San Felipe de Puerto Plata Travel Guide

Avoid the tourist malls in Puerta Plata, the prices are pretty high. If you can get a guide to take you into the city, you can barter prices easier. Be careful of this too though, the guides will take you to shops owned by family members and they will try to overcharge, so be strong and don't be afraid to say, "to much!" At the beaches avoid eye contact with the venders it is the best way to keep them from following you around trying to get you to buy their trinkets. Unless of course you want to buy them. When you leave your resort, just about everyone around will try to get you to take their cab or go on a tour of some sort, just say no and keep walking if you start talking to them they will take up a lot of your time. Be friendly but stern.

Riding on a motocycle is a cheap option to paying for a taxi ride throughout the city. After sundown, all prices of taxi and motorcycle taxi rides go up in price. Most people speed, swerve and regularly drink alcohol and drive (some drink alcohol WHILE they drive) please use caution when riding on any motorcycle at anytime of the day; most insurance companies will warn against motorcycle (motoconcho) rides and if anything were to happen they may be very reluctant to pay out. Helmets are recommended as well as only one passenger per motorcycle -- these motorcycles are very risky to ride on, please be aware of the dangers! If you want to be a little more cautious, use a taxi at all times when going into the city.

The Amber museum is worth a visit. Anywhere else in the town, prepare to be hassled. The town has some interesting parts, but is a little jaded. A trip on the cable car to Mount Isable de Torres is worthile if you have kids, but the walks  around the gardens on the top of the mountain  are not as good as I had expected. Prepare to be hassled here too, everyone will want to be your guide - you don't need one.