Puerto Plata History

Christopher Columbus discovered this port in the early 1490's. History provided a few explanations for its name, which when translated into English, means Port of Silver . Some relate it to the silvery appearance against the background mountain, Isabela de Torres. Others say it was derived from the appearance of thousands of silver coins shimmering in the waters at sunset. The beauty of Puerto Plata is reflected in its nickname, 'La Novia del Atlantico' (when translated means: The Bride of the Atlantic).

In 1540 the first fort in the New World was built, Fort San Felipe, and the port became a stop for traders between Europe and Puerto Plata. In the 1600's the Spanish lost interest in the port and then moved south to Santo Domingo and the neighboring Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico and Cuba. Illicit activities increased after having been abandoned and then the city was later destroyed by Spanish royal decree. In the 1740's, the city was rebuilt by Spanish families who immigrated from the Canary Islands. In the beginning of the 1870's, the port had many thriving activities and there was also a boom in the tobacco industry which made this city the wealthiest and the most cosmopolitan in the Caribbean for the next few decades.

Puerto Plata lost most of its importance at that time but then grew into the largest city on the North Coast of the country. The 1970's brought tourism to the area and made Puerto Plata an important tourist destination.