The port traces its origins to the explorations of Italian navigator Christopher Columbus, who sailed along its coast for the first time in 1492 and saw Pico Isabel de Torres, which he called the Monte de Plata ("mountain of silver"). The Spanish founded the original settlement on the site of Puerto Plata in 1496, which became an important base for pirates operating in the Caribbean. Puerto Plata was destroyed by fire in 1863 and then completely rebuilt.
Puerto Plata's light industry and agribusiness is vital to the Dominican economy. The city boasts small boat-building, weaving and shoe factories and serves as an important transit point for imports and exports. Tourism, however, is by far the most important business and largest employer in Puerto Plata, with a string of luxury resorts lining the coast and dozens of hotels populating the town.
Puerto Plata has been home to French, Italian, German and Cuban immigrants, all of whom left their mark on its society and culture. Those colonial and European influences are still evident in the Victorian architecture of many of the city's homes and public buildings, as well as in the Fortress of San Felipe, built to defend against pirates and freebooters, which rises above the harbor.
One of Puerto Plata's biggest attractions is its annual Carnival in February and March, where residents and visitors enjoy street parades, public dances and the election of King Momo, the festival ruler.
At Playa Dorada, a coastal resort area stretching east along the Atlantic from the harbor, Ocean World Adventure Park offers water sports, an aquarium and swimming with dolphins. Puerto Plata's other renowned beaches include Castillo, Costámbar, Long Beach and Maimón.
Visitors can also explore the Amber Museum and the 137-foot El Faro lighthouse. A tram makes the short journey up to the 2,602-foot peak of Pico Isabel de Torres, where a small botanical garden features flowering trees and a variety of tropical plants. Puerto Plata also offers superb reefs for diving and snorkeling, deep-sea sportfishing charters, tennis courts, golf courses, spas and treasure-hunting in the city's bustling craft markets.
