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Fish Photo Caption
Sosua is located
in the heart of the popular beach area of the Atlantic Coast, about 20 km
east of Puerto Plata and 14 km west of Cabarete. It is divided into two
separate villages which are separated by a bay at whose base is a
beautiful sandy white beach more than half a mile long. In addition to
sunbathing, it is the scene of a variety of water sports such as sailing,
waterskiing, jet-skiing, and just offshore a short distance there are
banks of coral that are excellent for scuba-diving. Not far away to the
east is another beach where the conditions are great for surfing (with
just a board, without sail). Sosua is great place for nightly
entertainment too
Actually Sosua is divided into
two separate villages which are separated by a bay at whose base is a
sandy white beach more than half a mile long behind which are located a
continuous row of small bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. In addition
to sunbathing, it is the scene of a variety of water sports such as
sailing, waterskiing, jet-skiing, and just offshore a short distance there
are banks of coral that are excellent for scuba diving. Not far away to
the east is another beach where the conditions are great for surfing (with
just a board, without sail). Other beaches close by include Puerto
Chiquito, Playa Chiquito and Playita.
To the east of the main beach
lies Los Charamicós, formerly a sleepy fishing village but which has in
recent years been converted into a business and residential sector for the
concentration of Dominicans who have moved into the area to seek work in
activities associated with the tourist industry. Most of the buildings in
the centre are old and are typical of most Dominican villages, with
crowded rambling streets and noisy moto-conchos running up and down the
streets. Practically all of the restaurants serve local dishes, and the
ambiance is typically Dominican. In a few places excellent fish dishes are
served.
Opposite the bay is El Batey
which is booming with new hotels and tourist attractions. It was founded
in 1940 when the dictator Trujilo offered to take in Jewish refugees from
Germany who were being persecuted by the Nazis. About 600 of them
immigrated, of whom only a small group eventually remained and became
engaged in the dairy and smoked-meat industries.
There are quite a
few large hotels in and around the Sosua area, with casinos, discotheques,
bars, excellent restaurants and souvenir shops. At night time Sosua really
gets going when dance floors in the discos fill up.
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Why choose Sosua?
Sosua is for bargain-hunters, explorers and singles looking for an active
beach town, including a hopping night life. Sosua is centrally located on
the North Coast, close to many other destinations you can explore on your
own or on excursion. You will find many small hotels as well as large
all-inclusive resorts.
About Sosua
Sosua is the Acapulco of the Dominican Republic. You
could say that this is where tourism first began back in the 70s and 80s.
Despite development, Sosua still keeps its charm
with the highest density of shops and restaurants in the Batey section of
the destination. Foreigners who originally came for a beach holiday have
now established their own ex-patriot communities and businesses. There are
large numbers of Americans, Germans, Austrians and Canadians who live
here year round. The one kilometer long Sosua Beach continues to be the
main attraction of the area. In spite of the large number of vendors who
have set up shop right on the beach, it’s still one of the most
spectacular Beaches in the Dominican Republic.
Tourism took off in the 70s and 80s, with the sleepy beach town catering
to thousands of day trippers from Playa Dorada resort and to overnighters
staying in the many small hotels that sprang up in Sosua. The town built a
reputation for its night life. It is said that Sosua wakes up when Puerto
Plata and Playa Dorada go to bed!
In the 90s, tourism evolved towards the
all-inclusive trend and several large resorts were built in the area.
Guests still come from nearby Playa Grande, Rio San Juan, Playa Dorada and
Puerto Plata for dining, beach town shopping and night life entertainment.
Port of Entry / How to get there
Fly into the Gregorio Luperón International Airport
of Puerto Plata (POP), about a 10 minute drive from Sosua. If you fly into
Las Americas International Airport you will be 4 hours drive away. There
is Caribe Tours bus service from Santo Domingo to Sosua, from which you
can take a minibus or taxi to your hotel. Minibuses travel to Sosua all
day long from Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada or Cabarete.
What else is nearby?
Sosua is half way between Puerto Plata (25
kilometers to the west) and Cabarete. A stop there is a must for all those
traveling the North Coast. In Sosua, you are near all the attractions in
Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada, Cabarete and Playa Grande (about one hour's
drive away). The best way to see it all is to rent a car. Drive west one
day all the way to the La Isabela museum, near Luperón.
On the way
there
visit Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, Cofresí, Costambar and then La Isabela.
Go swimming in Luperón beach prior to returning to Sosua. On the next day
drive east all the way to Rio San Juan, Pueblito Principe (a small
Dominican-style shopping street) and Playa Grande in Maria Trinidad
Sánchez province, with a stop at Cabarete Beach.
Getting around
For the most part you can get around Sosua on foot
if you are staying in the neighborhoods of El Batey or Charamicos. The
streets are well lit and there are lots of people outside day and night.
Motorcycle rentals are common. And there are many minibuses and taxis for
trips to Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada or Cabarete.
Attractions
The main attraction of Sosua is the beach, the shops
and restaurants. Snorkeling is an option but is not spectacular in this
area. Sosua Beach is a U-shaped beach of fine whitish sands in a sheltered
cove. Multiple water sports can be hired right on the beach. It is easy to
swim to the reefs. At night, Sosua is a different scene altogether, with
partying going on until the early morning hours.
Sosua is close enough to Puerto Plata to enjoy all
its attractions. Visit the Amber Museum, take the cable car ride up to the
Botanical Gardens atop Isabela de Torres Mountain. Take a tour of the rum
factory with free samples and an option to buy quality rum. Spend the
morning at the Columbus Water Park with its many slides and pools. Spend
the afternoon at the Go Kart/Bumper Car park that is open all night. These
two parks are just a 15-minute drive from Sosua.
Excursions
North Coast excursions include safari-style jeep
trips into the countryside, catamaran day trips off Sosua Beach, horseback
riding excursions into the outback, trips to Cabarete and La Isabela Park
off Luperón (where the first European settlement in the New World was
built in the 15th Century), Cofresí Beach, and the Puerto Plata city tour
(may or may not include the cable car ride).
Sports:
Snorkeling
Moderate amount of fish near the coral reef makes
for decent underwater photo opportunities. You can see flounder, parrot
fish, grouper, porcupine and dozens of other varieties.
You can easily snorkel from the beach to the reefs. Taking a tour allows
you to reach reefs further out and to focus on having a good time in the
water, as your valuables are guarded.
Snorkelers can swim about 150 feet from shore and find coral reefs and
delightful opportunities for feeding fish and taking underwater photos.
There are usually several dive boats in the same vicinity, so everybody is
aware of the presence of divers and snorkelers. The water is very calm in
most areas, with only a couple of tricky currents, and it is crystal clear
on most days.
Scuba
The better scuba diving opportunities are to the
West and the East of Sosua. Several dive shops offer varied excursions.
Divers of all levels can enjoy shallow reefs, shipwrecks, freshwater cave
diving, deep water diving and possible encounters with humpback whales and
other large creatures. Summer air temperatures can hit the mid 90s, while
winter temperatures drop to the
70s.
Water temperatures range from the high 70s to low 80s, and visibility
ranges from 70 to 100 feet.
Fishing
Plenty of small boat fishing trips can be booked in
Sosua |