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26-693: Sosúa is a beach town in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in San Felipe de Puerto Plata . The town is divided into three sectors: El Batey , which is the main tourist section and on the east side of the main beach (Playa Sosúa); Los Charamicos , on the west end of the beach; north of them, toward

52-426: A destination for sex tourism , though with a poorer clientele. Local women turn to prostitution as the town has fewer economic opportunities compared to larger cities of the country. Haitian migrants also take part in the sex tourism business, with many of the prostitutes in some areas being of Haitian descent. At sex tourism sites the lighter Dominicans are favored over darker Haitians , who are forced to work in

78-519: A rural area of Sosúa, Sosúa Abajo houses many of the workers who commute to the El Batey area, nearby Cabarete Bay and Playa Dorada . The Barrio of Los Charamicos , between El Batey and Abajo, is a densely-populated urban area known for its nightlife, dancing, and bar scene. Sosúa Bay attracts many water sports enthusiasts, including snorkelers and divers because of its sheltered, calm waters, diverse species of fish and intricate reef structures. In

104-463: A variety of plagues" were reduced in numbers by two thirds. Within a year of Christopher Columbus' departure, "with their provisions running short and suffering and sickness growing, they became discontented with their present lot and despaired of the future." The alcalde mayor, Francisco Roldán , formed a secret faction, and "disdaining to be ruled by a foreigner," plotted to kill Christopher's brothers Bartholomew and Diego. First plotting to capture

130-422: Is just 21–22 years old, created after a storm around 2002. Sosua became a popular tourist destination with the rise of the tourism industry in the Puerto Plata area during the 1980s. In the late 1990s and 2000s Sosúa also became a favorite destination of sex tourists from Europe and North America. Starting in the late 2000s there was an effort to crack down on this industry, which caused a decline. Sosua remains

156-631: The Dominican government between 1940 and 1945 and settled in Sosúa. An agreement was made between Trujillo and Jewish businessmen in New York City. The government provided the settlers with land and resources with which they created a food factory and company named Productos Sosúa still in existence today. Descendants of the original Jewish settlers still live in Sosúa; among them is the former mayor Ilana Neumann . They remain an important segment of

182-537: The New World in 1493 and two of the earliest North Atlantic hurricanes observed by Europeans in 1494 and 1495. Hunger and disease led to mutiny, and a group of settlers, led by Bernal de Pisa, attempted to capture and make off with several ships and go back to Spain . La Isabela barely survived until 1496 when Columbus decided to abandon it in favor of a new settlement founded in 1498 called Nueva Isabela, and soon renamed Santo Domingo . After his first voyage to

208-493: The New World, Columbus returned to Hispaniola with seventeen ships. Columbus' settlers built houses, storerooms, a Roman Catholic church, and a large house for Columbus. He brought more than a thousand men, including sailors, soldiers, carpenters, stonemasons, and other workers. Priests and nobles came as well. Although historical records mention neither women nor Africans, skeletal remains in graves found at least one European woman and indicated African origin for others, but whether

234-579: The Taíno called a hurricane hit the island. The Taíno retreated to the mountains while the Spaniards remained in the colony. Several ships were sunk, including the flagship, the Marie-Galante . Cannon barrels and anchors from that era have been found in the bay. Gelatinous silt from rivers and wave action has raised the level of the bay floor and covers any parts of wrecks that may remain. Caves on

260-433: The airport, is Sosúa Abajo . Sosua is accessed primarily by Camino Cinco, or Highway 5, which runs the country's northern coastline. The town of Sosúa was officially founded by Jewish settlers (see Dominican Jews ) who were fleeing from Nazi Germany . At the 1938 Evian Conference , Rafael Trujillo offered to accept up to 100,000 Jewish refugees; about 800 German and Austrian Jewish refugees received visas issued by

286-469: The community and maintain a synagogue and a museum. Most of the descendants of the refugees have migrated to the United States. Some families remained and established inns and bed and breakfasts, which were first visited by former refugees. Sosúa Abajo , which translates roughly to "Lower Sosúa", is located on the western side of Sosúa in a valley nearby a river that flows into Sosúa Bay. Mainly

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312-725: The island where the Indians may have sheltered depict pictures of the sun, plants, animals, strange shapes, people, bearded faces, and sailing ships. In 1975, the Smithsonian concluded that the remains found in La Isabela of two male African skeletons dated back to 1250AD but is dismissed as Afrocentric pseudohistory . Christopher Columbus was absent from Isabela from 24 April until 29 September 1494, on an exploratory trip to Cuba during which time he also discovered Jamaica. Christopher left his brother Diego Columbus as president of

338-543: The island, with Fray Bernardo Buil and Pedro Fernandez Coronel as regents. During his absence, his brother Bartholomew Columbus arrived, the Tainos revolted, and Captain Pedro Margarit fled back to Spain. On 24 March 1495, Christopher Columbus, allied with Guacanagari , marched against the other caciques with 200 men, 20 horses and 20 hounds. He killed or captured many, including the principal cacique Caonabo . It

