By Laurie Martin

The names Playa Dorada (Gold Beach) and Puerto Plata (Silver Port) conjure images of vast riches from the time of Christopher Columbus. But centuries after the small amount of precious metal in the surrounding mountains was shipped to Spain, modern travelers have discovered a wealth of Caribbean hospitality on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

Playa Dorada, a community of ease just outside the town of Puerto Plata, has plenty to keep guests entertained. With the stunning beauty of Mount Isabel de Torres in the background, 14 resorts, a perfect stretch of beach, casinos, nightclubs, a Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course, an open-air shopping mall, acres of tropical landscaping, and delicious restaurants on hand, why leave your hotel?

But in a country full of fascinating culture, welcoming people, and an intriguing landscape, staying in the resort the entire trip would be like ordering a hamburger at the best steakhouse in town—you won't get a real taste of the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Plata offers more than a tropically appointed room and a piña colada at the swim-up bar (although that counts as a strong reason to return at the end of the day). From the heart of the city itself, to the fertile agricultural valley just a few miles away, to the crest of the region's highest mountain, adventure is right outside your resort.

City Wanderings
Downtown Puerto Plata, a short cab ride from Playa Dorada, displays the country's Spanish heritage blended with colorful Caribbean flavor. After all, the island of Hispaniola, home to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti, was discovered during Columbus's first voyage to the new world. Puerto Plata still claims him as its first tourist.

Start a day's walking tour at the town center. A charming white gazebo with a gingerbread-fringed second story marks the town square, Parque Luperón. Trees shade boys selling souvenirs or offering to show you the way to the Amber Museum, just down Calle Duarte. The mercado, a traditional Latin American market, is a few blocks in the opposite direction. For a more adventurous shopping experience, head there to bargain for fruit, vegetables, clothing, and crafts. A map of the downtown area is posted at the south end of the square, pointing out attractions and shops.

Relics from the Past
The Puerto Plata Amber Museum is among the best in the world, as is Dominican amber. The fossilized resin from prehistoric trees is not found anywhere else in the Caribbean. Movie crews filmed the opening aerial scenes of Jurassic Park in the mountains outside the city, and the Dominicans haven't missed their chance to capitalize on it. A Spielberg-esque sign outside the museum, housed in a beautiful Victorian home, lures visitors in to see the collection of golden-hued nuggets of ancient history.

A range of colors and inclusions (leaves, twigs, mosquitoes, roaches, beetles, ants, and even a rare lizard) influence the value of each stone. The museum's amber and larimar, a semi-precious stone unique to the Dominican Republic, are of good quality. But savvy shoppers know three simple tricks to verify the authenticity of a piece: Amber should fluoresce under black light, float in saltwater or 7-Up, and create static electricity when rubbed on silk. Less reputable dealers sometimes try to sell plastic imitations.

A Fortress on the Sea
Head north toward the coast to Fuerte de San Felipe. With mountains behind and the clear blue sea ahead, the fort was the stronghold of 16th-century Spanish colonists afraid of attack by raiding pirates. Guides will elaborate on the measures they took to protect themselves for a small gratuity (a few pesos will suffice).

The fort still has original cannons, a stack of cannon balls, and several weapons discovered during its reconstruction. Don't miss the interior moat, where the settlers and soldiers placed wooden spikes point-up in holes dug into the coral foundation of the fort. When covered with water, they promised a grisly death for any intruder who managed to get past the threshold.

A Day in the Country
Guided excursions are a great way to find hidden havens not advertised by road signs or posters. Jeep tours through the agricultural Valle del Ciabo are a popular choice. Crowded city scenes fade into lush green hills. Swatches of hot-pink hibiscus and yellow-green sugar cane accent the agricultural fabric of the fertile valley.

In the private gardens that bloom throughout the countryside (many welcome visitors), banana trees, mango, papaya, palm, cacao and ficus trees, geraniums, pineapples, hibiscus and rare orchids thrive. Warm Caribbean air and sunny skies make it easy to see how plants grow in Dominican soil, even if they are not native to the island. Sugar cane, a top cash crop, was imported from the Canary Islands on Columbus's second voyage.

The highlight of a countryside exploration just might be a visit to las cascadas (waterfalls) on the Damajagua River, at the end of a rutted gravel road bordered by endless sugar cane fields. Young boys on horseback splash through the river at the head of the trail, as they make their way to the first of 27 waterfalls.

Once at the falls, swimming is required. Visitors plunge through a total of six falls, navigating narrow passages darkened by water-smoothed canyon walls. Guides along the way offer hints and helping hands for the climb. Returning to home base is the real fun; what were slippery channels on the way up are natural waterslides on the way down.

The tour winds through villages with tiny houses painted festive colors. Chickens and goats graze in many of the yards. Children run to the trucks with hands outstretched. "Menta! Menta!" they implore, hoping for handouts of candy.

Mountain Vistas Via Cable Car
Once you've seen Puerto Plata from the ground, it's time to see it from the sky.

A bit of mystery surrounds the cable car to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres, the tallest mountain in the region surrounding Puerto Plata. Most guidebooks and Web sites on the area still say that the teleférico is no longer operating. However, the cars are in service, ferrying passengers to the 2,616-foot summit with a vibrating hum for about $7.

The fact that the cars are operating is good news for tourists, who can see picture-perfect views of Puerto Plata and neighboring Sosua as they meet the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. A statue of Jesus Christ at the peak is also photo-worthy, reminiscent of the larger statue in Rio de Janeiro. There are small gift shops and a cafeteria, but aside from the view, the real reason to visit the summit is to stroll through the botanical garden and enjoy the blessedly cool breezes. The trip back down the mountainside, drifting above the green canopy, is an exhilarating conclusion to the journey.

If you return to the resort at the end of the day with the dust of downtown Puerto Plata on your shoes, the fertile soil of the countryside on your traveling clothes, or a leaf from the gardens at the summit of Isabel de Torres in your hair, at least you can settle into a lounge chair by the pool that evening with enough memories and photographs to say you experienced the real Dominican Republic. Now how about that piña colada?

Travel Tips in the
Dominican Republic