Puerto Plata Vacations

General Information About Puerto Plata Vacations

Puerto Plata, located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, was established as a tourist destination in the late 1970s with the construction of the Jack Tar hotel, and further developed in the 80s. Dominican Republic vacation infrastructure, originally failing to keep pace with development, has vastly improved and is now up to standards. The greatest number of all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation packages are booked at hotels within the Playa Dorada resort complex, a massive gated community resort development featuring 14 hotels with over 4,500 guest rooms. Restricted access to the manicured grounds and shared facilities of the Playa Dorada complex includes meeting and convention facilities, sports facilities, shops, discos, casinos, a golf course and much more. Other all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation hotels outside of the Playa Dorada complex are just a short cab ride away, including the Costa Dorada resort, and the chain of Riu resorts.

Just 30 minutes from the Playa Dorada area is the town of Cofresi, a small tourist enclave featuring a spectacular bay, with golden sand and clear waters that are sure to please any Puerto Plata vacation traveller.  Also 30 minutes away is Sosua, a quaint, active beach town, featuring 5 beaches, numerous restaurants and bars, outdoor patios, and great nightlife for those looking for action on their Puerto Plata vacation. For those in search of a romantic destination to spend their Puerto Plata package holiday, the Samana Peninsula, located 3 hours from the Playa Dorada area, offers a great setting for nature lovers and adventurers alike.

There are several well-known attractions to take in during an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation.  While on a Puerto Plata package holiday, many tourists take the time to visit Fort San Felipe, a historical fortress constructed in the 1500s, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, which serves today as a museum. Other attractions include the Amber Museum, which houses a unique collection of valuable amber gemstones from the Dominican. There is so much to see and do on a Puerto Plata vacation, and a culture to be discovered by those willing to explore.

All-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation packages appeal to everyone – singles, couples, families, and seniors.  Puerto Plata vacations are ideal for value-conscious consumers who wish to stay close to the resort and take advantage of all that an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation package has to offer.  For those who do wish to do some exploring on their Puerto Plata vacation, taxis are not readily available, other than in the Playa Dorada resort complex.  Although Playa Dorada boasts clean drinking water, we recommend that you stick with bottled water on a Puerto Plata vacation to limit any risk of illness.

Sand and Sun on Your Puerto Plata Vacation

All-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation beaches feature golden, powdery soft sand. The dark waters do tend to be a bit rough at times, but are very swimmable.  For long walks on your Puerto Plata vacation, you will enjoy the spectacular, large bay at Playa Dorada.  Beaches here are affected by tides, as well as being loaded with vendors. If you like to browse local wares while taking a long stroll on the beach, a Puerto Plata vacation is for you. 

In addition to great beaches, all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacations feature great weather with relatively little seasonal fluctuation. During the winter season, when tourists from the north are enjoying all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacations to escape the cold, the average high temperature sits at around 83?F, with average overnight lows at around 63?F. During hurricane season (July-December), the typically bright Caribbean sun is often obscured by cloud, although the temperatures remain pleasant for a Puerto Plata package holiday at any time of the year. The great Puerto Plata vacation weather supports lush growth throughout the mountainous landscape of the Dominican, although most tourists do not tend to see much outside of the tourist zone, as the outskirts are somewhat impoverished.

Hurricane season, with its unpredictability of storm events, typically lasts from July through December, peaking from mid-August to mid-November. Although Puerto Plata vacations are not often impacted by hurricanes, the possibility remains. However, when booking Puerto Plata vacation packages, you can rest assured that tour operators will not fly you into a hurricane, and will act fast to get you out in the event of any development. You can find great Puerto Plata vacation package deals during hurricane season, and the economic advantage is well worth considering. We recommend that you speak with one of our tripcentral.ca agents to fully understand the great value benefit vs. limited risk associated with travel to this region during hurricane season.

Things to See and Do on Your Puerto Plata Package Vacation

If nightlife is a priority on your all-inclusive Puerto Plata package holiday, be sure to visit Playa Dorada. Puerto Plata vacations benefit from the many bars, casinos, and lively discos featured at the Playa Dorada, a gated hotel community for tourists. For those looking for an "American-style" casino on their Puerto Plata package holiday, one can be found at the Allegro Puerto Plata. 

For the shopaholic, all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation packages offer plenty of opportunities to shop 'til you drop.  In addition to a movie theatre, Playa Dorada Plaza is packed with a great variety of stores to satisfy the browsing itch.  A trip to the downtown area will provide tourists with even greater opportunity for browsing a selection of amber and silver crafts provided by local vendors, markets and bazaars – perfect for finding Puerto Plata vacation souvenirs.  For those in search of cash to fuel their Puerto Plata vacation shopping spree, there is a currency exchange and bank available in Playa Dorada. As for dining, most tourists tend to take advantage of the good food that is provided with their all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation packages, and restaurants are generally limited to local dining.

Puerto Playa vacations offer a wide variety of sporting activity options, including swimming with dolphins, baseball games (October to late January), parasailing, deep sea fishing, ATV tours, and horseback riding.  For those with a taste for a bit more excitement to go along with an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation, Cabarete beach offers the opportunity to try your hand at windsurfing.  To explore the wonders beneath the waters on your Puerto Plata package holiday, enjoy scuba diving in the Monte Cristo area, west of Puerto Plata.  Snorkelling on a Puerto Plata vacation is limited due to the relatively murky waters in the area.  If you wish to enhance your all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation with a few rounds of golf, the Allegro Puerto Plata is built around a Robert Trent Jones 18-hole golf course, located in the Playa Dorada complex.  Also, check out Playa Grande, considered one of the best courses in the Caribbean, located 1.5 hours from Puerto Plata.

Puerto Plata packages offer plenty of day trip opportunities for those interested in further exploration of the local culture. While on an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation, be sure to visit Ocean World Park, the Brugal Rum Factory, or the Amber Museum – something for everyone.  The Puerto Plata holiday experience is all about variety, and tourists can enjoy everything from a coffee tour to a monster truck excursion. Try out a catamaran or take a day trip to Sosua for restaurants and shopping. When you choose an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation package, the options seem limitless, and you are sure to find plenty of activities to suit your particular tastes.

Puerto Plata vacation activities may be limited during the week leading up to Easter – Holy Week in Puerto Plata.

All-Inclusive Puerto Plata Vacation Package Availability, Accommodations, and Value

Puerto Plata vacation package flights are widely available across Canada. All-inclusive Puerto Plata package hotels built prior to the 1980's are typically sprawling, low-rise structures.  A selection of all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation resorts, including Sun Village and Jack Tar resorts, are located on a hillside, and some distance from the beach.  Some Puerto Plata vacation resorts have been spruced up, including The Ventana beach resort which was renovated and expanded in the early 90's. All-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation resort properties are typically well-established with lots of trees. Most of the Puerto Plata area is pretty quiet, although the rustic markets are very much alive.

For those planning a wedding in the sun, Transat Holidays offers a wide variety of wedding packages that are economical. Puerto Plata vacation weddings require planning, and you should speak with one of our tripcentral.ca agents well in advance to ensure that your plans are set.

If you appreciate great value, book an all-inclusive Puerto Plata vacation today.  In addition to the good weather and beaches, Puerto Plata vacations offer a good location from which to experience the variety of Dominican culture, and great value for those who wish to stay close to their all-inclusive resort.