjoy the ride looking out and seeing the pool and the ocean in the distance.

Other Activities

The pool includes a swim-up bar. Near the splash pad are a half-court basketball court, a volleyball court, and a giant chess set.

You can also rent private cabanas.

By the Cabana Bar is a water sports rental booth where you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, hydro-bikes, and pedal boats for 30 minutes or an hour. Prices vary.

After pool time we went back to the shops to make our final purchases then back on the cruise ship for our next adventure.

MORE PAST CRUISE STOPS

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Seeing Stingrays at Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private oasis, was our first port. It is filled with a variety of island activities including stingray encounters, glass-bottom boat viewing, snorkeling or just hanging out on the beach and swimming in the pristine Caribbean Sea.

Cruising Experience

Taking a Norwegian Escape Cruise

Cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Norwegian Escape and visit Caribbean Islands and onboard activities like a ropes course, mini-golf, and water park.

Cruising with Kids

On our Caribbean cruise with Holland America, we were able to take advantage of using the kid’s club since Andrew was way beyond needing diapers