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Puerto Plata: when your ship stops here

The cable car to the mountain top, the 1577 fort at the end of the sea front, the Victorian streets; the 27 waterfalls are for strong swimmers.

Facts checked Nov 1, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Puerto Plata is on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It has two cruise ports: Taino Bay, opened in December 2021 and the closer of the two to the city, and Amber Cove, a 25 acre port opened in 2015 in the Bay of Maimón, west of town. Victorian style wooden houses have been built here since 1857.

Sources: Wikipedia: Puerto Plata; Amber Cove (the port's own site)

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. The cable car to Pico Isabel de Torres

    The teleférico, built in 1975, carries 17 people at a time on an eight minute ride to a station 2,555 feet (779 m) above the sea. On top are a botanical garden and a smaller copy of Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue, with the city and the coast spread out below.

    Tip: Eight minutes up, eight down: the time goes in the queue and on top, so give it a couple of hours.

    Source: Wikipedia: Puerto Plata

  2. 2. Fortaleza San Felipe and the Malecón

    The stone fort on the point at the end of the Malecón, the sea front, was ordered in 1564 and finished in 1577 to keep pirates and rival powers off the north coast; the founding father Juan Pablo Duarte was once jailed in it. It has been a museum since 1965, open to the public since 1983.

    Tip: Taino Bay is in the city and Amber Cove is not: from Amber Cove the fort is a taxi or a tour.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Fortaleza San Felipe; Wikipedia: Puerto Plata

  3. 3. The Victorian town and the Amber Museum

    Puerto Plata has built in Victorian style since 1857, and the Museo del Ámbar Dominicano, founded in 1982 in the Villa Bentz, one of those houses, shows the island's amber.

    Tip: Look up as you walk: the houses are the museum too.

    Source: Wikipedia: Puerto Plata

What to skip

  • The 27 waterfalls of Damajagua unless you swim well

    About 30 minutes by taxi from either port, a run of limestone pools and cascades you climb up and then jump or slide back down, with a mandatory guide, helmet and life jacket. It starts with a 40 to 45 minute uphill trek; the seven falls route takes two to three hours and suits children of eight and over, the full route about four hours. Royal Caribbean's own guide says to be a strong swimmer for the longer routes. Wonderful for the fit, wrong for anyone unsure in moving water.

    Source: Royal Caribbean: A guide to the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Puerto Plata

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Puerto Plata, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 1, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

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