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A solid-looking bastion intended to deter marauding pirates in the 16th century, this brick-built fort — the oldest in the New World — has been restored and contains cannon and other weapon-ry from the colonial period in a small museum. You can also climb up the towers and gun turrets.

Dominated by a heroic statue of independence hero General Gregorio Luperón on horseback, the seaside Malecón, loved by walkers and roller-skaters, offers uninterrupted views of ocean and mountains. This is also the venue for the vibrant annual Merengue Festival.

A shaded oasis, surrounded by whitewashed Victorian architecture, this is the heart of old Puerto Plata and a pleasant place to sit in a café or park bench. Most of the town’s quaint gingerbread buildings are clustered around the park.

This 1960s reconstruction of the original gazebo provides the focal point of the square. The symmetrical 2-story white-and-green wooden bandstand was apparently constructed to a Belgian blueprint in 1872.

Part of a large complex of art and handicrafts called Plaza Arawak, this collection of pre-Columbian artifacts explores the mysterious religious beliefs of the island’s indigenous people.

Recently given a facelift after the September 2003 earthquake, the twin-towered Catedral San Felipe Apóstol is a successful blend of traditional colonial and Art Deco influences.

Housed in a German tobacco magnate’s exquisite mansion, the museum showcases the local amber industry, displaying finely-crafted jewelry as well as natural phenomena such as a million-year-old lizard trapped in a luminous block of the precious resin.

A tour of the 1880s rum bottling plant reveals the extent of Dominicans’ love affair with rum. The production lines are an impressive sight, but the highlight is the gratis cocktail.

The 2,800-ft (850-m) peak offers a stunning bird’s-eye view over the town and coastline. A smaller version of Rio’s statue of Christ gazes protectively over the horizon, while a Botanic Garden makes for a pleasant stroll.

The teleférico is the most spectacular way of reaching the summit: a smooth 20-minute ride up the Caribbean’s only cable car system, over the wooded mountain-side, with terrific views of Puerto Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.