Puerto Plata

The first beach destination developed for tourism in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, remains one of its most popular, with a long string of affordable beachfront resorts and a reputation as one of the best spots for windsurfing in the world. The city of Puerto Plata, meaning ‘Port of Silver' in Spanish, dates to 1502, but much of its charm is from its Victorian-era architecture, such as pastel buildings with gingerbread details, and its warm, Dominican-style friendliness. Most of the hotels are all-inclusives catering to package tourists and are built on Playa Dorada, about 10 minutes to the east of the city proper. The resort can also serve as a gateway to the rest of the North Coast resorts, including laid-back Cabarete (famous for kiteboarding) and Sosua, a budget-friendly beach village with low-cost shopping and dining and good snorkelling.

Younger, budget-oriented, athletic travellers, primarily from Europe, Canada and the United States, are attracted to Puerto Plata, thanks to its array of modestly-priced resorts and its great watersports.

Puerto Plata is on the north-central coast of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with its smaller neighbour Haiti. The resort area is 16km (10 miles) from Puerto Plata Airport.

Puerto Plata is at the heart of the North Coast, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The city is built at the base of Isabela de Torres; flat beaches rise to green mountains deeper in the interior.

There are, perhaps, more picturesque sites elsewhere; the beige-sand beaches here are somewhat narrow and the water isn't as vivid a shade of turquoise as in some other parts of the Caribbean. Still, beaches here are festive, with crowds of locals and tourists enjoying music piped in by loudspeaker, and vendors offering waverunners, parasailing and other watersports.

Puerto Plata and its environs are packed with historical and cultural points of interest. Overlooking the harbour is San Felipe Fort, a remnant of the 16th-century colonial architecture and the oldest building in the city. The Taino Art Museum (Arawak Plaza) illustrates the history of the indigenous people, pre-Columbus, and the Amber Museum (Calle Duarte 61) displays a gorgeous collection of amber, including the piece holding a mosquito that was used in Jurassic Park.

Older kids and teens may enjoy trying their hand at windsurfing or sailing, but the surf is often too rough for little ones to splash safely. At Ocean World (Cofresi Bay) (website: www.oceanworld.net), a marine animal park just 5km (3 miles) from Puerto Plata, kids can watch a dolphin or sea lion show, pet a sting ray or nurse shark, snorkel with thousands of colourful tropical fish, and even feed a Bengal tiger at the jungle-like Tiger Grotto.

This area of the Dominican Republic is sometimes also called the Amber Coast, for its large deposits of the semiprecious stone, and silver jewellery featuring amber is a universally popular souvenir. Other popular buys are bold paintings (often done in neighbouring Haiti); cigars, also made locally, and aromatic Dominican-grown coffee.

The larger resorts all have their own discos where guests can dance until the early hours. Hemingway's Café (Playa Dorada Plaza) is popular for its occasional live bands (merengue, rock or reggae) as well as its karaoke and DJ nights. Three casinos open nightly for table games and slots.

Although many guests take most of their meals at their all-inclusive resorts, which typically offer a daily buffet with continental/Dominican cuisine plus speciality international restaurants, the city of Puerto Plata has many other choices. Eat traditional arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) or mangu (buttery mashed plantains) at many tiny, cheap cafés catering to locals. Or for more Western fare, try Sam's Bar & Grill (Calle José del Carmen Ariza 34), a longtime expat hangout serving good steaks, or Aquacero's (Malecon 32), where you can dine on reasonably priced seafood on the waterfront promenade in town.

Some hotels have shuttle buses that ferry guests to shopping centres and casinos; the casinos will also pay for your taxi ride. The local buses, called guaguas, run frequently and can be hailed from the main road outside the resorts; they are both cheap and a good way to meet locals. Hire cars are available from major agencies, but driving can be a risky proposition due to narrow, haphazardly marked roads and reckless drivers. The very cheapest option? Hop on a motoconcho, a motorcycle that its owner has pressed into service as a taxi.

Just an hour south of Puerto Plata is Santiago, a refined city of one million people. Recognised as the birthplace of the national music form, the merengue, the city still has a great nightlife, with clubs full of local fashionistas, and the country's best Carnival celebration. A city tour should include the central park, Parque Duarte; the cathedral; a museum such as the Tobacco Museum or the Tomas Morel Museum of Folkloric Arts, featuring colourful carnival masks; and the Monument a los Heroes de la Restauracion, built on a hill above the city to honour war heroes and offering sweeping city views.

Book a treatment at posh Bagua Spa, housed in Puerto Plata's most exclusive resort, Casa Colonial (Playa Dorada) (website: www.casacolonialhotel.com). Named for a principle of feng shui, the sleek spa will wash away stress with a signature treatment, perhaps a full-body scrub with crushed amber and sea salt, or a couples' massage in an oceanfront suite.

La Union International Airport (POP)