364-495: The latter were sailors or slaves is as yet undetermined. The Spaniards brought pigs, horses, wheat, sugarcane, and guns. Rats and microbes came with them, leading to the first influenza epidemic in the Americas. The settlement took up more than two hectares. The first Mass was celebrated on 6 January 1494. The town included 200 thatch huts, a plaza, and Columbus' stone house and arsenal. The Taíno were local natives living in

390-416: The mountains near La Isabela. They lived on fish and staples such as pineapple, which they introduced to the Spaniards. The food that they provided was important to the Spaniards. Columbus said that there were no finer people in the world. In March 1494, Columbus's men began to search, with Taíno Indians, in the mountains of Hispaniola for gold and small amounts were found. In June 1495, a large storm that

416-476: The parcels. It was one of the cities devastated in 1606 and was not repopulated until after 1736. The advent of republican times favored the development of the city, which over time became the main port of Cibao , especially for exporting the regional tobacco. By Resolution of the National Congress dated July 6, 1847, Puerto Plata was elevated from common to Maritime District. It became a province in

442-565: The position of "field bailiff" of the Villa de Santiago that belonged to the Villa de Concepción de la Vega and this corresponded to the Mayor's Office of the City of Santo Domingo. His name appears in the "Colón-Solís" trial, where the encomendero of the Villa de Santiago, Francisco de Solís, murdered two naborías Indians. The field bailiff was in charge of capturing the Indians or blacks who escaped from

468-631: The seats ( cabeceras literally heads) of municipalities or of municipal districts. Rural population are those living in the districts ( Secciones literally sections) and neighborhoods ( Parajes literally places) outside of them. For comparison with the municipalities and municipal districts of other provinces see the list of municipalities and municipal districts of the Dominican Republic . La Isabela La Isabela in Puerto Plata Province , Dominican Republic

494-485: The streets or local bars rather than the more lucrative up-scale areas. Puerto Plata (province) Created from the Santiago Province in 1867 as a "maritime district", it became a province in 1907, when maritime districts were suppressed by a new Dominican constitution. In 1493, La Isabela was founded by Christopher Columbus , being the first European town in the Americas. For its part, Puerto Plata

520-703: The town and fortress of Concepcion in the province of Cibao , Roldan eventually moved his rebels to Xaragua , where the land was fertile and the women were the "best-looking and best-natured in the country." When Christopher entered Santo Domingo on 30 August 1498, he found many of the people he had left behind two and a half years ago were dead, some 160 were sick, while many more had joined Roldan's rebellion. The two-year rebellion finally ended on 3 August 1499, when Christopher agreed to "restore Roldan to his office of perpetual alcalde mayor," allow 15 to return home to Spain, made grants of houses and land for those who stayed, and then "publicly proclaim that all that had happened

546-556: The west of La Isabela in what is present day Haiti , was destroyed by the native Taíno people before he returned. La Isabela was abandoned by 1500. The only earlier European settlements in the Americas were settlements by the Vikings in Greenland and Newfoundland which dated from 500 years earlier. La Isabela was established to search for precious metals. La Isabela was struck by the first known epidemic to spread from Europe to

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572-616: The winter, whale watching is also a popular tourist activity in Sosúa Bay. Recently, naturally occurring beach replenishment has created a new beach just north of Sosúa Bay, depositing sand where there were previously only sheer rock cliffs. The beach is called Playa Alicia. There are several other beaches, Sosua Beach, which is a crescent-shaped bay protected by coral formations. Sosúa's other beaches are Waterfront (Playa Alicia), Paradise beach (actually shifts on and off every several months), Playa Imbert and Playa Chiquita. Waterfront beach

598-503: The year 1850. In 1879 it was the seat of the government of Gregorio Luperón and served as the internal capital of the Republic. The province is divided into the following municipalities ( municipios ) and municipal districts ( distrito municipal - D.M.) within them: The following is a sortable table of the municipalities with population figures as of the 2012 census (the last national census). Urban population are those living in

624-516: Was Caonabo who was responsible for the Navidad massacre. He was sent to Spain as a prisoner. By then, only 630 Christians remained, "most of them sick, with many children and women among them." Christopher Columbus himself departed for Spain on 10 March 1496 with 225 Christians and 30 Indians aboard the Santa Cruz and Nina . By then, the native Taínos suffering from a "shortage of food and such

650-462: Was founded by Nicolás de Ovando at the beginning of the Hispanic colonization, around 1502. One of the first inhabitants in the years 1509 of the "Villa de Puerto de Plata" was Gaspar Briceño, a native of Arévalo del Reino from Castilla y León, who arrived on the island as a servant of Juan de Berlanga, treasurer of the Mayor's Office of the city of Santo Domingo , on the island of Hispaniola. He held

676-494: Was the first stable Spanish settlement and town in the Americas established in December 1493. The site is 42 km west of the city of Puerto Plata , adjacent to the village of El Castillo. The area now forms a National Historic Park. La Isabela was founded by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage, and named after Queen Isabella I of Castile . The settlement of La Navidad , established by Columbus one year earlier to

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