Discover the Northern Coast of the Dominican Republic

SOSUA
Just six miles to the east of Puerta Plata is a unique beach town. Sosua was founded 70 years ago by Jewish settlers, but over time the community has grown to include many expatriates from Germany, Canada and the United States. Just one look at its beach and you will instantly recognize why this locale — with its stunning landscape and robust nightlife — is the adopted home of so many. The mile-long beach is an almost perfectly shaped half moon, and it enjoys a wonderful, rich canopy of palm, mango and other tall and mature tropical trees that give shade to those who enjoy the tradewinds and vistas of the beach without the hot and sometimes damaging rays of the raging sun. For those who come to the Caribbean to get their tan on, the beachfront closest to the water is treeless and grounded with pristine, soft, white sand.

There are many affordable boutique hotels in Sosua. The Sosua Bay Beach Resort, perched on a bluff, is the best-known and most luxurious hotel in town. There is a fully operational modern casino nearby. The Hispaniola Villas offer two- to four-bedroom homes with pools. Arrangements can be made to hire locals to cook meals, such as lambi vinaigrette (conch salad), lobster thermidor, pollo guisado (creole chicken and rice), mangu (mashed plaintain) and moro (dark rice cooked in coconut milk with chickpeas or black beans). Casa Linda, which is just east of the city, also offers two- to four-bedroom villas in a 24-hour-patrolled, gated community, with private pools and jacuzzis. They are presently in expansion mode and are offering communal properties with up to six domiciles at reasonable prices for investors.

PLAYA GRANDE
Approximately 45 miles east of Sosua, the countryside, dotted with farms and small villages, opens up to Playa Grande (translation: “grand beach”). Dazzling views aside, this place is a mecca for golf aficionados, amateurs and professionals alike. The course, Playa Dorada, has several holes against the ocean, perched as much as 100 feet above the beach, bolstered by granite and volcanic rock cliffs. And although the most famous course in the DR, called Diente De Perro (“Teeth of the Dog”), is on the southern coast, hitting the links at Playa Grande is a must-do activity for the vacationing golf enthusiast.