Quick History Stops: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
In June 2023, I made several quick history stops around Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Earlier that day I had visited the Dominican Amber Experience Museum, Casa Museo General Gregorio Luperón, and Fortaleza San Felipe. As a major port with frequent visits from cruise ships, the city blends historic sites with kitschy tourist traps.
In the center of the city was aptly named Parque Central Independencia. A little square next to Catedral de San Felipe Apóstol, the park contains statues of Luperón and Juan Pablo Duarte, the founding father of the Dominican. A nearby sign contains a poem about the patriotism of Duarte. In the middle of the park was a two story grandstand not regularly open to the public. As for the cathedral, the current structure was built in 1870. The original wooden building burned down during the Restoration in 1863. The cathedral has undergone a pair of renovations since then. The first took place from 1929, halted during the 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake and finished by 1956. The latest renovation repaired damage from the 2003 Dominican Republic earthquake and finished by 2008. The cathedral has bad luck!
Not far away was Paseo de Doña Blanca, also known as Calle Rosada or Pink Street. The street was named for Blanca Franceschini Rainieri, a hard working Italian-Dominican mother of nine who started the modern tourist industry in Puerto Plata. The Rainieri family arrived in Puerto Plata in 1898 and started Hotel del Comercio, later called Hotel Europa. The husband and father, Isidoro Rainieri, died in 1914. Doña Blanca sent her children to school in Italy, where they told their classmates about their hotel. When I visited, a statue of Doña Blanca sat on a metal bench on the bright pink sidewalk. Another alley, Umbrella Street, had the same showy colors but not deep history. Local antique car collectors showed off their beautifully restored rides under a canopy of rainbow umbrellas.
Not far from the fort, Juan Lockward Park overlooked a cove with docks, boats, and restaurants. Dedicated in 2015, the park commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Puerto Plata composer Juan Lockward, who lived from 1915 to 2006. He played the guitar and wrote songs about his homeland such as “Que Dios bendiga al Cibao” (God Bless Cibao) and “Pueblito Encantado” (Little Town I Love).
In the middle of a neighborhood was Puente De La Guinea (Bridge of the Chicken). According to a nearby sign, the name did not have a concrete origin. It could derive from the bridge being so little, or because chickens were sold in the area. The bridge was constructed in 1879 during the government of Luperón, making it the oldest surviving bridge in the province. The bridge was last restored in 1879 for its hundredth anniversary.
Other fun stops, some of which have less historical significance, included a retired steam train next to a former train station, a mural of a bulldog, and a shop called Dominican Wallmart. Like all cities, Puerto Plata has some areas that are more safe for tourists than others. Be sure to plan your stops ahead of time and know where you are going. Most streets have sidewalks, especially in the main tourism area. Peddlers and self-proclaimed tour guides can be pushy. Do not be afraid to walk away if you do not need their gadgets or brochures.
