One of the newest cruise ports in the Caribbean is the Taíno Bay port located in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. This new, tropical port offers visitors access to stunning natural wonders, historic streets, fresh cuisine, and a picture-perfect coastline.
Many cruisers arriving in Puerto Plata are visiting for the very first time, and like any cruise port, it’s helpful to have a general idea of what to expect. Whether you’re interested in laying on the beach all day or hanging out at the port’s complimentary pool, here’s everything you should know about the Puerto Plata cruise port.
Where is Puerto Plata?
Puerto Plata is located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Known as the Amber Coast due to the area’s large deposits of amber, this region is famous for its white sand beaches, abundance of waterfalls, and colonial architecture.
The city’s Amber Cove cruise port opened in 2015, which serves primarily Carnival Corporation cruise ships. Due to the success of this port, Puerto Plata constructed a second cruise port, Taíno Bay, which opened in December 2021.
This brand new cruise port is located adjacent to Puerto Plata’s historical city center and provides easy access to beaches and downtown. The port is a destination within itself, as it offers new amenities including restaurants, bars, a pool, and shopping.
Taíno Bay cruise port amenities
While in Puerto Plata, you can choose to leave the immediate port area or spend your entire day inside the Taíno Bay cruise port. Most guests explore both options, spending some time outside the port soaking in local culture and the rest of the day discovering Taino Bay’s amenities.
Here are the highlights at the Taíno Bay cruise port:
Tuk tuks
Taíno Bay cruise port offers complimentary tuk tuk (rickshaw) rides from the pier to the port’s entrance. Tipping the driver is recommended.
Pool
One of the best features at the Taíno Bay cruise port is a large pool with in-pool loungers and a swim up bar. This pool is complimentary to guests, although beverages come at an extra cost.
Complimentary beach beds and chairs are also available at the pool on a first come, first serve basis. With DJ music, tropical drinks, and a way to cool off in the strong Dominican sun, it’s easy to spend a whole port day at the pool.
Food & drinks
Photo credit: Taino Bay Puerto Plata
There are two restaurants located in the Taíno Bay cruise port: Sanmangú and Casa Palapa. Both restaurants come at an extra cost, with most dishes priced between $15 and $20.
Sanmangú is the port’s Dominican cuisine restaurant, serving classic Caribbean fare including mofongo, fried fish, grilled chicken, and Dominican sancocho, a meat and vegetable stew.
The restaurant is named after mangu, a Dominican dish of mashed plantains typically served with fried white cheese and salami. Banana sanmangú is available on the restaurant’s menu.
Photo credit: Taino Bay Puerto Plata
The port’s other restaurant, Casa Palapa, focuses on Mexican cuisine. In addition to these sit-down restaurants, visitors can enjoy coffee and desserts from the Cortaito coffee shop.
If you’d prefer to spend the day sipping mojitos, you’ll have 7 bars to choose from in Taíno Bay. Alternatively, stay hydrated at the coconut stand with fresh coconut water.
Shopping
Like any cruise port, there are plenty of shopping opportunities in Puerto Plata. From budget souvenirs to diamond rings, you can shop the day away in Taíno Bay.
Shopping is located in Taíno Village, the port’s shopping district.
Monkey Island
Located within the Taíno Bay cruise port is Monkey Island. While not technically an island, Monkey Island is an enclosure where visitors can interact with squirrel monkeys.
For $25, you can spend 30 minutes with the monkeys. They will climb, jump, and walk all over your body (and head!), so be prepared to get up close and personal to these adorable animals.
Aviaries
If the idea of monkeys crawling on your head doesn’t seem appealing, you can enjoy several small, complimentary aviaries located throughout the port where parrots and other birds can be seen throughout the day.
Beach lounge chairs
While there is no beach swimming access at Taíno Bay, there are lounge chairs set up on the sand directly across from the cruise ships. Beach chairs are complimentary, but swimming is not permitted.
What to do in Puerto Plata cruise port
While the Taíno Bay cruise port offers more than enough to keep visitors busy, many prefer to explore Puerto Plata’s attractions outside the port area.
Here are some of the best places to visit in Puerto Plata.
Isabel de Torres mountain
As your cruise ship pulls into Puerto Plata, you’ll immediately notice the region’s lush, mountainous landscape, with one mountain dominating the rest.
Towering 2,600ft above Puerto Plata is Mount Isabel de Torres, the tallest peak in the city. Visiting this mountain is one of the most popular activities in Puerto Plata, and for good reason: the views from the top are simply outstanding.
There are three ways to reach the peak: cable car, a windy car road, or a strenuous hike. The cable car is the most popular–and recommended–option. For $10 a person, you can purchase a roundtrip ride on the cable car to the mountaintop.
