Consider Puerto Plata vacations for your next getaway

Imagine yourself slowly working your way up a mountain, 2,640 feet above sea level, to the summit of Isabel de Torres mountain on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Now visualize stunning views of Puerto Plata, its busy commercial harbor, and in the background, the sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean, all laid out in a beautiful landscape image below you.

Visiting Parque Nacional Isabel de Torres is just one of the many popular activities available for people planning Puerto Plata vacations.

If you don't have the time or energy to climb the steep trails, you can also take the popular cable car to the top, and enjoy the scenery along the entire ride. And at the top, botanical gardens brimming with lush, tropical flora are a sight to see.

Puerto Plata vacations don't all have to involve heights - there's plenty to do at sea level as well. One great stop is the Ocean World Adventure Park, where you can play with dolphins, and view sea lions, sharks and stingrays in the water, or echo the calls of exotic and colorful tropical birds on your walk through a tropical forest. Visit www.oceanworldadventurepark.com for more information about this park located just three miles west of Puerto Plata.

A great way to catch a bit of Puerto Plata's history is with a quick tour of Fort San Felipe, which was used in the 16th century by the Spanish to defend against pirates. Later, in the 20th century, the fort was a prison, and today tourists can tour the torture room. Nestled on the edge of the Caribbean, this fort also provides plenty of panoramic scenery.

What's a trip to the Caribbean without some of the area's most famous drink revered by pirates? Take a tour of Puerto Plata's Brugal Rum Distillery and see how the drink is processed from sugarcane into molasses and then eventually bottled in Puerto Plata. The tour also includes free rum samples. Brugal is usually the main ingredient in the popular Dominican Republic drink, mamajuana.

Whether you're flying into Puerto Plata for a week's stay at one of the resorts in the area, or stopping off at the port on one of the many Caribbean cruises, you should make a stop at Museo de Ambar Dominicano as part of your vacation. This museum has what some experts say is the most transparent collection of amber in the world.

Courtesy of ARAcontent