What to do

AN OVERVIEW
The laid back and relaxing atmosphere of the culture matches the enviable warm weather Puerto Plata enjoys year-round. You can also expect to experience the national music and dance of the island - merengue! An easy dance to learn, the merengue dance and music beckons you to happily dance away your nights at the area's bars and clubs. Another surprise you will find is the relative value Puerto Plata offers. Due to the growth in tourism and favorable exchange rates, you can expect to find your money going a long way. There is a spectrum of hotel and resort options to suit different budgets, and many shopping options. Expect to bargain in local stores, but you will find fixed prices in larger stores, and at the airport. You can also expect to set your own pace when you arrive - choose to relax your days away on the beaches, or pursue the intense experiences of adventure tourism. For example, whale watching is an option during January - March, and white water river rafting, diving, and windsurfing are available year-round. We hope your travel experiences on the island go beyond your expectations!

NIGHTLIFE
If the passion of merengue and salsa dancing sounds like the kind of nightlife you'd like to encounter, and then hit the local scene. Exotic local rum is served with coke, as the traditional drink of the area, along with the traditional drinks of one of the more famous bars is Hemingway's in Playa Dorada. Live music is often played on Saturday nights to an international and local crowd. Many discos can also be found in this resort area at hotels that charge outsiders a cover, usually between $10 & $15, depending upon exchange rates. A knowledge of merengue and salsa dancing will make you feel a part of the scene, but in the tourist and hotel areas the discos are definitely up to speed on the latest rock and dance tunes from America to Europe. If you want to mix with the locals, you can learn merengue at the clubs or your hotel. Dominicans socialize through dance and it's usually left to the men to ask the ladies to join them on the dance floor. Dress is fairly global, in the sense that in the bars some tourists are in jeans and shorts, although discos tend to find people in more dressy attire.

WEDDINGS
Have you ever wanted to be married in a tropical paradise? Maybe on the beach at sunset? Does the thought of merengue music playing in the background sound exotic to you? The Dominican Republic is the new wedding destination of the Caribbean. Any couple is able to customize the tropical wedding ceremony of their dreams. It is fairly easy to arrange for a legal civil ceremony in the Dominican Republic for this special occasion. The island and its atmosphere make it an ideal candidate for marriage. Hotels are usually a huge help in the planning required, and there are some outside restaurants and gazebos that serve as the perfect backdrop for this special day (Pier Giorgio's in Sosua is one of our personal favorites). For $600 dollars or less, you can have a very nice wedding in the Dominican Republic. The document requirements are a passport or original birth certificate, a single status affidavit (in Spanish), and/or a divorce decree (in Spanish) stating you are free to marry. Two witnesses are required, and passports are usually needed; however, Dominicans can witness the wedding and provide "cedulas" for this purpose