Diana Petterson Caribbean Islands, Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic: Rum, Amber & Way too much Shopping

Along Umbrella Street, real name Calle San Felipe, the vibrant and colorful pedestrian street of touristy establishments in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)

Dominican Republic : Country #92 on my Countdown to 100 U.N. countries by the time I turn 70 in 2026.

The first stop on our big bus Carib Tours cruise excursion, from the Port of Tieno Bay in the city of Puerto Plata on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Dominican Republic, was the Macorix House of Rum. It was, or so I thought, supposed to be a rum factory tour but this seeing a nicely made film and not a rum making factory tour before the  rum tasting so you buy the rum. 

And so began the shopping tour with a little history thrown in to make it feel a little less like a shopping tour, but a shopping tour nonetheless. I understand a number of these islands main industry is tourism and maybe I am one of a few, but I don’t travel to shop. Does that mean I don’t buy things when I travel, of course I do. But I don’t seek them out and I certainly don’t pay for a cruise ship excursion that’s predominantly about shopping. 

And because all aboard was at 2:30 pm, after the tour, which ended a little after 1:00 pm, there really wasn’t much time to explore Puerto Plata. 

So here’s the rum shopping, the Rainbow street shopping, the Pink Alley, walk around the small stores of Central Park, the Amber Museum to get in some amber history before exiting through the gift shop to buy amber jewelry and cigars. 

The last two stops before being dropped off at the mega mile outdoor shopping mall to the pier, were the Casa Museo General Gregorio Luperón and the 16th-century Fort San Felipe. 

Then we were dropped off back at the Taino Bay Port but at the opposite end of the cruise terminal gangway which meant walking through the gauntlet of shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment venues, just to get back to the cruise terminal gangway.  We made it across the lengthy gangway and back to the ship with an hour to spare before the ‘all aboard.’

The Dominican Republic is the last island country and last port on my Caribbean Chorus cruise with Oceania Cruises. And, the last country I will travel to for 2024. Here’s just a glimpse of Puerto Plata.

