San Felipe Apóstol Cathedral
Church on the main square of the old town, a calm place to step inside. The nearby streets have Victorian-style wooden houses and cafés.
Puerto Plata
Beaches, Victorian-style houses and a cable car that climbs Mount Isabel de Torres belong to this resort city on the north coast.
Attractive locations
Playa Dorada
Long golden beach on the north coast, lined with resorts and a golf course. The calm water is good for swimming, and beach restaurants and shops are within a short walk.
Cabarete Bay
Curved bay known as one of the Caribbean's best spots for kitesurfing and windsurfing, thanks to steady winds. The beach has surf schools, bars and a relaxed travellers' atmosphere.
Encuentro Beach
Beach near Cabarete with reliable waves, popular with surfers of all levels. Lessons and board rentals are easy to find, and there are food stalls and cafés along the shore.
Isabel de Torres National Park
Mountain park rising behind the city, reached by cable car, with botanical gardens, a statue of Christ near the summit and wide views over the coast.
San Felipe Fortress
Sixteenth-century Spanish fort at the harbour entrance, with thick stone walls, a lookout tower and a small museum. It once served as a prison and looks along the seafront.
Airports
Gregorio Luperon International Airport POP
It is about 13 km in a straight line from Puerto Plata.
Cibao International Airport STI
It is about 44 km in a straight line from Puerto Plata.
Samaná El Catey International Airport AZS
It is about 115 km in a straight line from Puerto Plata.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Dominican Republic page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan24.8 °C50 mm
- Feb24.7 °C29 mm
- Mar24.8 °C39 mm
- Apr25.5 °C47 mm
- May26.3 °C78 mm
- Jun27.3 °C50 mm
- Jul27.6 °C57 mm
- Aug27.9 °C66 mm
- Sep28.0 °C76 mm
- Oct27.6 °C80 mm
- Nov26.5 °C99 mm
- Dec25.6 °C54 mm
Driest months: Feb, Mar, Apr. Wettest months: May, Oct, Nov.
Costs
Prices here are about 39% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
911 for all emergencies.
local government
Tourist Police (POLITUR), Dominican National Police
Helps with: The central office of the Dominican tourist police, listed in the National Police directory. Its tourist assistance and protection work covers visitors in tourist areas.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in the Dominican Republic.
Phone: (809) 222-2123
Email: [email protected]
Address: Ave. Gustavo Mejía Ricart esq. Teodoro Chasseriau, Santo Domingo, D.N.
ngo
Cruz Roja Dominicana (Dominican Red Cross)
Helps with: The Dominican national Red Cross society, a non-profit. Its services include a blood bank, clinical laboratories, training, and ambulance transport. It also lists disaster response and pre-hospital care as areas of work.
Who qualifies: People in the Dominican Republic who need its health, ambulance or disaster services.
Phone: 809-334-4545
Address: C/ Juan E. Dunant No. 51, Ensanche Miraflores, Santo Domingo
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Dominican Republic
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in the Dominican Republic since 1968. It responds to the humanitarian needs of migrants, displaced people and returnees, and supports migration management.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees in the Dominican Republic. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +1 809 688 81 74
Address: Av. César Nicolás Penson 102, Santo Domingo
local government
Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches the police, ambulance and fire services in the Dominican Republic. UK government travel advice says 911 does not have full coverage across the country.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 911
local government
Tourist police emergency line outside Santo Domingo
Helps with: Tourist police line for emergencies outside Santo Domingo, as given by UK government travel advice. That advice says the 911 number does not cover the whole country.
Who qualifies: Visitors who are outside Santo Domingo and need the tourist police in an emergency.
Phone: +1 809 200 3500