Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PUERTO PLATA
POP 158,800
Squeezed between a towering mountain and the ocean is this working port town, the oldest
city on the north coast. Wander the Malecón or the downtown streets surrounding the
Parque Central and you'll see that small-scale revitalization efforts have replaced what was
until recently a palpable feeling of neglect. Intermingled with run-of-the-mill shops are the
fading, once-opulent homes built by wealthy German tobacco merchants in the 1870s.
Several restaurants are worth a visit, as are a few interesting museums, and the cable car
ride to the nearby bluff, if not clouded over, offers panoramic views.
History
As Columbus approached the bay in 1493, the sunlight reflected off the water so brilliantly
it resembled a sea of sparkling silver coins and so he named it Puerto Plata (Silver Port).
He also named the mountain that looms over the city Pico Isabel de Torres (799m), in hon-
or of the Spanish queen who sponsored his voyages. In 1496 his brother Bartolomé Colon
founded the city.
An important port for the fertile north coast, Puerto Plata - and, indeed, the entire north
coast - was plagued by pirates. It eventually became more lucrative for colonists to trade
with the pirates (who were supported by Spain's enemies, England and France) rather than
risk losing their goods on Spanish galleons. Such trade was forbidden and enraged the
Spanish crown. In 1605 the crown ordered the evacuation of Puerto Plata - as well as the
trading centers of Monte Cristi, La Yaguana and Bayajá - rather than have its subjects trad-
ing with the enemy.
The north coast remained virtually abandoned for more than a century, until the Spanish
crown decided to repopulate the area to prevent settlers from other countries from moving
in. Puerto Plata slowly regained importance, suffering during the Trujillo period, but even-
tually reinventing itself as a tourist destination. The early 1990s were golden years for the
city, and for the first time tourism revenues surpassed those of its three main industries -
sugar, tobacco and cattle hides - combined.
