Cruise Port Puerto Plata: What To Do in Puerto Plata
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Plan your Puerto Plata cruise stop with info on safety, excursions, 27 waterfalls, cable car rides, and tips about how to explore the port without a paid tour.
Cruise Port Puerto Plata: (Jump To)
Where Do Cruise Ships Dock in Puerto Plata?
Most ships use Puerto Turístico Taíno Bay, the Puerto Plata cruise port right by the city center with pools, a lazy river, shopping, Monkey Island, and a FlowRider—making “Cruise Port Puerto Plata” an attraction on its own. Some itineraries call at Amber Cove Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (a separate cruise ship port west of town), so check your booking; both terminals have taxis and shuttles, and are well signed for quick exits into town.
Your ship will dock at the Puerto Turístico Taíno Bay Cruise Port. There is a new and modern tourist zone directly surrounding the cruise port. There is a lot to see in the area directly around the port.
If you’re looking for a semi-authentic dining and drinking experience Sanmangū restaurant offers Dominican dishes with outdoor seating.
Also, port side you’ll find pools, a lazy river, a hammock area with day beds for relaxing, and a Flowrider surf simulator.
At Monkey Island, an indoor interactive monkey experience, you can feed, hold, and take selfies with local captive monkeys.
There is also a ton of shopping in the area. Numerous beachwear, jewelry, and souvenir shops will help you find the perfect Dominican Republic keepsake.
How to Visit the 27 Damajagua Waterfalls on Your Own
Grab a taxi from the Port of Puerto Plata/Taíno Bay and head straight to the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua—park admission includes a guide, helmet, and life jacket, and you’ll hike, slide, and jump through cool canyon pools. DIY typically costs far less than ship tours from cruises to Puerto Plata while delivering the same experience; wear or rent water shoes, bring a dry bag, and confirm your pickup time with the driver.
One of the most popular shore excursions in Puerto Plata is a visit to the Damajagua Waterfalls. Shore excursions on board were selling for over $100 per person.
The Damajagua Waterfall experience includes a hike to the Bajabonico River. Once you reach the river you don your helmet and life preserver and jump into the cold as-ice river water. You remain submerged in the water for the remainder of the journey, taking high cliff dives and sliding down natural rock slides. It is an extremely unique experience.
We decided to take a taxi cab from the port to the entrance of the waterfall park. We were able to rent our taxi for USD$150 for the entire day (for four people). This enabled us round-trip transportation to the waterfalls, the wait time at the falls, and the opportunity to see other things in Puerto Plata before returning to the ship.
The taxi stand is on the far end of the Turístico Taíno Bay Cruise Port and is listed on the maps posted around the area. Our taxi company was called Canguro Tours. We were able to pay with a credit card at the end of the day when the driver dropped us off back at the cruise port.
Entrance to the waterfalls was USD$12 per person paid directly to the ticket counter at the base of the Damajagua Waterfall Park. The entrance fee includes helmet and life jacket rental. I paid an extra $2 to rent water shoes. They are required.
When we got to the park we were grouped with other cruise ship passengers who were there on ship-purchased excursions. We had an identical experience to the passengers who paid at the shore excursions desk onboard. The total per person for our excursion was about USD$50, this was a savings of over $100 per person compared to the onboard option.
What To See in Puerto Plata
Ride the Cable Car Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (Teleférico) up Mount Isabel de Torres for sweeping views, then explore the pastel-pink Paseo de Doña Blanca, colorful Umbrella Street, Parque Independencia, and the Catedral de San Felipe Apóstol—easy photo stops from the cruise port. These city-center highlights rank among the best things to do in Puerto Plata and include several free things to do in Puerto Plata cruise port time windows.
Take a 15-minute walk from the port to the historic district of the city. A stop at the pink Paseo de Doña Blanca will give you tons of selfie opportunities.
Nearby is Umbrella Street a quaint street lined with chocolate, coffee, and gift shops. The pedestrian-only street is covered with numerous rainbow-colored umbrellas and gorgeous flowering Bougainvillea vines.
Also nearby is Parque Independencia. The park’s central feature is a large gazebo. The square is lined with beautiful buildings from the Portuguese colonial era. Adjacent to the square is the imposing Catedral de San Felipe Apóstol, a catholic church built between 1929-1956.
What to see in Puerto Plata
27 Waterfalls of Damajagua
Paseo de Doña Blanca
Umbrella Street
Parque Independencia
Catedral de San Felipe Apóstol
