Bay of Maimón

A beautiful beach of fine sand and transparent waters where you can practise water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, kayaking or snorkelling.
This is where the three RIU hotels (ClubHotel Riu Bachata, ClubHotel Riu Mambo and ClubHotel Riu Merengue) in the area are located: in an exceptional setting surrounded by mountains and wooded areas. The few constructions here are totally integrated into the landscape.

Cofresí beach

This busy beach with great atmosphere is very close to Puerto Plata. At one of its ends lies Ocean World, an aquatic park very popular with families, which boasts a large collection of tropical fish and daily seal shows.

Santiago

In the town of Santiago, to the southeast of Maimón, lies the Centro León, the best museum in the country. Its divided into four spaces:

History, society and geography of the Dominican Republic.
Contemporary art.
Temporary exhibitions.
History of the León Jimenes family, the founders of the museum.

The museum also organises art workshops, film festivals and concerts.

Puerto Plata

8km from Maimón, this pleasant town is worth visiting:

Dominican Amber Museum: Here you can see an interesting collection of this fascinating prehistoric resin. One of the highlights is a piece with a 30cm long feather inside, the longest one found to date.

Amber gallery: As well as pieces of amber, in this museum you will also find a broad exhibition on rum and tobacco, two of the country’s most important products, with tasting included.

Isabel de Torres peak: Standing at 800m, this peak offers exceptional views of the town and coast.
Fort of San Felipe: This imposing construction has seen better days, but still affords very good views of the bay.

Imbert cascades

Located in the farming village of Imbert, these 22 waterfalls descend an abrupt wall of rock, offering an imposing and spectacular image. Just 10km south of Maimón, a visit here is definitely worthwhile.

La Isabela National Park

This is the site of the remains of the first European settlement on Hispaniola (nowadays Santo Domingo), founded in 1493. Of the original colony, only the Columbus house and some defensive walls are still standing.
The first catholic mass to be held in the New World took place in its church, on January 6th 1494. There is also a small museum with artefacts and coins dating from 1474.

Windsurfing, Kitesurfing and Surfing

Cabarete, 1 hour away from Maimón, is one of the most important destinations in the world for these sports:

Windsurfing: Experts will prefer Cabarete beach and beginners Bozo beach, which is less windy. The best season is between May and July when the winds are in excess of 25km per hour. Cabarete has hosted world windsurfing cup events on several occasions.

Kitesurfing: Kite beach is the meeting point for kitesurfing enthusiasts. This sport, which consists of attaching oneself to a kind of surfboard and a paraglider in order to skim over the sea, has become extremely popular over recent years.

Surfing: The best place for surfing is Encuentro beach, with waves that can reach 4m in height. Its waves can break both to the right and to the left.

Diving and snorkelling

Sosúa: This is the diving capital in the north of the country. There are over ten places for immersions:

Airport Wall: With a large wall and tunnels from 12m to 25m in depth.
Zingara Wreck: A piece of wreckage at a depth of 45m and an artificial reef at 35m.
Coral Gardens and Coral Wall: Two excellent coralline formations at 14m and 53m.

Ocean World: This aquatic park, which is ideal for children, has a 300m² tank where you can dive amongst tropical fish. Moreover, shows are organised every day with seals, dolphins, sharks and giant manta rays. It is located in Cofresí, just a few kilometres from Maimón.

Golf

Golf Playa Dorada: This course has broad fairways, five greens beside the sea and four more next to lagoons. The club also has a golf school. It is 10km east of Maimón.

Shopping

Puerto Plata: The Dominican Amber Museum shop has a good range of pieces of this fossilized resin. The most exceptional ones contain prehistoric insects. It also has locally-produced gold and silver jewellery.

If you like cigars, there are several shops in the town that sell high-quality smokes at a good price.