Elizabeth and me at Rainbow Alley in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, during our Discover Puerto Plata cruise excursion. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Arriving at the Taino Bay Port in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic to meet up with our tour cruise excursion group for a 4-hour Discover Puerto Plata tour. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The first stop of our 4-hour Discover Puerto Plata excursion was at the Macorix House of Rum. That’s the sugar cane plant needed to make this company’s rum. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The first stop of our 4-hour Discover Puerto Plata excursion was at the Macorix House of Rum. That’s the sugar cane plant needed to make this company’s rum. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Entering the tour of the Macorix House of Rum through its rum aging warehouse with some 3,500 barrels. Evidently the Macorix House of Rum is a historical museum (with rum tasting) and not a rum factory as stated in the tour description. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Before entering this rum tasting room at the Macorix House of Rum in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, we saw a video about their rum production process. This was not a tour of a rum factory, which the description of this mentioned. But it was about tasting and buying the rum. I tasted all of them and definitely preferred its Spiced rum called Rebel. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Before entering this rum tasting room at the Macorix House of Rum in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, we saw a video about their rum production process. This was not a tour of a rum factory, which the description of this mentioned. But it was about tasting and buying the rum. I tasted all of them and definitely preferred its Spiced rum called Rebel. (Dec. 20, 2024)
This entrance to the Rainbow Gift Shop, in the city center of Puerto Plata, looks like a small shop inside a small garage. But it’s not. the Rainbow Gift Shop is a treasure trove for those seeking unique jewelry and mementos. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Inside the open garage-looking Rainbow Gift Shop in Puerto Plata we were given information on Amber which is a hard, organic substance that comes from fossilized tree resin; and Larimar is a rare, semi-precious gemstone that’s only found in the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Inside the open garage-looking Rainbow Gift Shop in Puerto Plata we were given information on Amber which is a hard, organic substance that comes from fossilized tree resin; and Larimar is a rare, semi-precious gemstone that’s only found in the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The Larimar gemstone, only found in the Dominican Republic, can be many colors, including bluish white, light blue, light green, green-blue, turquoise blue, turquoise green, deep green, dark green, and deep blue. The most desirable color is blue. (Not my photo. Photo from findgemstone.com) (Dec. 20, 2024)
But this is what the inside of the exterior garage-looking entrance to the Rainbow Gift Shop in Puerto Plata looks like. It’s a shop that sells all kinds of jewelry. Another shopping opportunity in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
And, this is the actual storefront of the Rainbow Gift Shop Factory along the touristy street of Calle Duarte where another touristy street, Umbrella Street, begins in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
And, this is the actual storefront of the Rainbow Gift Shop Factory along the touristy street of Calle Duarte where another touristy street, Umbrella Street, begins in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Me getting in a selfie on Umbrella Street, real name Calle San Felipe, the vibrant and colorful pedestrian street of touristy establishments in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Along Umbrella Street, real name Calle San Felipe, the vibrant and colorful pedestrian street of touristy establishments in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Along Umbrella Street, real name Calle San Felipe, the vibrant and colorful pedestrian street of touristy establishments in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The entrance to the “Paseo de Doña Bianca,” the Pink Alley, a monochromatic walkway where everything is painted bright pink is named in honor of Bianca Franceschini, an Italian immigrant who, along with her husband Isidoro Rainieri, founded the Hotel Europa in Puerto Plata in 1898 and who helped develop the early tourism industry in the city. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The entrance to the “Paseo de Doña Bianca,” the Pink Alley, a monochromatic walkway where everything is painted bright pink is named in honor of Bianca Franceschini, an Italian immigrant who, along with her husband Isidoro Rainieri, founded the Hotel Europa in Puerto Plata in 1898 and who helped develop the early tourism industry in the city. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Elizabeth sitting next to a statue of Bianca Franceschini along the Pink Alley called “Paseo de Doña Bianca”. The Italian immigrant who, along with her husband Isidoro Rainieri, founded the Hotel Europa (its former structure painted along the pink alleyway) in Puerto Plata in 1898. She also is credited with helping develop the early tourism industry in the city. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Our next stop, just a few blocks from the Pink Alley was the Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata, with statues of Juan Pablo Duarte (1813-1876), left and General Gregorio Luperón (1839-1897), right. Duarte is considered as the founding father of the Dominican Republic and Luperón, whose museum we visited, was a leader in the Dominican Restoration War to take back independence from Spain. Two men who fought for the country’s independence. (Dec. 20, 2024)
A colorful mural covers the side wall of the Sambula Restaurant across the way from the Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
A colorful mural covers the side wall of the Sambula Restaurant across the way from the Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Heading back to our Caribe Tour big bus to continue on with our tour from the Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata to the Amber Museum. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The Amber Museum is housed in a Victorian-era mansion that once belonged to a wealthy local family in Puerto Plata. The museum was founded in 1982 by Ada (Didi) Benelli and Aldo Costa with exhibits that chronicle the history of amber with samples of the earth’s most precious vegetable fossil. The museum was the first of its kind dedicated entirely to amber in the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Inside the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata which has several display rooms, with an impressive collection amber pieces containing plants, insects and other fossilized small animals. Considered a semi-precious gem, amber is formed when tree sap fossilizes, sometimes catching plants, and animals in it. (Dec. 20, 2024)
A close-up of wasp-like ants encased in amber at the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata. Amber resin forms when a tree secretes a sticky substance called resin from its bark, which then hardens and becomes fossilized over time through a process called polymerization, often trapping insects or other small organisms that get caught in the sticky resin before it solidifies; this typically happens when the resin is released due to damage to the tree’s bark and becomes buried in sediment over millions of years. It is said that Steven Spielberg was inspired by this museum when he was working on his famous film Jurassic Park. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Amber found in organic rich shale/sandstone sediments at the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
There’s also a tobacco showroom inside the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata and cigars are sold at the museum’s shop. (Dec. 20, 2024)
There’s also a tobacco showroom inside the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata and cigars are sold at the museum’s shop. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The statue of General Gregorio Luperón (1839-1897) at Central Park, also known as Independence Square, in Puerto Plata. He was a Dominican revolutionary, military general, businessman and statesman who was one of the leaders in the Dominican Restoration War to take back the country for Spain. (Dec. 20, 2024)
An upstairs room inside the General Gregorio Luperón Museum in Puerto Plata, his former home that was renovated and converted into a museum showcasing his life. (Dec. 20, 2024)
A mural of General Gregorio Luperón in the Dominican Restoration War at the General Gregorio Luperón Museum in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
A mural of General Gregorio Luperón in the Dominican Restoration War at the General Gregorio Luperón Museum in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The fortress walls and entrance to the San Felipe Fort in Puerto Plata was commissioned for construction in 1564 and completed in 1577. It was named for King Felipe II of Spain and is one of the oldest European structures in the Caribbean. Also known as El Morro de San Felipe, it was used to protect the city from foreign invaders, pirates, and privateers. The fortress is located on a hill at the Puntilla del Malecón (the “seawall point”), overlooking the entrance to the city’s seaport. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Before even getting remotely close to our cruise ship, we were dropped off back at the Taino Bay Port but at the opposite end of the cruise terminal gangway where we had to walk, at least a mile, through the gauntlet of outdoor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues just to get to the ship. Thankfully we had about an hour to spare before the ‘all aboard’ but that meant rushing to make sure we made it to the ship on time even though every other shop had people standing outside trying to get us to come in and look. (Dec. 20, 2024)
The equestrian statue of General Gregorio Luperón facing the San Felipe Fort along the North Atlantic Ocean in Puerto Plata. (Dec. 20, 2024)
On the San Felipe fortress grounds, with views of a cruise ship at the Taino Bay Cruise Port where our small cruise ship, the Insignia, was hidden beside the bigger ship. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Before even getting remotely close to our cruise ship, we were dropped off back at the Taino Bay Port but at the opposite end of the cruise terminal gangway where we had to walk, at least a mile, through the gauntlet of outdoor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues just to get to the ship. Thankfully we had about an hour to spare before the ‘all aboard’ but that meant rushing to make sure we made it to the ship on time even though every other shop had people standing outside trying to get us to come in and look. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Rushing through the gauntlet of outdoor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues of the Taino Bay Port in Puerto Plata to get to our cruise ship. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Rushing through the gauntlet of outdoor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues of the Taino Bay Port in Puerto Plata to get to our cruise ship. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Rushing through the gauntlet of outdoor shops, restaurants and entertainment venues of the Taino Bay Port in Puerto Plata to get to our cruise ship. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Making it down the lengthy gangway at the Puerto Plata Cruise Port to reach our ship, the Insignia. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Views of the San Felipe Fort and the North Atlantic Ocean from our ship, the Insignia, as we began sailing away from Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Views of the San Felipe Fort and the North Atlantic Ocean from our ship, the Insignia, as we began sailing away from Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Views of the San Felipe Fort and the North Atlantic Ocean from our ship, the Insignia, as we began sailing away from Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic. (Dec. 20, 2024)
Leaving the Dominican Republic, the last country and last shore excursion on my Caribbean Chorus cruise on Oceania’s Insignia before heading to our final stop, Miami, Florida in the U.S. (Dec. 20, 2024)