Once at the top, you’ll find a variety of hiking trails, gorgeous viewing areas, and a Christ the Redeemer statue. One thing to note is that there are only two cable cars running at once, so wait times may be 30 minutes or even one hour to board a cable car on the way up.
The cable car entrance is located 1.3 miles from the cruise port, so taking a taxi is encouraged.
Damajagua waterfalls
Photo credit: Taino Bay Puerto Plata
Why visit one waterfall when you can visit twenty seven? Discovered by tourists in the 1990s, the Damajagua waterfalls are a collection of cascading falls located a half hour from Puerto Plata.
These waterfalls make a perfect excursion opportunity for adrenaline-seekers, and tours can be purchased through your cruise line or from outsider providers.
Tours to the waterfalls include jungle hikes, sliding down waterfalls, swimming through caverns, and jumping into natural pools. Most tours will not visit all twenty seven waterfalls, but you can expect to visit seven waterfalls during your excursion.
Fortaleza San Felipe
History buffs–or those looking for some of the city’s best views–will want to visit Fortaleza San Felipe in Puerto Plata.
This historic Spanish fortress was built in 1577 to protect the city from pirates and other intruders. In fact, it served as a location of one of the few land battles between the United States and France in the Quasi-War in 1800.
It remained in operation for several centuries before being converted into a jail in the 19th century and a museum in 1965.
Today the fort is open to the public for only a few dollars per person. The outside grounds of the fort are complimentary and offer walking paths and wonderful views of the nearby scenery.
Centro Histórico
The historical city center in Puerto Plata may be small, but it’s a charming place to explore for a few hours while in port.
The main attraction in the Centro Histórico is Independence Square, a public plaza surrounded by colonial architecture, including the city’s famous St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral.
The historic center’s narrow streets are lined with museums, shops, and restaurants. Don’t miss a photo opportunity at Umbrella Street–a narrow alley shaded by colorful umbrellas–or the hot pink alley at the Paseo de Doña Blanca.
Have a beach day
If laying on a Caribbean beach (with a cocktail in hand, of course) sounds like the best way to spend your day in Puerto Plata, you’ll find plenty of options.
Some of the best beaches near the Puerto Plata cruise port include Sosua Beach, Playa Grande, and Playa Dorada.
ResortForADay.com has one all-inclusive day pass available at Sunscape Puerto Plata, located 15 minutes away from the cruise port. Amenities include unlimited food and drinks, beach and pool access, and lounge chairs.
You can also purchase an all-inclusive resort package as a cruise line shore excursion, but these do not usually offer as much flexibility or time spent at the resort compared to booking a day pass on your own.
How to get around Puerto Plata cruise port
Taxis
Most cruise tourists visiting Puerto Plata without a shore excursion booked hire a taxi driver for the day. Taíno Bay cruise port has official taxi drivers available who charge between $80-100 total for full day service.
Having a private taxi driver for the day is a convenient way to see Puerto Plata’s most popular sights without hassle. Whether you want to visit the beach, eat at a local restaurant, or tour Puerto Plata’s city center, you can do so with a private taxi guide.
Taxi drivers wait for you at whichever activities you do in Puerto Plata. If you visit Mount Isabel de Torres, for example, your taxi driver will either wait for you at the bottom of the cable car or accompany you up the mountain.
It’s also possible to find taxis for individual rides around the city, but this appeared to be difficult on a recent visit to the port. As taxi drivers wait for tourists to leave Taíno Bay cruise port, most expect a full day’s worth of taxi service instead of a short ride.
Uber
Uber is also available in Puerto Plata, although you will need international phone service to access the Uber app when in the Dominican Republic. Uber is a much more economical option than a taxi, with most one-way rides from the cruise port to city highlights priced between $2-5 each way.
Organized tours
If you’d prefer to travel around Puerto Plata without worrying about transportation logistics yourself, your best bet is to book an organized shore excursion.
For tips & tricks on booking the best shore excursion for you, check out our guides:
- Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port
- Top 10 cruise ship shore excursion mistakes to avoid
- 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
Puerto Plata cruise port FAQs
What language do they speak in Puerto Plata?
Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. Knowing Spanish is helpful, especially if you plan to leave the cruise port area, but most locals working in the tourism industry can communicate in English.
Is there a free beach at the Puerto Plata cruise port?
The Taíno Bay cruise port does not have beach access for swimming. Those wishing to swim in the ocean must leave the port area and take a taxi or Uber to a nearby beach.
What currency should I use in Puerto Plata?
Because Puerto Plata is accustomed to tourists, paying in USD is widely accepted. Expect change to be given in Dominican pesos.
Which cruise itineraries visit Puerto Plata?
Cruises to Puerto Plata can be found on eastern Caribbean itineraries departing from Florida. The shortest itineraries visiting Puerto Plata are 4-night cruises, but most are 6+ nights.
Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise? Start here:
- 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
- What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
- 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
- Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
- Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
- What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?