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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 Germans, Austrians,
Canadians and Americans 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 in the Dominican
Republic.
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Sosua
was originally settled by around 600 Jewish
refugees fleeing the Second World War who set
up a dairy community. As a result, Sosua began
to thrive and was soon discovered by the wealthy
from nearby Puerto Plata, Santiago and San Francisco
de Macoris who came and set up vacation homes.
Most of the original Jewish settlers have moved
on, but the dairy that produces the Productos
Sosua continues to this day. The Sosua Synagogue
has a museum with photos and memorabilia of
the first Jewish settlers. You can also attend
services there.
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.
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How
to get there
Fly into the Gregorio Luperon 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.
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.
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Rent
a car in Sosua >>
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 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 María Trinidad Sánchez
province, with a stop at Cabarete Beach.
he
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).
Sosua
offers about 2,000 hotel rooms, guest houses,
small hotels, apartment-hotels and all-inclusive
resorts. Some have their own beaches. Some are
located in the Charamicos or El Batey areas,
others are minutes away by car to the East or
West of the beach.
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Book your hotel
in the Dominican Republic >>
Dining
outside the hotel
The all-inclusive concept in hotels
is a relatively recent development, so there
are still a large number of good restaurants
in the Sosua area. They mainly cater to the
large foreign community in the area.
Nightlife
outside the hotel
Sosua gets up when Puerto Plata sleeps.
So expect lots of activity at Sosua's discotheques
starting after 11 pm.
Live bands: At the Britannia Pub in Sosua, owners
Lyndon and Barb have live music on alternate
weekends.
Shopping
The shops feature all sorts of beach
wear, artistically painted t-shirts, hats, pareos
(beach wraps), arts and crafts… you name
it, it’s here. You can shop in the town
stores or right on the beach, remembering always
to haggle for the best price!
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
Diving
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.
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